Speaker
Description
No matter how much we may not like to admit it, AI is here to stay. Although there are several advantages to embracing AI in academic life (Lin 2023), AI use is frowned upon by teachers in the author’s own university teaching contexts. Here, two university writing classes were monitored for AI use using Originality.ai, an AI detection software application, over the 2023-24 school year. Students were informed at the beginning of the year regarding the university’s “no AI usage” policy. The results of the monitoring with AI detection software are presented here, along with the feedback from 44 anonymous student surveys handed out at the end of the year. Fifty percent of students reported using AI, though most reported that they only used AI on 5-25% of any individual assignment. The students were also asked why they used AI or did not use it. Answers ranged from using it to “check my writing” to not using it because the university disallowed it. The author discusses the best practices for using AI in the university EFL writing classroom. One of the reasons to use AI is because it can improve student writing, although transparency of use is required.
| Keywords | AI, EFL, writing |
|---|
