How can college faculty handle AI on student assignments?
Redesign the assignment. Papers, discussion posts, and take-home exams that reward generic answers are easy to outsource. Tasks that require your course's specific material, visible process, or live explanation put student thinking back at the center.
Why is AI such a challenge in college courses?
Students have access to tools that can draft a paper, solve a problem set, or summarize a reading in seconds. About 90% of college students use AI. Detectors aren't a reliable answer, and policing every submission isn't realistic in a large course. Redesigning the assignment works in a class of 20 or 200.
What does an assignment makeover look like?
- Audit. See how easily AI could complete the assignment, using the AI Vulnerability Spectrum.
- Anchor. Name the learning outcome the assignment must prove.
- Design. Rebuild the task with one or more of five strategies.
- Align. Make sure the new task, the outcome, and the rubric match.
What does this look like in my course?
WRITING AND HUMANITIES
Instead of a standalone research paper, require annotated drafts and a short conversation about the argument. (Build in process, shift to performance.)
Business. Instead of a generic case analysis, use a live or local business and have students defend recommendations to a panel. (Add specificity, shift to performance.)
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & PROGRAMMING
Instead of a finished project alone, have students document their decisions, debug an AI-generated solution, and explain it aloud. (Integrate AI intentionally, build in process.)
More before-and-after examples are inside the Makeover Manual.
What's in the Higher Ed Makeover Manual?
Over 20 pages of actionable instructional design tools. No fluff, no tech jargon. Just practical execution.
SECTION 1: THE AUDIT
Three questions that reveal exactly how vulnerable your current prompts are to tools like ChatGPT.
SECTION 2: THE ANCHOR
How to clarify and isolate the exact human skill or critical thinking element you need to protect before you change a single sentence.
SECTION 3: FIVE CORE DESIGN STRATEGIES
The engine of the framework. Five proven instructional strategies for making assignments AI-intentional, packed with real examples and reflection space.
SECTION 4: THE ALIGN
How to adjust your rubrics so you are grading the process of learning and human iteration—not a polished final output.
SECTION 5: REDESIGN TEMPLATES
Fill-in-the-blank templates and real, worked examples mapping out transformations for essays, long-form writing, research papers, and literature reviews.
SECTION 6: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY REFRAMED
Real classroom conversation scripts to talk to students openly about AI boundaries without destroying classroom trust.
Supporting a department or campus?
PD in a Box includes a Higher Ed track that deans, department chairs, and teaching and learning centers can run themselves. Or invite Mark to lead a keynote or workshop.
"Mark not only presented his Assignment Makeover process to us, he also visited with our faculty and made an impression on them. We have instructors already making changes to their assignments and are excited to put his process into practice. - Jay Rozema
Frequently asked questions
Does this work in large lecture courses?
Yes. The framework applies to any size, but some strategies, such as live presentation, may need adjusting for large enrollment.
Does this work for online and asynchronous courses?
Yes. The same strategies can be applied to online courses to prevent cheating and prove authentic learning.
What about academic integrity policies?
Redesign works alongside your institution's policy. Check your campus guidelines for what tools students may use.