NWeLearn 2024

While most of the world was captivated by the educational potential of AI tools like ChatGPT, educators in America by contrast seemed transfixed only by its ability to allow students to “cheat”. Our presentation, inspired by our experiences in AI faculty development, proposes that "cheating" as a concept, and our psychological framing of it, are inherently harmful to learning communities. We argue that all instances of cheating are instead more fundamentally instances of psychological substitution. In light of the adoption of AI, rather than focusing on punitive measures, educators should recognize and address psychological substitution both in students and in themselves. This, in turn, would empower educators to maximize the pedagogical potential of AI.
Our session will aim specifically to answer the question: If not “cheating,” then what is an efficacious and empathetic way to frame academic dishonesty? We will begin our session by stating and defending our core thesis: cheating does not exist. We will deepen our exploration by unpacking the interplay between policing, surveillance, hyper-individualism, as well as ableism, and how these factors shape our understanding of authenticity and rigor in education. Finally, we will invite participants to share their experiences and perspectives on implementing this revitalized framework in real-life educational settings. Participants can expect to leave with a more sophisticated approach to academic integrity in a world with Artificial Intelligence.