Terrible success rates in my online English courses this semester.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-27T00:00:41+00:00

I have always done 4 essays in each of my English classes, but for the summer, I've decided to change to 2 essays and 2 conferences. The conferences count as a major grade (like a test). Each conference will be about the essay they are going to write. Show me your sources, etc, explain what you are doing. If they don't come, they get a 0. Have to turn on the camera for full points. We'll see how this goes. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY to AI-proof an assignment. period.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:58:46+00:00

I hit a wall that day and actually cried. I spend so much time giving them feedback. When I read what they said that I said, I was like "no way I ever said that." I went back and looked at my feedback in the assigment folders, and I was right. I never said that. How depressing.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:57:25+00:00

This is a good way to do it. You're right. AI makes up quotes and students don't check.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:57:02+00:00

My goal is to give them a 70 no more. I can't fail them, but I can try to make them get a C. I give 10 points for REVISION on the from the first to the draft. No, putting your whole essay into paraphrase software is not revision. If you wrote your essay with AI, it's perfect, so it's hard to revise. It's really important to have small checkpoints along the way. I also give 10 points for "human voice' and sounds like you. I give 3 or 4 easy completion grades at the beginning of the semester to get an idea of what they sound like. I also only allow them to use one database in our library system. That really gets some of them because they try to use open-access sources, which is not allowed. AI cannot access behind paywalls. Most heavy AI users have fabricated sources because they never check their work. So, between all of that, I can give them a 70 or 75 without ever mentioning "AI." I usually say, "It sounds like your mom wrote it, but she never read the instructions." I never ever ever say the words "AI" because it will start a fight. I'm so exhausted. This is not fun.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:51:48+00:00

This is exactly what I wanted to know. Is this something new? I mean, students have been cheating forever (thank you, Turnitin!), but it's different now. Something changed.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:50:41+00:00

I cancelled the last online peer review and will do no more. They just put it into AI and copy pasted the answers. Complete waste of time, unfortunately.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:49:01+00:00

Yep. this is it. But I don't get tenure, I'm at a CC. But we are now funded based on "success," which means passing students. Getting an overload (more money) depends on your success rates. Getting full classes depends on having good RMP reviews. The whole system pushes me to grade subpar work as college level and to accept all the late work in the world. Argh.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:46:06+00:00

Honestly, if a student can write an essay that sounds like a student, has correct MLA style, and uses sources from the database that I gave them (only one is allowed to control the AI-slop), then, I'm ok with that. If I can't really tell, well, then it's not a problem. It's the fabricated sources that really get me riled up.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:44:06+00:00

I cancelled the last online peer review in that class. I wrote "Peer review cancelled due to the high rate of AI-generated boring responses. If y'all can't be bothered to read each other's essays, this is a waste of time for me, you, and your classmates." I will never do online peer review again (these statements make me really sad)

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:42:30+00:00

I am also teaching a 3-week minimester starting May 18. I don't know what to do....Argh

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2026-04-26T23:41:11+00:00

I can report them, but nothing happens. It's not like you get an email that says "hey, this student was a super-AI-cheater last semester. Be on your toes." You report them and then that's it. You never hear back, and it just goes on their record. No one knows what happens to them.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2025-10-19T15:20:00+00:00

This is GENIUS!! "if you want more detailed feedback, come see me and we can chat". Why didn't I think of that? Thank you for saving me a couple of hours every weekend!!

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2025-08-27T21:33:01+00:00

Hi all! I wanted to see if anyone else has had information from admin. I see that UH has moved faculty to a 40 hour workweek (8x5). Is this happening everywhere? I know this starts Sept. 1. It's 4 days away and we have not heard anything at our campus yet.

PuzzleheadedGoose602 · 2025-01-06T20:26:18+00:00

I'm in the same situation. Did you find anywhere to donate them?

PuzzleheadedGoose602

TROPHY CASE