You’ve heard some buzz about generative AI (genAI), and you’ve learned to mitigate some of the concerns. Students will be tempted to use generative AI on assignments that are too high stakes or too low stakes, so our goal as instructors should be to be transparent and demonstrate to our students why the assessments we are asking them to do are worth their time. By being clear and transparent about how our assessments are beneficial to their learning and future careers, we motivate our students’ learning.
The Value of Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT)
An extensively research-verified tool that can help us be more transparent is to use the TILT framework, which asks us as instructors to be clear about the purpose of our assignments. An extensive research project headed by Mary-Ann Winkelmes has conclusively demonstrated that an intervention that is especially helpful to first generation students—but is potentially helpful to every student as well—is to explain why and how we do what we do in the classroom. Research done by Winkelmes shows, for example, that small changes that add transparency can lead to “significant gains for both students and teachers” (4).
As instructors, we sometimes mistakenly make assumptions about what we think our students should already know. An example I often share is that I went to a college preparatory high school that assigned a research paper for seniors. I now teach a second-level writing course, so I could assume that my students know what I knew by the time I was in college (for example, how to write thesis statements, outlines, and citations) and just assign a research paper: “You will have a 10-page paper due the last week of the semester, so let me know if you have any questions.” I could do that, but of course, if I did it would not be equitable: students who have a similar background as mine would have a decent chance of success, but any student who had not had previous coursework in writing a research paper might struggle. Note this has nothing to do with intelligence or ability: instead, students who have been better prepared by previous instruction are more likely to be successful.
In order to help level the playing field so that every student in my course might have a better chance to be successful, I want to scaffold my assignments in order to build in transparency and explain or review for my students how to write a thesis statement, organize a longer piece of writing, and where and how to start a research project. Doing this adds transparency and affords every student a better chance to be successful. At IU we have a diverse body of students, including minoritized students, first generation students, and a significant population of students from rural areas who for a variety of reasons do not always feel that they belong here. Adding transparency to your teaching makes your teaching more equitable and helps every student feel that they belong here at IU.
Generative AI can help you create more transparent assignments
Unfortunately, for those of us already feeling overworked, this asks more of us as instructors. Fortunately, however, we have access to a tool to reduce the labor required by adding transparency: login to the enterprise version of Copilot to protect your intellectual property and gain access to a powerful productivity tool. To try using generative AI to make your assignments more transparent, once you have Copilot open use this prompt to build your assignments using the TILT framework:
I am an R1 university instructor, and I want to make my writing assignment prompt more transparent. Can you act as an experienced instructional consultant and guide me step-by-step (prompt me with one question and wait for my response) through the process of making my writing assignment prompt more transparent by using Mary-Ann Winkelmes’ TILT process?
To let us know how well Copilot responds to improving your assessments, send us an email. We are also offering a TILT workshops, including one on that will use this prompt. So, to learn more about using generative AI and TILT in your classroom check our Events page: We are offering an introduction to TILT on September 19 and a follow-up workshop using this prompt on September 26. For immediate help contact CITL with your questions or for a one-on-one consultation.
References:
“About Microsoft Copilot at IU.” Knowledge Base, https://kb.iu.edu/d/bing.
Winkelmes, M. A. “TILT Higher Ed Examples and Resources.” TILT Higher Ed, https://tilthighered.com/tiltexamplesandresources .
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann. “Introduction to Transparency in Learning and Teaching.” Perspectives In Learning vol. 20 (2023), pp. 4-12, https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1213&context=pil.
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