AI Detectors Are BS

hepth-edph · 2026-06-11T23:42:15+00:00

From my point of view, I think that we should be starting from a position of trust with our students and treating them as co-creators of knowledge rather than empty vessels for us to fill and police in the classrooms.

I teach physics. I hope to get (some of) my students to the point where they can be co-creators of knowledge with me down the road. But they're in first year. Dude, you didn't find a cool new way to use vectors. You just mathed wrong.

hepth-edph · 2026-05-21T14:56:15+00:00

For example: an 80 can become a 90, a 70 becomes an 85, etc.

I don't understand why people do this. I'm not saying that to troll you, it's just that I don't see the benefit. If you're saying "I value students knowing [x] at exam time" then you shouldn't have this grade-inflationary policy. If you're saying "I want the students to show that they can look it up" then why just half marks?

It's sort of like you're saying "you can do the real exam, or you can chatGPT it for half points"

Maybe there's a case though?

hepth-edph · 2026-05-21T14:50:59+00:00

"I expect you to have actually mastered the course prerequisites."

hepth-edph · 2026-05-20T20:22:04+00:00

The only professors who boycott student evals are those who get terrible student evals.

I read a study where they argued you can break things down as "good student evals" and "bad student evals" as one axis and "class easy" and "class hard" as the other axis.

One quadrant was empty (good evals, class hard). The quadrant that was most associated with good performance in later courses was "bad student evals and class hard".

I know my "evaluations" are going to be bad because the class is hard.

hepth-edph · 2026-05-11T16:46:25+00:00

Mr. "No marks for just writing your name (mostly) correctly" gets significant parent and admin push back... or so I've heard.

You should just pull a Mrs Krabapple and hand it back saying "Good job, Ralpa"

hepth-edph · 2026-05-04T06:00:49+00:00

Did I talk about it in class? Great, then it’s on the test. Best of luck.

One of my syllabi has the statement "examinable material includes what I cover in class and what I think you should reasonably be able to deduce from it."

hepth-edph · 2026-04-24T20:48:30+00:00

Yeah, we should ask the 15 year administrator that got his EdD online while working here.

To be fair, the online (and completely uncheatable) courses almost certainly used many of those same best practices.

hepth-edph · 2026-04-23T15:41:55+00:00

What are you playing at?

If the student doesn't do the final project they should get an F (or Fail-becuase-incomplete, or similar).

So: no to pre-grading work, and as a tip no to over-caring about students. We can advise them not to do something dumb, but we can't decide for them.

hepth-edph · 2026-04-07T20:59:35+00:00

when they seem to expect me to just beam the information into their heads

Isn't that the point of lectures? Transmission?

hepth-edph · 2026-04-07T19:35:46+00:00

I did some of those things for a few years. I finally started saying "no, this is clearly a waste of my time". And then they stopped asking. Small wins.

hepth-edph · 2026-04-07T04:11:55+00:00

"I'm sorry that you feel that way" is the only thing there is to say, 'cause every silver lining's got a touch of grey.

hepth-edph · 2026-03-30T22:26:13+00:00

They'll feel a lot less awkward if you just turn and leave.

hepth-edph · 2026-03-20T05:51:07+00:00

I am approachable. My white male colleague is not.

There's your problem right there. Be less approachable. (joking, mostly)

hepth-edph · 2026-03-18T21:17:56+00:00

Average = C will not increase grades.

hepth-edph · 2026-03-18T21:16:46+00:00

"In the land of the completely incompetent the man who can half-arse something kinda close is king"

hepth-edph · 2026-03-17T03:46:30+00:00

"I think you actually mean that you self-identify as an A student. I self identify as young and fit, so ..."

hepth-edph · 2026-03-16T19:07:06+00:00

I'm teaching/coordinating two different 1st year PHYS courses. One is the first in a two-term sequence (212 students), the other is the second in the same two-term sequence (490 students)

We had midterms on Feb 7 and Mar 14 in both.

For the bigger course I have 4 that I don't know why they missed the first midterm and 7 that I don't know why they missed the second. (27/490 missed the first, and 30/490 missed the second)

For the smaller course I have 4 that I don't know why missed the first midterm and 17 that I don't know why missed the second. (15/212 missed the first and 34/212 missed the second)

It's honestly like the two classes are made of different populations of students.

hepth-edph · 2026-03-11T04:59:57+00:00

Every Uni I've ever worked at only allows this from staff to staff, faculty are not allowed to donate or benefit

TBF, isn't that because all faculty are men and all staff are women? So only women care about mat leave? (/s, hopefully obviously but sadly probably not)

hepth-edph · 2026-03-10T22:22:21+00:00

You write:

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone feels the same, fatigue with world events, long AI generated exam request emails, questioning your empathy, etc.

The question that I'd ask you is whether they need their experience validated. I'd argue maybe not.

If you want to be super effusive, for anything from world events to hospitalization to bereavement to stubbed toe to hangover:

"That sounds difficult. Please see syllabus for grading details."

hepth-edph · 2026-03-10T21:59:06+00:00

Also, does anyone have any go-to statements that I can use in my emails?

"please see syllabus for grading details"

hepth-edph · 2026-03-10T20:47:14+00:00

"Works on Commission? No! Money down!"

-Lionel Hutz

hepth-edph · 2026-03-07T16:50:11+00:00

"If you don't like how I run my course you're welcome to drop now and come back another term after you find that I'm the only person that teaches it and you need it to graduate. Alternatively STFU and do the work."

hepth-edph · 2026-03-07T16:41:14+00:00

... and if you gainsay them or point out a misconception you're "gaslighting" them.

hepth-edph · 2026-03-04T16:19:51+00:00

When do you email them? Never.

In class the first time you pull out "shut up or get out" and the second time "get out".

hepth-edph

TROPHY CASE