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Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

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Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#11

Post by FinnLobsien »

catigula wrote: post #6
nathan_compton wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bigger problem is that kids can just hand write an essay that an AI gave them. I teach at a university and I just scale my homework assignments until they reach or exceed sightly the amount of work I expect a student to be able to do with AI. Before I would give them a problem set. Next semester homeworks will be more like entire projects.

I understand your intentions but I'm skeptical even this solves the problem. Realistically I think we're just moving away from knowledge-work and efforts to resuscitate it are just varying levels of triage for a bleeding limb. In the actual workplace with people making hundreds of thousands a year (the top echelon of what your class is trying to prepare students for) I'm not seeing output increase with AI tools so cl…

What do you view as coming after knowledge work? Do you think we'll see a resurgence of physical, in-person work?

Not rhetorical, I'm genuinely curious and could see that being a real scenario.

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#12

Post by the_snooze »

TimorousBestie wrote: post #2

I predict that asking students to hand-write assignments is not going to go well. Unfortunately, universities built on the consumer model (author teaches at Arizona State) are incentivized to listen to student feedback over the professor’s good intentions.

The consumer model isn't all bad. But it can lead to wildly different outcomes based on self-selection and incentives.

Take gyms, for example. You have your cheap commodity convenience gyms like Planet Fitness, where a lot of people sign up (especially at the beginning of the year) but few actually stick to it to get any real gains. But you also have pricy fitness clubs with mandatory beginner classes, where the member base tends to be smaller but very committed to it.

I feel like students that are OK with just phoning it in with AI fall into the Planet Fitness mindset. If you're serious about gains (physically or intellectually), you'll listen to the instructors and persist through uncomfortable challenges.

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#13

Post by nkrisc »

If the trend continues, it seems like most college degrees will be completely worthless.

If students using AI to cheat on homework are graduating with a degree, then it has lost all value as a certificate that the holder has completed some minimum level of education and learning. Institutions that award such degrees will be no different than degree mills of the past.

I’m just grateful my college degree has the year 2011 on it, for what it’s worth.

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#14

Post by ghurtado »

nathan_compton wrote: post #3
TimorousBestie wrote: post #2

I predict that asking students to hand-write assignments is not going to go well. Unfortunately, universities built on the consumer model (author teaches at Arizona State) are incentivized to listen to student feedback over the professor’s good intentions.

The bigger problem is that kids can just hand write an essay that an AI gave them. I teach at a university and I just scale my homework assignments until they reach or exceed sightly the amount of work I expect a student to be able to do with AI. Before I would give them a problem set. Next semester homeworks will be more like entire projects.

You sound like everything that is wrong with the US education system concentrated on one single person.

What made you get into teaching?

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#15

Post by joe_the_user »

nathan_compton wrote: post #3
TimorousBestie wrote: post #2

I predict that asking students to hand-write assignments is not going to go well. Unfortunately, universities built on the consumer model (author teaches at Arizona State) are incentivized to listen to student feedback over the professor’s good intentions.

The bigger problem is that kids can just hand write an essay that an AI gave them. I teach at a university and I just scale my homework assignments until they reach or exceed sightly the amount of work I expect a student to be able to do with AI. Before I would give them a problem set. Next semester homeworks will be more like entire projects.

This claim is absurd and the comment is unserious.

Would the teacher then grade the massive workload with AI also? There isn't really a limit to how much output an AI can generate and the more someone demands, the less likely it is that the final result will be looked at in any depth by a human.

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#16

Post by mullingitover »

TimorousBestie wrote: post #2

I predict that asking students to hand-write assignments is not going to go well. Unfortunately, universities built on the consumer model (author teaches at Arizona State) are incentivized to listen to student feedback over the professor’s good intentions.

So don't accredit universities that want to turn into degree mills.

Beat this game of prisoner's dilemma with a club at the accreditation level. Students can complain all they want, but if they want a diploma which certifies that they are able to perform the skills they learned, they will have to actually perform those skills.

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#17

Post by catigula »

FinnLobsien wrote: post #11
catigula wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand your intentions but I'm skeptical even this solves the problem. Realistically I think we're just moving away from knowledge-work and efforts to resuscitate it are just varying levels of triage for a bleeding limb. In the actual workplace with people making hundreds of thousands a year (the top echelon of what your class is trying to prepare students for) I'm not seeing output increase with AI tools so cl…

What do you view as coming after knowledge work? Do you think we'll see a resurgence of physical, in-person work? Not rhetorical, I'm genuinely curious and could see that being a real scenario.

Serfdom, possibly WALL-E but that's an optimistic scenario. WALL-E people actually live a somewhat dignified existence compared to other possibilities.

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#18

Post by sho_hn »

zeta0134 wrote: post #8
hollow-moe wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

then you're discriminating against students not using AI. I for sure know I really would be depressed to be asked for a huge pile of work I'll do myself when other will just cheat and have free time to do something else work on interesting projects or see friends whatever.

Would the solution not be to pivot to more in-person demonstrations of skill and knowledge? Say the tests and exams become hand written, or taken in a controlled lab or whatever, so you need to eventually pick up the skill. But how you pick up the skill is irrelevant. Maybe the issue is, somewhat, the concept of graded homework in the first place. It's meant to be practice material, but is only actually useful as pra…

> Would the solution not be to pivot to more in-person demonstrations of skill and knowledge?

Yeah, this seems like the obvious conclusion.

Re: Trying to teach in the age of the AI homework machine

#20

Post by ai-christianson »

nkrisc wrote: post #13

If the trend continues, it seems like most college degrees will be completely worthless. If students using AI to cheat on homework are graduating with a degree, then it has lost all value as a certificate that the holder has completed some minimum level of education and learning. Institutions that award such degrees will be no different than degree mills of the past. I’m just grateful my college degree has the year 2…

Aren't the jobs they'll get be expecting them to use AI?
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