AI Cheating: Teachers’ Strategies | Handwritten & Oral Tests
Facing a surge in academic dishonesty, educators are actively combating AI cheating by leveraging innovative strategies. Learn how teachers are adapting to the challenges posed by generative AI, with some even using AI to create assignments that are resistant to AI completion. Discover insights into the evolving methods,including the resurgence of handwritten and oral tests,to evaluate student work authenticity. Moreover, universities are implementing systems to assess “AI safety” in assignments. The growing role of AI in both education and cheating demands proactive solutions.News Directory 3 reported on the rising concern of over-reliance on tools that could hinder critical thinking. Explore the complex interplay of technology and academic integrity,and the creative countermeasures being implemented today.Discover what’s next in this rapidly changing landscape.
Educators Combat AI Cheating with AI: A Growing Role in Academics
Updated June 19, 2025
The rise of generative AI has led to increased concerns about academic integrity, with educators now grappling with widespread AI cheating. Ironically, some are turning to AI itself to address the problem.
Gary Ward, a teacher at Brookes Westshore High School in Victoria, British Columbia, noted the prevalence of AI use among students. He is now using ChatGPT to create assignments that are tough for students to complete using AI alone.
Richard Griffin, a lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England, is also employing AI to counter cheating. The university has developed a system to assess how easily AI can complete assignments and suggests ways to increase the challenge.
Griffin said the IT department’s tool provides a grade indicating how “AI safe” an assignment is, prompting instructors to add deeper challenges or personalize the work.
Another strategy gaining traction is the return to customary pen-and-paper assignments. This method, used since 2023, allows teachers to analyze handwriting and assess the likelihood that digital text was produced by the student.
Ward acknowledged that grading handwritten assignments is time-consuming and expensive but emphasized the necessity of continuing this practice.
While AI education is crucial, many worry that over-reliance on tools like ChatGPT could hinder critical thinking and imagination in young people. Some courses are shifting towards client interaction, oral presentations, and discussion-based assignments to mitigate AI cheating.
The challenge of AI cheating persists, and the effectiveness of current countermeasures remains to be seen.The future may depend on whether educators can successfully adapt to the evolving landscape of academic integrity and the growing role of AI.