This resource supports instructors who have concerns about the use of AI-assisted writing in their courses and are seeking guidance on alternative approaches.
Writing skills are essential in fostering critical thinking and effective communication skills in higher education. However, the emergence of generative AI tools has led many instructors to question the validity of writing assignments in their courses. At the same time, universities have increasingly recognized the importance of fostering AI literacy which Long and Magerko (2020) define as “a set of competencies that enables individuals to critically evaluate AI technologies; communicate and collaborate effectively with AI; and use AI as a tool online, at home and in the workplace”. To help students develop these competencies, they need opportunities to experiment with these technologies to critically assess the strengths and limitations of AI assistance in writing.
The activities and studies below provide examples of how generative AI can be integrated into different stages of the writing process.
| Learning Activity | Source |
| Using ChatGPT in class to demonstrate revision strategies | Blackwell-Starnes, K. (2025). “I prefer my own writing”: Engaging First-Year Writers’ Agency with Generative AI. Thresholds in Education, 48(1), 25-39. |
| Using ChatGPT while writing a research paper to help: – brainstorm – organize – revise – reflect |
Brown, K. (2025). High Impact Practices: Writing with Generative AI. In V. Mondelli & K. Brown (Eds.), Teaching Strategies and Reflections on AI (Chapter 2). Teaching for Learning Center, University of Missouri System. https://umsystem.pressbooks.pub/t4lcai/chapter/high-impact-practices-writing-with-generative-ai/ |
| Using GenAI to: – model critical reading/thinking skills – develop metacognitive skills – strengthen revision and feedback skills Also provides ethical and practical concerns for creating AI assignments |
Carleton. (2025). Writing Across the Curriculum: AI-Based Assignments and Activities. https://www.carleton.edu/writing/resources-for-faculty/working-with-ai/incorporating-ai-tools/ |
| Practical activities that integrate generative AI into the writing process | Furze, L. (2026). A classroom toolkit: 24 classroom-ready activities for teaching writing with AI. Teaching AI Writing. https://teachingaiwriting.com/activities |
| AI-related learning activities for: – revision – peer review – brainstorming – AI literacy |
Muhlbauer, Z. (n.d.). Teach@CUNY AI Toolkit: Critical Literacy Resources for CUNY Instructors. CUNY Academic Commons. Retrieved August 21, 2026, from https://aitoolkit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/sample-activities/ |
| Analyzing and critiquing weaknesses in AI-produced papers | van Niekerk, J., Delport, P. M. J., & Sutherland, I. (2025). Addressing the use of generative AI in academic writing. Computers and Education. Artificial Intelligence, 8, Article 100342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100342 |
| Using GenAI to create a speech by using effective prompts and considering ethical uses | Waldbuesser, C. (2025). Guiding Students with an Assignment Using AI. In V. Mondelli & K. Brown (Eds.), Teaching Strategies and Reflections on AI (Chapter 5). Teaching for Learning Center, University of Missouri System. https://umsystem.pressbooks.pub/t4lcai/chapter/activity-example-ai-in-celebratory-speeches/ |
| Using GenAI to write: – prompts – outputs – revisions |
Wang, C. (2025). Exploring Students’ Generative AI-Assisted Writing Processes: Perceptions and Experiences from Native and Nonnative English Speakers. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 30, 825-1846. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-024-09744-3 |
| Using AI to complete an assignment while reflecting on: – their writing process – what worked – what did not work – how they could write better with AI – their attitudes towards using AI while writing |
Wang, C., Aguilar, S. J., Bankard, J. S., Bui, E., & Nye, B. (2024). Writing with AI: What college students learned from utilizing ChatGPT for a writing assignment. Education Sciences, 14(9), 976. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090976 |
Additional generative AI instructional resources can be found here: Instructional Resources – Academic Integrity and Generative Artificial Intelligence
Reference:
- Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Article 3376727. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727
Originally Published: September 1, 2026
