Fellow Learning Designer Angela Liang Xiong and I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a webinar on creating AI-resistant prompts for assessments. I learned a lot while planning the webinar and want to share some highlights and key takeaways.
First, let’s clarify what we mean by “AI-resistant prompts.” These are not AI-proof but are designed to make it more challenging for students to use AI to complete assignments or participate in discussions.
Before jumping into strategies, here’s an important precursor: Be intentional and transparent with your students. If AI use is not allowed, explain why. Share your rationale in multiple ways, such as through a video in the Welcome module, a note in the syllabus, clear guidance within the assignment instructions, or all of the above!
Strategy 1: Be specific.
One effective way to create specific (and AI-resistant) prompts is to incorporate reflection. Reflection invites students to connect course concepts to their own experiences and goals, making their responses unique. For example, ask students to:
- describe a time when they applied a concept from class.
- imagine how a situation they experienced or witnessed would have ended differently if they had applied a concept from class.
- reflect on how a specific lecture changed their perspective on an issue.
Reflection also helps students think about how they learn. You might ask them to explain the steps they took to solve a problem, describe challenges they encountered, and share how they overcame those obstacles. A related strategy involves breaking assignments into smaller steps to help you track student progress. This approach highlights the importance of the problem-solving process, not just the final solution itself and shifts attention from the product to the learning process. It can also help you pinpoint where misconceptions or mistakes occurred and provide targeted opportunities for feedback and support.
Strategy 2: Encourage peer engagement.
Peer engagement fosters collaboration and deepens learning. Rather than asking students to ‘Respond to two peers,’ encourage meaningful dialogue by asking students to:
- Connect a peer’s approach to specific principles studied in class
- Justify their responses using evidence from course readings and videos
This type of engagement promotes critical thinking and analysis that AI struggles to replicate. It also ensures that responses require a deep understanding of course materials.
Strategy 3: Incorporate real-world scenarios or case studies.
Real-world scenarios or case studies are excellent for creating practical, engaging, and AI-resistant assessments. These activities mirror real professional challenges and require students to synthesize information, prioritize actions, and apply creativity to solve problems. Because responses are grounded in personal interpretation and decision-making, they remain highly original and difficult for AI to replicate.
Final Thoughts
Remember this isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. By building on each other’s ideas, we can design assessments that inspire authentic student work and meaningful learning experiences.
To learn more, you can view the recording of the January 22 session or the January 23 session, or download the slides. If you would like to talk through your ideas and questions, the DL team is here to help. Reach out for a 1:1 consultation—we’d love to collaborate!
We also prepared a tip sheet with additional strategies to consider when updating your assessments to mitigate student use of generative artificial intelligence.
AI and Assessment, Part 2 will take place on March 19 and 20 at noon Central. This session will explore additional practical applications and strategies and provide participants more time for hands-on practice.
- Register for March 19 webinar
- Register for March 20 webinar