Other Assignments in this Series
This assignment is the first of a four-week series that focuses on the literacy narrative essay.
1.a. Warm-up discussion about writing
Objectives
In this assignment, we try to discuss:
- Writing in the digital age
- Challenges in writing
- Accomplishments in writing
- Learning goals in a college writing class
Activities
- Part 1: Students share a text message, a popular tweet, or other social media posts, and analyze how it conveys a message with limited characters. Then they answer this question: “In a world where emojis can replace sentences and tweets can influence millions, how do you define writing?”
- Part 2: Students consider this question: “Discuss a time when writing felt like a hurdle. Was it the blank page, the complex ideas, or the fear of making mistakes?” Then in small groups, students create a troubleshooting list of common writing challenges and potential solutions.
- Part 3: Students share a piece of writing they are proud of and they explain what makes it special to them.
- Part 4: Students brainstorm on the skills and the types of knowledge they hope to gain from this class that will help them in the digital world. Then in their groups, they create a wish list of topics to cover throughout the semester, and they discuss how these skills apply to digital platforms and how they match with the defined course outcomes available in the syllabus.
1.b. Syllabus Quiz (made by AI/QuestionWell)
1.c. Discussion about writing technology, AI literacy, and AI’s Role in Education
Objectives
- Introducing students to writing technology and AI literacy
- Engaging them in a debate on AI’s impact on education and the future world.
Activities
- Part 1: Students are provided with AI-generated arguments on the role of AI in education. These prompts will cover topics such as personalized learning, data privacy, teacher augmentation, and ethical considerations.
- Part 2: Students will engage in a structured debate, countering the AI’s arguments. They will analyze the AI’s reasoning, identify strengths and weaknesses, and develop their own evidence-based arguments.
- Part 3: Each student will write a reflection on the process, discussing the insights gained from engaging with AI-generated ideas and how these insights influenced their perspective on the topic. They think about their takeaways about AI’s capabilities and limitations in constructing arguments.
1.d. Discussion of Rhetoric
Objectives
- Introducing students to basics of rhetoric
- Teaching students to Use AI tools as an assistant tutor
Activities
- Part 1: In a class discussion, students talk about what they already know about rhetoric. Then they add discussion highlights to a shared document.
- Part 2: Students work in small groups. They will be provided with the following AI prompt example. They use it or the same style of prompt for learning about rhetoric from AI.
Prompt Example: “You are an upbeat, encouraging tutor who helps students understand the concept of ‘rhetoric’ by explaining ideas and asking students questions. Start by introducing yourself to the student as their AI-Tutor who is happy to help them with any questions… (entire prompt continues as in original).”
- Part 3: Groups discuss what they learned from the arguments generated by AI using the example prompt. Each group will summarize their takeaways in the same shared document.
- Part 4: Students spend time on reading assigned texts about AI. Then they will add a summary of what they learned from the assigned readings to the shared document.
- Part 5: Students will wrap up the discussion with a comparison of their learning from AI and traditional sources and share their opinions about how AI could help them in learning about a concept.
1.e. Reading Assignment with AI assistance
Objectives
- Enhancing students’ reading comprehension using AI.
- Making reading experience interactive and enjoyable using AI.
Activities
- Part 1: Students will read an assigned text individually.
- Part 2: Students will use the following AI prompts or some similar ones for generating comprehension questions that ensure students have understood the text’s main points.
Example of prompt: “You are my reading tutor helping me identify the central argument or message in the text I attach… (prompt continues as in original).”
- Part 3: Students will use the AI tool to assist them in taking structured notes on the text. They will use the following prompt example or similar ones:
Example of prompt: “You are my reading tutor helping me take structured notes on the attached text… (prompt continues as in original).”
- Part 4: In small groups, students will discuss the insights gained from the AI tool and compare them with their own understanding. They will reflect on the effectiveness of AI in aiding their comprehension and analysis of rhetorical strategies.
Last Updated on July 8, 2025