Thread

1. a57721 · 1790407197 · focus · HN ↗

   I am teaching some math courses, and I see how LLMs disrupted all standard approaches, and I don't know what to do.

   I rely on written exams that are open book, but forbid any use of computers and smartphones in class.

   The university insists that homework can't be optional, but it lost its meaning. I've tried to explain to my students that it's in their interest to think about home assignments on their own, but the majority will obviously use gen AI, and it's such a waste of time to check and grade LLM output.

   I just had an experience where all students were given "sample problems" to try at home and prepare for the written test. Many of them just dumped the document into an LLM, asked it to produce some "exam guide", and showed up with that thing printed out, asking me during the test to explain what LLM output meant.

   It seems like the university also has many people pushing for AI use for everything, but I teach basic stuff where the goal is to make students think on their own and digest some fundamental ideas, LLMs can produce perfect solutions, but relying on them is pointless.

   1. professorthread · 1790442435 · focus · HN ↗

      I teach math-heavy economics courses. I found that grading homeworks for completeness and pairing the homework due date with an in-class quiz on the problem set material (taken in class the day the problem set is due, after the set is turned in) has reduced the incentive for students to use LLMs to complete the homework. Exam questions closely mirror what's on the homework, and exam grades correlate with students who make legitimate attempts on their homework. I can sus out legit attempts typically by handwriting. No erasing and fast writing means it was copied.

      For grade weights, I weight the homework the lowest of any grading category, with in-class quizzes next, and exams scores the highest.

      1. rao-v · 1790495204 · focus · HN ↗

         Humm doesn’t this perhaps suggest you should do away with the homework, offer optional practice exercises and double down on in-class testing?

         1. lazyasciiart · 1790497055 · focus · HN ↗

            Perhaps they are also dealing with administration that says things like “The university insists that homework can't be optional”, as in the grandparent comment.

            1. chii · 1790503543 · focus · HN ↗

               The university administration needs flexibility rather than draconian rules that dont work.

               In any case, even if the uni insist on homework, the teacher can simply mark everyone who hands in their homework 100%. It is impossible for the administration to police it, or if they do, they'd need to hire someone to mark the homework (which conveniently solves the teacher's issue).

               1. a57721 · 1790524118 · focus · HN ↗

                  This is basically my solution.

                  Students who copy all solutions from LLMs maybe learn something, but it's like 5% compared to what someone can learn by doing the assignment without external help, or even by asking their peers. It's a bit disheartening, because I invest quite some time and thought in designing the assignments.

                  It was very different before LLMs.

            2. WillAdams · 1790510450 · focus · HN ↗

               Seems to me that requiring the homework and having it paired with the quiz works well in terms of cause-effect for the students.

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