University lecturer uses typewriters to curb AI-written assignments

Cornell University German lecturer Grit Matthias Phelps assigns students an analog assignment once per semester, to be written on a manual typewriter. Starting in spring 2023, this approach has students write without screens, online dictionaries, spell-checkers, or a delete key, giving them the experience of composing sentences entirely on their own.

The motivation was the reality that generative AI and online translation platforms made it easy to produce grammatically polished assignments. Phelps acquired several old typewriters from thrift stores and online marketplaces and set them up in the classroom.

The classroom now has typewriters with both German keyboards and QWERTY keyboards. Students load in paper, adjust key pressure, and manually return the carriage at the end of each line, directly confronting the physical constraints of the typewriter. Typing slows down, and typos and irregular spacing become part of the finished work.

Student reactions have been surprisingly positive. With screens and notifications gone, distractions decreased, and since they couldn't hand things off to a search engine or AI on their own, students talked with classmates more. The absence of a delete key made them think more deliberately before writing.

Meanwhile, the assignment isn't just about learning to use a typewriter. Students experience firsthand how different writing, thinking, and classroom interaction are from a digital environment. Some students embraced the typos and messy pages, even turning them into experiments with poetic form.

Phelps sees this analog experience as connected to assessment methods like pen-and-paper exams and oral exams, which are also seeing a resurgence in classrooms. The point isn't simply to block AI, but to test whether students can organize their own thoughts without a computer.