AI Literate Writing Assignments: Yes! They Exist!
Featuring examples from My Robot Teacher Episode 3 guest, Prof. Chesa Caparas
We know what you're thinking: AI-literate writing assignments? Isn't that an oxymoron? Like “functional classroom computer” or “brief faculty meeting?” We get it. Between the headlines about ChatGPT writing entire dissertations and students submitting essays that sound suspiciously like they were composed by a very polite robot, it’s easy to assume that AI has murdered writing assignments and buried them in a shallow grave marked “RIP Critical Thinking: 1962-2023, Cause of Death: Large Language Models.”
But some brilliant educators are actually using AI as a subject of (and catalyst for) critical inquiry rather than a replacement for student thinking. Enter Professor Chesa Caparas at De Anza College, who we had the privilege of interviewing for Episode 3 of “My Robot Teacher.”
Chesa recently served as one of Learning Lab’s AI Faculty Innovators in Residence, and she argues that rather than ban AI in the classroom, we can turn it into an object of inquiry. In the interview, she briefly mentions two writing assignments that interrogate and dissect AI outputs, turning AI-generated work into fertile ground for the kind of critical analysis we’ve always wanted our students to master. She graciously offered to share them here:
"AI-Generated Images and Social Structure" Assignment
In the first example, students generate AI images of “Asian Americans” or “Pacific Islanders” engaged in specific activities, then write a 4-page analysis connecting their findings to social structure theory. The assignment requires students to apply visual analysis strategies covered in class, examining facial features, clothing, body types, and settings in the generated images, looking for patterns that reveal algorithmic bias and stereotyping. Students must incorporate quotes from assigned readings and consider how the AI’s training data shapes its visual representations of different ethnic groups. The assignment includes detailed scaffolding with brainstorming questions and tips for visual analysis, making it accessible for instructors new to AI-focused pedagogy.
"Who Does AI Think You Are?" Assignment
In the second example, students create detailed personas (5-10 characteristics including age, race, education, interests) and ask AI chatbots to generate two different news source recommendation lists. They then write a 750-word reflection analyzing the AI's choices and connecting their findings to Joy Buolamwini's Unmasking AI. The assignment pushes students to think critically about recommendation algorithms they encounter daily on platforms like Netflix and TikTok. It includes sample prompts and a shared ChatGPT interaction, giving instructors concrete examples of how the assignment works in practice. Students grapple with questions about training data, algorithmic assumptions, and the implications of AI-powered personalization.
Have you got AI literate assignment ideas that you’d like to share? Or do you have any thoughts about Chesa’s assignments? Please leave a comment below.
Hooray, Chesa!!!!