Steer into the Skid: What Zero Tolerance Looks Like in the Writing Classroom
Marie Pruitt, Assistant Professor of Writing Studies at Santa Clara University, shares why she runs a zero tolerance AI policy in her writing classroom. She walks through her reasons, from plagiarism and intellectual property to labor and the environment, and describes how her students reacted. The conversation opens into the wider state of AI in education, the pressure faculty feel to use it, and what happens to students who want to opt out.
4 Feb 2026
We were skeptical too: Social Work faculty on making AI work without losing your voice
Dr. Shawnise Miller, Dr. Emi Ramirez, and Dr. Jennifer Bobo from the Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science share how they moved from initial AI apprehension to intentional, practical classroom use. They offer concrete examples, including Blackboard's built-in AI for rubrics, ChatGPT for instructional support, and their own AI teaching assistant, "Smarty Bird." This candid conversation highlights both benefits and limitations of these tools in the classroom.
Rather than centering AI as a solution, the conversation reframes it as a teaching assistant that helps guide students back to faculty judgment, feedback, and expertise. What does it mean to stay current with technology without losing what makes teaching human?
14 Nov 2025
What Still Belongs?: Rethinking the Writing Class in the Age of AI
Dr. Andrea Olinger and Cecilia Durbin examine the evolving role of writing classes amidst AI advancements, discussing process, reading, and grading to determine what remains essential for educators in this interview.
22 Aug 2025
The Case of the Missing Detective: When AI Skips to the End
Dr. Andrea Olinger and instructor Cecilia Durbin explore how AI bypasses the critical thinking process in a detective-themed research assignment, revealing what's lost when students skip the learning journey.
24 Apr 2025
Future Teachers: AI and Music Education
Dr. Jason Cumberledge, professor of Performance Studies, describes how GenAI tools can complete major writing assignments, even anecdotal, personal stories, in a marching band methods course. Listen as we discuss how creative disciplines are adapting to the advent of AI and consider what the work of music educators may be as these tools become more ubiquitous.
1 Apr 2025
Taking the Pulse: AI in the Health and Sport Sciences Classroom
In our second episode of "AI Ate My Homework," exercise physiology professor Dr. Jason Jaggers evaluates an AI-completed cardiovascular case study assignment. The analysis reveals fascinating insights about AI's capabilities and limitations in health sciences education. While the AI correctly calculated the patient's risk factors and measurements, it showed distinct "tells" that distinguished it from genuine student work—following an unusual question format, showing calculations when students typically don't, and adding unrequested recommendations.
Dr. Jaggers notes that AI excelled at technical aspects but lacked contextual knowledge specific to his classroom teaching. The discussion explores potential assignment redesigns that could leverage AI as a complementary tool rather than an obstacle, including having students critically evaluate AI-generated responses.
As we navigate the rapidly evolving educational landscape, Dr. Jaggers encourages a balanced approach emphasizing the importance of teaching students to use these tools ethically and effectively in their future careers.
1 Apr 2025
The Vanilla Cupcake Problem: Personal Branding and AI in Education with Dr. Karen Freberg
In our third episode of "AI Ate My Homework," strategic communications professor Dr. Karen Freberg shares valuable insights on AI's role in education through her personal branding assignment. Using a memorable "vanilla cupcake" metaphor, she explains how AI creates technically competent but ultimately soulless content lacking the authentic reflection that makes student work meaningful.
Listen as we discuss how to leverage AI as a tool rather than a replacement for human creativity—teaching students to use AI-generated images to visualize their personal brand while critically reflecting on its accuracy. As industry increasingly expects AI literacy, Dr. Freberg advocates for teaching prompt engineering as a crucial skill and encourages faculty to experiment alongside students rather than fear these new technologies.
27 Mar 2025
Dribble with Purpose: Leadership Evolution and AI with Dr. Jay Byland
In our inaugural episode of "AI Ate My Homework," Dr. Jay Byland from Sport Administration reflects on how AI transforms classroom dynamics through a deceptively simple leadership meme assignment. The discussion reveals how AI can produce technically correct responses while missing crucial course-specific content—demonstrating both the tool's capabilities and limitations.
Dr. Byland shares a refreshing perspective on AI as an inevitable classroom presence that requires adaptation rather than resistance, comparing it to teaching digital natives to use technology responsibly.
The conversation explores how assignments can be designed to leverage AI as a creative tool while still ensuring authentic learning, using the metaphor of basketball to explain that students need to "dribble with purpose" rather than simply going through motions. This episode offers practical insights for educators navigating the evolving relationship between traditional teaching approaches and emerging AI technologies.
Host of AI Ate My Homework?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
