AI Tools in Coursework
The discussion
Liam: Honestly, I think the university should just allow AI writing tools in all assignments. Employers expect us to use them, and pretending they don't exist only means the students who cheat quietly get an advantage over those who follow the rules.
Chen: I disagree, at least for first-year courses. Writing badly and then fixing it is how I learned to structure an argument, and if a tool does that step for you, you never build the skill.
Nadia: I tutor in the writing centre, and what I notice is that students who lean on these tools can't explain their own paragraphs when I ask them. So the problem isn't the tool itself; it's using it without understanding.
Liam: Then teach people to use it properly instead of banning it. Nobody banned calculators; they changed the exam questions.
Chen: The calculator comparison only works once you already know arithmetic, which is my point. Maybe tools should be restricted early and permitted later, once the basics are secure.
Nadia: I'd go along with that staged approach, and I'd add that students should submit a short note explaining how they used the tool. That would make the thinking visible, which is what we actually assess.
Liam: A disclosure note I can live with, as long as it doesn't become a reason to penalise honest students.