Writing and reasoning are intimately linked. Not only is writing a useful tool for measuring student learning, but writing is, in itself, a way of thinking through complex ideas and problems. It is a way to learn about our self, our beliefs, and our world. This is why, despite the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT, writing remains an essential skill.

Chatbots have obvious utility and appeal: they generate sophisticated, human-sounding text in a matter of seconds. So how do we continue to teach writing, and to use writing as a teaching tool, in an age of GenAI? How can we encourage students to engage in those challenging yet meaningful learning experiences that are only accessible through writing? How do we position GenAI as a tool that might support complex thinking and self-expression rather than one that can be used as a shortcut around it?

Join guest speaker Anna Mills in Zoom for a discussion of teaching with and about writing in an age of GenAI. Mills is an English instructor at College of Marin and Cañada College in San Francisco, CA. She is a leading voice on AI in higher education and a regular contributor to public conversations about the implications of Gen AI for teaching and learning. Mills is author of the open textbook How Arguments Work: A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College; creator of AI Text Generators and Teaching Writing: Starting Points for Inquiry; co-editor of the forthcoming (2025) edition Bad Ideas about AI and Writing: Toward Generative Practices for Teaching, Learning, and Communication; and a member of the MLA/CCCC task force on writing and AI.

Following Mills’ talk, you are invited to gather in-person (Lansdowne, LLC 151) with colleagues to debrief, share ideas and inspiration, and discuss strategies for teaching and learning in writing-intensive disciplines in an age of GenAI.