Informal Writing Assignments in the ChatGPT Era 

Among the nervous reactions to the emergence of generative AI is worry about the brief, informal writing might no longer be a reliable strategy to engage students in their undergraduate courses. If a chatbot can spit out a plausible answer, why even bother assigning short writing exercises? Fortunately, the reasons for assigning brief writing assignments and the benefits for students haven’t changed. Opportunities to draw connections to personal experience, ask questions pertinent to their interests, and to consider specific examples and cases all allow students low risk opportunities to explore and engage with their learning.

This in-person workshop will introduce instructors to strategies for using in-person and online writing tasks that invite students to explore thinking routines important to your course content in ways that rely on their own knowledge. Participants are welcome to bring current informal writing activities for revision or to come with ideas for new topics and questions.

Facilitator: Dan Emery (Assistant Director, Writing Across the Curriculum)
Audience: Faculty, instructors, and graduate students
Format: On-campus workshop, remote attendance will not be offered