This is an amazing post, how I wish I’d read this before I did my Masters! I had a very steep learning curve. I’ve not heard of the 5 para model, but when I started using the PEE approach my marks really improved.
Learning to write for enjoyment has been a real turning point though!
Oh it’s great to hear it helped you later! It’s largely an American thing ...I’m going to put a longer reply under Victoria’s message now applies to you too :)
Thank you for this wonderful post! In Ontario some major school boards recently voted to take Shakespeare off the curriculum as he was deemed 'irrelevant' to the current generation. The word 'essay' is avoided as it is perceived as 'stressful' by students and teachers have to instead refer to a 'series of ordered paragraphs'. While the dumbing down of curriculum has long started to weaken education, AI technologies will compound and accelerate the degradation of language skills in students. See my recent article on 'Tilling the ground for ChatGPT' https://schooloftheunconformed.substack.com/p/tilling-the-ground-for-chatgpt.
I saw your post and couldn’t agree more. Curricula can have BOTH and that’s what I don’t get about these decisions. All research shows that students work better in challenging (supported) environments. And in terms of the “classics” debate, we can and should do some of each. It’s a dialogue! I have so much to say on this and did a lot of work with it for the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Quite a few Canadian schools use this curriculum which is useful (it’s not perfect but it does provide some strong frameworks).
Schools often swing on pendulums. Let’s hope that’s what this is, but that the schools can find what actually helps students soon...
Excellent, Kathleen. I've been wondering how English teachers and professors would respond to ChatGPT and other generative A.I. I took a course -- a 400-level course in American Naturalism and Realism -- with a professor who gave us no assigned papers outside of class, with our entire grade based on essay "exams" we took in her presence in class. Always thought her approach made a lot of sense -- proving we'd read the novels and could think about them and write about them, all in one swoop.
That’s interesting. Sounds like a good class. I still like to keep some writing at home, but if you at least work with students on some of the drafting process, you can both pay attention to authenticity and help the students learn better. A lot of the pre-ChatGPT plagiarism cases I dealt with as a department head were actually red flags for students struggling not only with work but also mental health. All of these things can be a part of the learning process (and for students to get help) when the teacher is aware, but it’s difficult to monitor with lots of students or online learning. Anyway, it sounds like your professor probably really cared about her students. Thanks for reading!
This is a great piece, and I think you're right Kate, the five para essay is perhaps a more US thing as I don't recall learning this in a UK school. I think that learning about the structure of a good essay is such an important skill to have - although I realise I am biased as I love both reading and writing them! But I like that you make the connection between using a calculator for maths alongside learning the basics with learning how to write alongside new technology and AI.
I haven't heard of the 5 para model, but I might use it in my teaching from now on. As a teacher who has limited time with my 3rd year undergrad students (6 hours a week over a 7 week semester) I always wrestle with how much of that time I should spend helping them to learn how to write. I have so much content to teach and we go on lots of field trips too, so time is really constricted. But ultimately I don't want to read essays that are appallingly bad so I do a bit of work with them on structuring essays, the skeleton of a paragraph, and how to make critical arguments. I wish this work was already done by the time they are 21, but sadly in my experience most students have no idea about the basics of essay writing.
I'm watching the whole AI chatGPT development with interest. I think it will be really clear, given my years of experience, to spot the AI essays. But what to do about them is not clear. All of my assessments are remote essays, so I'll have to think about how I can change it but also allow students the ability to bring together and demonstrate research and critical analysis of sources. There will be a way, but I think it's a real shame.
I also wanted to add - re AI - it’s a super difficult question! For me it’s less important the grade and more important they actually learn some writing. But either way, during the pandemic when we were totally online of course, we low key monitored some live writing sessions. And before that I would do it in class - also so students could ask questions while writing. You don’t actually have to monitor all if say you’re on all their Google docs, but the fact you could be helps. Also if the eh have to turn in a Google doc, you can visit history to see if anything was pasted in a chunk. This has been a work around as even the stuff like turnitin specifically for AI does not always work correctly. Even if you just spot check these Google docs it can have a good effect.
I just think back to my A-level and undergrad days when everything was exam-based, and mostly essay writing with analysis of sources provided. I don't want to go down that route because I think students lose a lot at that level not being able to do research for reliable + relevant sources themselves. It allows the most dedicated students to really excel. I dunno. Still thinking about it.
So really interesting because I know you mainly have US students and I always thought US teachers were definitely teaching this model. Maybe no longer!! It was linked to the SAT -- maybe the only good thing about the assessment in my opinion. I, too, have seen messes of gobbledygook from kids with something to SAY as seniors or undergrads...we go back to this structure and it WORKS. Even kids I’ve taught it to in years before sometimes need a reminder :) I’m happy to share resources. Honestly learning PEE (+) and how to write a GOOD thesis statement then using rectangles to outline and highlighters (on computer is fine) seems to really really help. Students get it pretty quickly then can refer back when reminded.
This is an amazing post, how I wish I’d read this before I did my Masters! I had a very steep learning curve. I’ve not heard of the 5 para model, but when I started using the PEE approach my marks really improved.
Learning to write for enjoyment has been a real turning point though!
Oh it’s great to hear it helped you later! It’s largely an American thing ...I’m going to put a longer reply under Victoria’s message now applies to you too :)
Thank you for this wonderful post! In Ontario some major school boards recently voted to take Shakespeare off the curriculum as he was deemed 'irrelevant' to the current generation. The word 'essay' is avoided as it is perceived as 'stressful' by students and teachers have to instead refer to a 'series of ordered paragraphs'. While the dumbing down of curriculum has long started to weaken education, AI technologies will compound and accelerate the degradation of language skills in students. See my recent article on 'Tilling the ground for ChatGPT' https://schooloftheunconformed.substack.com/p/tilling-the-ground-for-chatgpt.
Looking forward to more of your writing!
p.s. I am a native 'Baslerin' living in Canada:)
Wow, you’re from Basel! :)
I saw your post and couldn’t agree more. Curricula can have BOTH and that’s what I don’t get about these decisions. All research shows that students work better in challenging (supported) environments. And in terms of the “classics” debate, we can and should do some of each. It’s a dialogue! I have so much to say on this and did a lot of work with it for the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Quite a few Canadian schools use this curriculum which is useful (it’s not perfect but it does provide some strong frameworks).
Schools often swing on pendulums. Let’s hope that’s what this is, but that the schools can find what actually helps students soon...
Excellent, Kathleen. I've been wondering how English teachers and professors would respond to ChatGPT and other generative A.I. I took a course -- a 400-level course in American Naturalism and Realism -- with a professor who gave us no assigned papers outside of class, with our entire grade based on essay "exams" we took in her presence in class. Always thought her approach made a lot of sense -- proving we'd read the novels and could think about them and write about them, all in one swoop.
That’s interesting. Sounds like a good class. I still like to keep some writing at home, but if you at least work with students on some of the drafting process, you can both pay attention to authenticity and help the students learn better. A lot of the pre-ChatGPT plagiarism cases I dealt with as a department head were actually red flags for students struggling not only with work but also mental health. All of these things can be a part of the learning process (and for students to get help) when the teacher is aware, but it’s difficult to monitor with lots of students or online learning. Anyway, it sounds like your professor probably really cared about her students. Thanks for reading!
That's quite interesting.
This is a great piece, and I think you're right Kate, the five para essay is perhaps a more US thing as I don't recall learning this in a UK school. I think that learning about the structure of a good essay is such an important skill to have - although I realise I am biased as I love both reading and writing them! But I like that you make the connection between using a calculator for maths alongside learning the basics with learning how to write alongside new technology and AI.
I haven't heard of the 5 para model, but I might use it in my teaching from now on. As a teacher who has limited time with my 3rd year undergrad students (6 hours a week over a 7 week semester) I always wrestle with how much of that time I should spend helping them to learn how to write. I have so much content to teach and we go on lots of field trips too, so time is really constricted. But ultimately I don't want to read essays that are appallingly bad so I do a bit of work with them on structuring essays, the skeleton of a paragraph, and how to make critical arguments. I wish this work was already done by the time they are 21, but sadly in my experience most students have no idea about the basics of essay writing.
I'm watching the whole AI chatGPT development with interest. I think it will be really clear, given my years of experience, to spot the AI essays. But what to do about them is not clear. All of my assessments are remote essays, so I'll have to think about how I can change it but also allow students the ability to bring together and demonstrate research and critical analysis of sources. There will be a way, but I think it's a real shame.
I also wanted to add - re AI - it’s a super difficult question! For me it’s less important the grade and more important they actually learn some writing. But either way, during the pandemic when we were totally online of course, we low key monitored some live writing sessions. And before that I would do it in class - also so students could ask questions while writing. You don’t actually have to monitor all if say you’re on all their Google docs, but the fact you could be helps. Also if the eh have to turn in a Google doc, you can visit history to see if anything was pasted in a chunk. This has been a work around as even the stuff like turnitin specifically for AI does not always work correctly. Even if you just spot check these Google docs it can have a good effect.
Would love to hear other ideas though!
I just think back to my A-level and undergrad days when everything was exam-based, and mostly essay writing with analysis of sources provided. I don't want to go down that route because I think students lose a lot at that level not being able to do research for reliable + relevant sources themselves. It allows the most dedicated students to really excel. I dunno. Still thinking about it.
So really interesting because I know you mainly have US students and I always thought US teachers were definitely teaching this model. Maybe no longer!! It was linked to the SAT -- maybe the only good thing about the assessment in my opinion. I, too, have seen messes of gobbledygook from kids with something to SAY as seniors or undergrads...we go back to this structure and it WORKS. Even kids I’ve taught it to in years before sometimes need a reminder :) I’m happy to share resources. Honestly learning PEE (+) and how to write a GOOD thesis statement then using rectangles to outline and highlighters (on computer is fine) seems to really really help. Students get it pretty quickly then can refer back when reminded.