The Future-Proof Classroom: Practical Assignment Redesign for the AI Era

Description: In this talk, two CAS Writing Program instructors (Aleksandra Kasztalska and Yelin Zhao) offer research-informed strategies for redesigning assignments that foster critical AI literacy (CAIL) in support of multilingual students. We begin with a brief introduction to CAIL and share insights from designing and teaching innovative AI-intensive writing and communication courses. They will then highlight key principles for redesigning university-level writing assignments to promote CAIL, offering examples of assignments they adapted in their own courses, such as a summary assignment that incorporates analytical moves requiring interpretation and original positioning, and a research project that teaches students to use AI as a tool for refining their ideas without sacrificing agency or voice. They place special emphasis on working with multilingual, multicultural learners and anticipating the needs of students who speak English as a second or additional language.