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Talking to students about AI

Tips for identifying AI misuse

• Look for deviations from a student’s typical writing style, tone, or voice. This requires creating some baseline assignments early in the term — perhaps in-class writing — so you have something to compare.
• Inconsistent or made-up content.
• Lots of lists or listing of multiple points.
• Watch for broad, generic, or overly polished responses lacking course-specific insights.
• Note inconsistent detail, abrupt transitions, or improper citations (or made-up citations).
• Look for patterns across student work on the same assignment. For example, are several students making the same exact points with similar language/sentence structures?
• Check in with a colleague or someone in Student Conduct to get a second opinion.

Tips for addressing AI misuse

• Consider if it makes sense to address this as a class or individually.
• If possible, avoid communicating accusations in writing; instead, invite students to a conversation.
• Start by naming what raised concern (e.g., “Your tone here is different from past work”).
• Describe your process at every step (e.g. what made you first suspect misuse; what steps you took to ensure you approached your inquiry fairly; what allowed you to feel confident enough in the misuse to reach out; what doubts you still have…etc.).
• Ask open-ended questions: “What tools did you use?” or “Walk me through your process”.
• Refer back to GenAI course policies and clarify expectations. Starting this conversation at the start of the term with the whole class helps establish a foundation for these one-on-one conversations.
• Consider ways you can invite the student into the process instead of making it feel one-sided and top-down.
• Discuss underlying reasons.
• Document the meeting, including student responses and agreed-upon next steps.

Tips for a constructive mindset

• Remember: You are an educator, not an enforcer.
• Approach the student with curiosity and support, not punitively.
• Be transparent and collaborative.
• Focus on documentation in terms of what raised flags for you, not the emotions the incident may have brought up (e.g. disappointment, frustration).
• Avoid defensiveness or assumptions.
• Be consistent and equitable; remember AI detectors are biased and unreliable.
• Check your own biases and ensure consistency in your approach to all students.
• Treat the moment as a learning opportunity, not just a disciplinary one.
• Reinforce a culture of integrity, trust, and student growth.

Provided by Melissa Manolas: These tips are drawn from my own experience as well as these sources:

• , The Center for Teaching & Learning University of Massachusetts Amherst
• , Vital Teaching Ideas from Villanova University
• , presentation from ������������ English faculty, Johnny Zackel’s
• , State University of New York: Oswego’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, session 51