Carleton University professors ditch laptops for pen and paper to combat generative AI in essays
Humanities faculty at Carleton are eliminating take-home essays and requiring in-class handwritten work and testing to verify student thinking amid generative AI concerns.
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About two years ago, Shawna Dolansky, a humanities professor at Carleton University who has taught for 30 years, began noticing a troubling disconnect: students could explain concepts clearly in person but their written work suggested they didn't truly understand what they were saying.
She discussed the pattern with colleagues in Carleton's College of the Humanities. All shared the same observations. The culprit, they concluded, was generative AI. "The writing was great, but the thinking behind it was just missing," Dolansky said.
In response, Dolansky and her colleagues radically overhauled their teaching methods. She eliminated take-home essays—a staple of her practice for three decades—and moved all coursework and testing into the classroom, done by hand. Weekly reading assignments now require students to take handwritten notes and discuss them with Dolansky each class. "I've been teaching for 30 years. The take-home essay was always the go-to for developing students' abilities, skills, thinking, deepening their thinking about things," she said. "When I had to get rid of the essay, it was with a lot of sadness, but also it was an opportunity to re-think: What are the goals in my classroom? What are the skills I want them to learn? It's no longer to write a polished essay because any AI can do that."
Students initially pushed back against the pen-and-paper requirement. But Dolansky noticed a shift in classroom culture. "With their laptops stowed, people were really in the room with each other. They looked at each other when they disagreed. The culture of the class changed, and I think it absolutely changed for the better," she said.
Carleton University does not have a blanket policy banning generative AI. Instead, it has an AI "framework" that outlines both opportunities and drawbacks, leaving discretion on AI use to individual instructors. Dolansky is clear about her view: AI may have a place in some academic disciplines, but it cannot coexist with humanities education as she practices it. "I can't imagine doing what I do and trying to inculcate in students what I'm trying to inculcate in students without having them do it the old-fashion way with pen and paper, given the abilities of generative AI."
How many other Carleton humanities instructors have adopted similar pen-and-paper assessment methods?
Have other Ontario universities adopted comparable policies to address generative AI in coursework?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
What changes did Shawna Dolansky make to combat generative AI in her classes?
Shawna Dolansky eliminated take-home essays and moved all coursework and testing into the classroom, where students must complete work by hand. Weekly reading assignments now require handwritten notes and in-class discussion.
How long has Shawna Dolansky been teaching at Carleton University?
Shawna Dolansky has taught at Carleton University for 30 years.
What effect did the pen-and-paper requirement have on classroom culture?
With laptops put away, students became more engaged with each other, making eye contact during disagreements and creating what Dolansky described as a noticeably improved classroom culture.
