An essay can look finished while the student's reasoning stays invisible. A discussion post can hit the word count while saying nothing the class needed to hear. Generative AI has made those familiar problems harder to ignore.
It's understandable to reach for a detector when you're unsure who wrote a submission. But a score arrives after the work is done. It gives you little to work with when a student needs help revising an argument or when a discussion board is full of posts that nobody seems to read.
You can learn more about a student's understanding by asking them to explain a decision, answer a follow-up question, or respond to a classmate's critique. Those exchanges also give students a reason to pay attention to each other. You can start with one assignment.
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What a more human course looks like
Students should be able to tell that someone is paying attention. They hear from their instructor, get feedback that refers to their work, and have conversations with classmates that go beyond meeting a reply quota.
Three things are worth designing for:
- Presence. Students hear a recognizable instructor voice and know when to expect a response. Feedback names something specific in their work.
- Explanation. Students show how they arrived at a claim, choice, or interpretation. You get to see some of the reasoning behind the finished work.
- Response. A peer critique, an instructor comment, or a follow-up question gives students something to answer after they submit.
More icebreakers and mandatory camera time can become busywork. Before adding an activity, decide what you want students to explain or discuss, and who will respond.
Why detectors cannot carry the course
If you are worried about AI-generated submissions, you probably want to know whether a student understands the work well enough to apply or defend it. A detector score cannot establish that understanding.
Relying on detection also leaves everyday teaching problems untouched. A score after submission does not help a student revise their thinking mid-week. It does not give classmates anything to discuss. And if every assignment becomes an investigation, students may grow cautious about what they say or submit.
Course design gives you a chance to address some of those concerns earlier. Ask students to show their reasoning while they are working, then leave room for questions and revision. You still need an integrity policy, but you also need assignments that help you see where students are getting stuck.
Give students someone to learn with
Instructor presence
Students need signs of life from the person running the course:
- a short weekly welcome in your own voice, through video, audio, or a written note
- feedback that names something specific in their work
- a regular pattern of replies, so they know when to check back
You can do this within set response hours. A reliable schedule helps students know what to expect without requiring you to be available all day.
Student explanation
Ask for a small piece of reasoning alongside the finished assignment:
- a 60–90 second oral defense of one decision in a paper or project
- a short reflection on an alternative the student rejected and why
- a walkthrough of a problem, diagram, or close reading in the student's voice
Keep the scope narrow enough that students can prepare it and you can review it. A short recording lets you hear their explanation without scheduling a live conversation with everyone.
Peer and class response
Give classmates something specific to respond to:
- a claim they can extend, challenge, or apply
- a moment in a short video explanation where they can leave a timestamped critique
- a decision they want the author to explain further
Plan time for the original student to answer. Otherwise, even a thoughtful peer comment can end up sitting unread beneath a post.
Five changes you can try this term
Start with one change to how students hear from you and one to how they explain or discuss their work.
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Open the week with a 2–3 minute welcome.
Say what matters this week and one question you hope students keep in mind. Put routine logistics in the LMS so the message can focus on what they are learning.
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Replace one weekly discussion board with a short explanation task.
Keep the learning goal. Ask students to explain their response in voice or video under a short time limit, then ask one peer a substantive follow-up question. Give the author time to reply.
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Add a 90-second oral defense to one major written assignment.
Prompt: Choose one important decision in your submitted work. Explain what you chose, what alternative you considered, and what evidence led you there. Assess the reasoning. Allow notes and reasonable retries, and keep production quality out of the grade.
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Leave feedback students can answer.
Try one specific observation and one question. Mentions and timestamped comments can help students find the part of an audio or video submission you want to discuss.
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Make the reply part of the assignment.
Tell students in advance that they will answer a question from a peer or instructor after submitting. That gives them a reason to make their explanation clear enough for someone else to follow.
These changes cannot guarantee that students stop using AI. They give you more opportunities to hear students explain their choices and respond when someone questions them.
Keep the demands reasonable
Focus questions on the coursework. Students should be able to explain an interpretation or defend a decision without having to share private experiences.
Writing still matters. A short oral explanation can help you understand the reasoning behind a draft, while a written exchange may suit another learning goal better. Choose the format for the work you want students to do. Video alone will not make a discussion worthwhile.
Keep explanations brief and be clear about when you will respond. You can start by replying to a sample of students with one observation and one question. Look at whether their replies help you understand their thinking, and whether classmates pick up on each other's ideas.
What to read next
- 8 Small Ways to Make an Asynchronous Course Feel More Human for changes to your weekly teaching routine
- Asynchronous Oral Assessments in the Age of AI for help designing assessments
- Add a 90-Second Oral Defense to Written Work for an assignment you can try this week
- Best Discussion Board Alternatives for Higher Education for other discussion formats
For an asynchronous video discussion, Vivipod lets students post explanations, comment, and reply in one Space.