🤖 When AI cheating isn't about AI

😲 Tech + engagement = memorable learning

You know when students are interested in learning.

You see it in their eyes. You can hear it in the way they react — or that still silence when you know they’re really paying attention …

… or it’s the healthy buzz in class when they’re working on something in class they love.

How do we design that — and how can tech help?

That’s the focus of my book, Tech Like a Pirate.

Every chapter is packed full of practical ways to not just teach a lesson, but create an experience!

Check out Tech Like a Pirate in paperback or Kindle ebook on Amazon.

PS: We have free book study resources and bulk order discounts for orders of 10+ books. Email [email protected] for details.

💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡

🤖 When AI cheating isn’t about AI

You read the student work and you already know.

“This student didn’t write this. It has to have been AI.”

You don’t even need the AI detectors (which we already know are inaccurate and biased against non-native English speakers).

It’s easy to want to point the finger at artificial intelligence. Blame the bots. “If AI didn’t exist, these cheating issues wouldn’t exist either.”

Sure, we can debate whether the world is a better place with AI in it.

But there’s a deeper issue. And it’s been an issue since the dawn of education.

Motivation.

It’s easy to point the finger at technology. Search engines. Wikipedia. PhotoMath.

But before that, it was encyclopedias. And before that? Even Plato bemoaned the printed word and worried that it would make us stupid.

And now, it’s ChatGPT — and AI assistants like it.

In many cases, though, “AI cheating,” as some teachers call it, isn’t really about AI.

And if we examine this closely enough, we might identify the real root cause — and be able to address it.

What’s the real root cause?

1. It might be a confidence issue. Sometimes, we call this “self efficacy” — a person’s belief in their own abilities to do what they intend to do. Why do students use AI to cheat — or copy each other’s work, or use other means to cheat? Sometimes, it’s because they just don’t think they can do it.

In essence, they’re saying, “I don’t think I can do this. I’m just not confident enough in myself to do what it takes to complete this assignment. So why should I even try? If I try and I can’t do it, what does that say about me, about myself?”

This one has nothing to do with AI.

The bigger question to answer might be, “How can we build this student’s confidence so they think they can? So they know they can?”

2. It might be an execution issue. They think they can do it. They just don’t know how to do it. I’ve seen this happen with big projects. The student has the ability. They just can’t see the path — the steps ahead of them to reach success.

In essence, they’re saying, “This is a big project. I’m looking at this blank screen and the blinking cursor and I just don’t know where to start.”

This one has nothing to do with AI.

The bigger question to answer might be, “What’s a plan you can follow where you know the steps to take — and how to find your way in case you lose it again?”

3. It might be a time issue. Students are busy. Some just don’t have enough time in the day, with practice and homework and church and clubs and family obligations and sleep and, well, just being a kid. Others have tough outside-of-school situations where they’re working to support their families. Then, there are those that are just really bad at managing their time. So, when they run out of time to do the work the right way, they find less honest ways to get it done in the short amount of time left.

This one has nothing to do with AI.

The bigger question to answer might be, “Why don’t you have the time to complete the work — and how can we adjust this situation in a fair, responsible way so you can show what you know?”

4. It might be a relevance issue.

In essence, the student is saying, "“Why am I even doing this? This doesn’t even relate to my life. Why should I care -- about this assignment, or about this class, or about school?”

When the student asks this question, it might be unearthing much deeper problems for this student than the way they’re using AI to turn in work. The warning bells are ringing loudly, and this student needs help.

Or, it could be something much harder to deal with for us as educators.

It could be that we are irrelevant. That our lesson — our unit — our project — our class is irrelevant. We might be the problem — and it’s up to us to change for the sake of our students.

This one has nothing to do with AI either.

AI is an issue. It’s going to change things in schools. It’ll change the way we do classwork.

It’s going to change the world. It already has.

But many times, AI is not THE issue. When students cheat — or do something we’d label as “cheating” — many times, it’s a cry for help. It’s a warning sign that shows us that something isn’t right. That something needs to change.

We can try to eliminate the AI, but that’s like knocking the head off a dandelion. It’ll grow back.

Our best bet is to do the hard work of identifying the real root cause — and doing whatever we can to fix it.

🗄 Template

🤔 This or that?

A Snapchat style game that asks users to choose between two options. In this game, students drag an outline on their choice and then describe why they made that choice in the text box at the bottom.

👨🏾‍💻How to play this game in class:

Student mode:

1. Make a copy of the This or That template (see template options below) and assign to your class either through your LMS or even through Canva.

2. Students will choose the style they want to use and will edit the template by dragging in photos of the two options.

3. Students will drag the circle over their choice and then describe why they made that choice in the text box at the bottom.

Teacher mode:

1. Make a copy of the This or That template (see template options below) and add two images you want your students to choose between.

2. Assign to your class either through your LMS or even through Canva.

3. Students will drag the circle over their choice and then describe why they made that choice in the text box at the bottom.

💡What can I use this game for?

In short … SO MUCH!

These templates are made to let your students “play” with content they’ve learned. By taking content, doing something with it and describing why, you’re moving above level one in Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and moving up Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Some ideas:

• In foreign language class, use “This or That” to describe two fun (or funny) (or intriguing) scenarios in the target language and let students choose between them. Then, they justify their choice.

• Use This or That as a fun bell ringer activity.Example “Who is the stronger superhero Thor or Ironman?

• Penny Hensler had her French students choose between two er verbs, explain why, then comment on 5 other slides.

• Laura Carr asked her students to use the this or that template to create study guides in science.

• Mrs. EduTech’s students used “This or That” for fact, opinion, claim, & counterclaim.

🗂️ Get the templates

• Get the Google Slides template

• Download the Powerpoint template

• Make a copy of the Canva version 

👋 How we can help

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:

1. Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.

2. Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.

3. Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!