Composing with AI

Implications

As we continue to write, research, and analyze findings, we believe our initial research snapshots provide a clear exigence for the continued study of students’ attitudes towards how and why they deploy generative AI tools in their writing in academic, professional, and personal spaces. We plan to present preliminary findings as well as longitudinal results as we seek to understand these attitudes and plan pedagogical strategies to meet our students where they are in the Zeitgeist of gen-AI.

The implications of discussions around gen-AI are clear: our students know about it, they talk about it, and they use it, perhaps in increasing numbers, and modalities. As we continue to build on our knowledge, we also recognize that conversations involving generative AI also involve listening to colleagues' experiences and acknowledging affordances and constraints upon us and our students. We welcome feedback, collaborators, and deeper conversations into both our study and pedagogical strategies as we adapt and flex in response to what generative artificial intelligence will mean in the coming semesters and the coming years in our field. As generative AI (genAI) specifically continues to reshape writing practices, these insights serve as a reminder that our pedagogical approaches must adapt accordingly. By meeting students where they are and providing guidance on how to critically and ethically engage with genAI, we can ensure that genAI becomes a tool for enhanced learning rather than academic shortcuts.