Paper (Essay, Argument)

A paper is a comprehensive document in which students describe or analyse a research or topic. It is a way of presenting and sharing what they have learned.

Assignment formatAssessment formatAI resilience: VulnerablePreparation time: 10-30 minExecution time: < 10 minAsynchronous

A paper is a comprehensive document in which students describe or analyse a research or topic. It is a way of presenting and sharing what they have learned. You can test your students' knowledge and skills with a paper on a specific topic related to the subject matter. A paper has several advantages, such as:

Developing skills, such as research analysis and writing skills.
Deepening knowledge of the chosen topic.
Academic skills, such as correctly quoting and citing sources.
Possibly interpersonal skills if you have groups doing the paper.

Tip: make sure that your students know exactly and explicitly what's being expected of them when you ask them to write a paper. As a teacher you may have implicit ideas about this that your students don't know about.

Therefore, go through the following steps, for example:

Give students a topic or research question on which to write a paper. This can be related to their current studies or a topic they are interested in.
Give students clear guidelines for writing the paper, such as length, structure, sources they should use and deadline.
Give examples of past papers that show what is good work and what is mediocre or poor work. See this tip for more information.
Keep in mind that sometimes papers are (partly or completely) written with the help of AI techniques. See this tip for more information.
Assess students' papers based on their content, structure, analysis and argumentation. Also pay attention to spelling, grammar and correct source citation. Use a rubric for this, for example.
Give students feedback on their papers and provide recommendations for improvement. Or also use fellow students for peer feedback.
Give them the opportunity to improve their paper based on the feedback.

Want to know more?

Schrijf een paper, bachelor- of masterproef - Universiteit Gent
Een schriftelijk werkstuk als toets - Universiteit Antwerpen
Tekstsoorten: Essay - Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

See also: Case assignment, Research proposal, Argument mapping.

Tools: Feedbackfruits assignment review, Canvas assignments.

Making this format more AI-resilient

Own ideas first

Let the idea form in class, on paper or in focus mode, before any AI tool is opened. Students who brainstorm with AI struggle to move away from the first suggestion afterwards, and lose their hold on the work.

Red light, green light

Rule AI out in the early stages — exploring, forming ideas, first draft — and allow it deliberately after that. It works as motivation too: students reach for AI less often early on when considered use is permitted later.

Make the process visible

Assess more than the finished piece: interim versions, a log, notes, traces of peer feedback. This is evidence of learning, not a control: using version history to catch people out costs more trust than it gains.

A short oral account

Ask for five to ten minutes on the work handed in, built into the course and not carrying the whole grade. What a student has understood becomes visible in a way no text can replace, and preparing for it changes how they study.

Activating prior knowledgeReinforcing knowledgeApplying knowledgeUp to twenty fiveUp to fiftyBetween fifty and one hundredMore than one hundredMore than three hundredIndividualSmall group (2-4 pers)General applicabilityProgramme specific skills in applying knowledge and understandingWritten communication

Also see

The analog sandwich AI literacy exercises