Reimagining Assignments In The ChatGPT Era: Reformulating

Here are some interesting ideas on reimagining assignments in this era of fast AI development.

Consider designing assignments that ask students to connect course content, class conversations, other unusual/unique material and lived experience. It’s harder for AI-based tools to effectively connect the dots between these sources of knowledge. Also, consider dividing such newly designed assignments into shorter more focused ones. Students are less inclined to cheat when assignments are scaffolded into smaller bits, and they also produce better final products.

Example of process with an MBA question:

Restructured Question:

Lived Experience: In terms of management process and behavior, give examples of which motivation theories are most relevant to your personal or professional experiences. Include your Linkedin for this assignment.

Class Conversation & Unique Materials: In terms of management process and behavior, consider which of the motivation theories that were discussed in class or mentioned in lecture notes 5-10 might be applied to one of the five companies discussed in this course.

Lived Experience & Class Conversation & Unique Materials: In terms of management process and behavior, consider which of the motivation theories that were discussed in class or mentioned in lecture notes 5-10 might be applied to a professional context with which you are familiar. Include your Linkedin for this assignment.

Example of process with a Cryptocurrency/Blockchain question:

Restructured Question:

Lived Experience: Explain why or how cryptocurrencies might play an important role in your life e.g. over the next 1-5 years. Make sure you describe your personal or professional context clearly. Include your Linkedin for this assignment.

Class Conversation & Unique Materials: Describe which of the cryptocurrencies that were discussed in the course during weeks 5-10 might be used in the specific companies mentioned in lecture 7 using the criteria described in lecture 7.

Lived Experience & Class Conversation & Unique Materials: Describe which of the cryptocurrencies that were discussed in the course during weeks 5-10 might be used in your personal or professional life. Include arguments for and against their use that pertain to you directly. Include your Linkedin for this assignment.

In the examples above, students who used CHATGPT or other AI would still need to read and reapply the output very carefully. So, if AI were used, it would more likely become a tool to support students in their thinking processes; moreover, it would not be possible to just copy and paste whole chunks of text from the AI.

Here is an article on using specific prompts and personal experience to make it harder for students to use AI writers: Two Simple Things To Change In Your Assignments To Make It Harder For AI Writers: Specific Prompts And Personal Experience Prompts – TELC Portal (unic.ac.cy)

Please note that you should inform your students that if they are going to use AI to generate content, they are responsible for their own work. The AI in rare situations can “hallucinate” or make things up. So students should take every piece of advice or explanation critically and evaluate that advice.

Remember to always check AI outputs thoroughly, as human oversight lowers AI risk—the chance that using or making AI could cause harm or problems." For more information, contact us.