Session 2C: Getting Real: Re-Engaging with a Humanistic Approach to Writing Instruction in the Age of Artificial Intelligence; They Already Think They Can’t Write
Type of Session
Panel Discussion
Abstract
Getting Real: Re-Engaging with a Humanistic Approach to Writing Instruction in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
The ability of generative AI to create passable imitations of academic writing gives writing instructors an opportunity to re-imagine the purpose of college composition. However, we need not just a negative vision of the writing classroom based on preventing and punishing AI-enabled plagiarism, but a positive vision of what students stand to gain by doing the writing themselves. I argue that we can find that positive vision in the largely forgotten humanistic pedagogical framework developed by Carl Rogers in the 1960s – specifically, Rogers’ ideas about student-directed learning and the instructor’s role in creating a psychological environment that makes such learning possible. I provide an overview of the core tenets of humanistic pedagogy, including genuineness, empathy, and trust. I then focus specifically on the importance of trust between instructors and students in the age of AI, including the factors that have led to an erosion of that trust and the consequences for student learning. I suggest that when students are properly supported and engaged in a humanistic environment, there is less incentive for creating formulaic essays that meet surface-level requirements, such as those AI can easily create. To demonstrate what this environment would look like in practical terms, I present writing centers as models of humanistic educational spaces and offer specific suggestions on re-designing grading criteria to be more conducive to, and more reflective of, student growth.
They Already Think They Can't Write - Here's How We Change That Through Soft Skills and Early Identity Formation
This presentation explores using identity-based motivation theory to improve the self-efficacy of developmental writing students. This presentation highlights a first-week classroom activity that can be used to foster student confidence by redefining what it means to be a college-level writer. Attendees will gain insights into framing a course around soft skills that can enhance developmental writing students’ self-awareness, thus contributing to writing proficiency and academic success.
Session 2C: Getting Real: Re-Engaging with a Humanistic Approach to Writing Instruction in the Age of Artificial Intelligence; They Already Think They Can’t Write
J-117
Getting Real: Re-Engaging with a Humanistic Approach to Writing Instruction in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
The ability of generative AI to create passable imitations of academic writing gives writing instructors an opportunity to re-imagine the purpose of college composition. However, we need not just a negative vision of the writing classroom based on preventing and punishing AI-enabled plagiarism, but a positive vision of what students stand to gain by doing the writing themselves. I argue that we can find that positive vision in the largely forgotten humanistic pedagogical framework developed by Carl Rogers in the 1960s – specifically, Rogers’ ideas about student-directed learning and the instructor’s role in creating a psychological environment that makes such learning possible. I provide an overview of the core tenets of humanistic pedagogy, including genuineness, empathy, and trust. I then focus specifically on the importance of trust between instructors and students in the age of AI, including the factors that have led to an erosion of that trust and the consequences for student learning. I suggest that when students are properly supported and engaged in a humanistic environment, there is less incentive for creating formulaic essays that meet surface-level requirements, such as those AI can easily create. To demonstrate what this environment would look like in practical terms, I present writing centers as models of humanistic educational spaces and offer specific suggestions on re-designing grading criteria to be more conducive to, and more reflective of, student growth.
They Already Think They Can't Write - Here's How We Change That Through Soft Skills and Early Identity Formation
This presentation explores using identity-based motivation theory to improve the self-efficacy of developmental writing students. This presentation highlights a first-week classroom activity that can be used to foster student confidence by redefining what it means to be a college-level writer. Attendees will gain insights into framing a course around soft skills that can enhance developmental writing students’ self-awareness, thus contributing to writing proficiency and academic success.