Six assignment designs that make AI shortcuts less tempting
You can't detect your way out of every problem. Six assignment formats, tested by teachers we work with, that make the writing process the point.
Daniel Reyes
Education lead · Aug 27, 2026 · 7 min read
Detection helps, but the most effective change many teachers make is to the assignment itself. When a task rewards process, personal knowledge and in-class thinking, AI shortcuts become less useful and less tempting.
Six formats worth trying
- Process portfolios: grade the outline, the rough draft and the revision notes alongside the final essay.
- Local and personal prompts: ask students to connect the topic to their school, their town or their own experience.
- In-class first drafts: write the opening section by hand or offline, then develop it at home.
- Annotated sources: students explain why they chose each source and where they disagreed with it.
- Oral follow-ups: a three-minute conversation about the argument after submission.
- Critique the machine: give students an AI-written answer and ask them to fact-check and improve it.
Why these work
Each format makes the thinking visible. A model can produce a polished final essay, but it can't produce a student's notes from Tuesday's discussion or explain a choice they made in a draft. When those pieces are part of the grade, honest work becomes the easier path.
Assignments that value the messy middle of writing are the best defense we've found.
Where detection still fits
Even with better assignments, a quick scan is a useful check, especially for take-home essays. Use it the way you'd use a plagiarism report: as a prompt to look closer, never as the final word.
Written by
Daniel Reyes, Education lead
A former high school English teacher, Daniel helps schools write fair, transparent AI policies.