The Department of Writing Studies at the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences is piloting artificial intelligence-informed modules that encourage students to think critically about AI, authorship and ethical considerations.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into higher education, the Department of Writing Studies is taking a thoughtful approach to the technology in its first-year writing classrooms: encouraging students to understand AI before deciding whether to use it.
This fall, the department launched a pilot program introducing AI-informed learning modules in select first-year writing courses. Rather than requiring students to use AI, the initiative focuses on developing critical thinking skills, encouraging discussion about the technology and helping students understand its potential impact on their writing.
“AI has forced us to ask a lot of questions about what we do in the classroom and why we approach the teaching of writing in the ways that we do,” said Ben Lauren, chair of the Department of Writing Studies.
The initiative emerged as faculty members examined how other universities were responding to the growing presence of AI in education. Drawing inspiration from programs at institutions including Arizona State University, Harvard University and the University of California, Davis, the department developed an approach that prioritizes student choice and open conversations about AI.
For Lauren, the goal was to establish a foundation for discussing the technology without requiring students or instructors to incorporate it into their writing processes.
Valerie Gramling, senior lecturer and director of first-year writing, explained that the initiative also reflects the department’s commitment to giving students and faculty autonomy in the classroom.
Although instructors may have different policies regarding AI use, the modules ensure students have an opportunity to examine the technology and understand how it relates to writing, research and communication.
“It’s still going to be part of the conversation,” Gramling said, regardless of the approach an individual faculty member decides to take. “It’s still going to be something that has made us think about writing in a different way.”
Sarah Cash, senior lecturer and assistant director of first-year writing, began developing the modules over the summer. A small group of faculty volunteered to pilot them in Writing Studies 105, 106 and 107 during the first two weeks of the Fall 2026 semester.
“There’s actually no AI use in the modules at all,” Cash said. Instead, the activities ask students to examine how AI emulates text, consider its limitations and evaluate ethical concerns surrounding its use.
In Writing Studies 105, which focuses on rhetoric, discourse and multiliteracies, students complete five activities that explore authorship, individual writing voices and the relationship between human writing and AI-generated content.
The activities include handwritten reflections, an introduction to AI’s capabilities and limitations, readings on authorship and classroom discussions. Students also reflect on their understanding of AI throughout the module and identify questions they still have about the technology.
Meanwhile, the Writing Studies 106 and 107 modules, which focus on research, place greater emphasis on examining concerns about AI through student-led research, analysis and discussion. In Writing Studies 106, students explore research topics related to their academic disciplines or personal interests, while Writing Studies 107 focuses specifically on STEM-related research, allowing students to select topics within those fields.
Although the introductory modules are designed to establish a common foundation, instructors retain the ability to determine how AI may or may not be used in their individual courses. However, under department policy, students must have the option to opt out of these instructor-assigned AI activities if they choose not to use the technology.
Cash emphasized that writing studies instructors are encouraged to establish transparent policies outlining acceptable AI use and expectations for acknowledging the technology in coursework.
The pilot has already generated positive feedback from participating students and faculty. According to faculty involved in the initiative, students reported developing a deeper appreciation for authorship and recognizing how discussions about AI could apply beyond their writing courses. One instructor who participated in the pilot asked students midway through the semester which lessons from the class had been most transferable to other areas of their lives. Students identified the AI modules as particularly relevant to their other classes and experiences outside the classroom.
The feedback reflects one of the department’s broader goals: helping students develop skills they can apply beyond the classroom as AI continues to impact their academic and professional lives.
Following the fall pilot, Cash is revising the modules using feedback from faculty surveys and focus groups. The department plans to introduce the modules across all first-year writing classes beginning in the Spring 2027 semester.
For Lauren, the initiative represents an opportunity to address what he describes as the “elephant in the room” surrounding AI in education.
Rather than avoiding the technology or establishing a universal approach to its use, the department hopes to create an environment where students and faculty can engage in productive, ethical conversations and explain the reasoning behind their AI-related decisions.
As the initiative expands, its focus will remain on preparing students to make informed choices about AI while recognizing the importance of their own voices, perspectives and critical thinking skills in the writing process.
