Tutoring Wrting in the Gen AI Era
Katie Garahan
tutoring, writing center, scholarship, brainstorming
Katie Garahan
Recently, I had a conversation with a student about using (or not using) generative AI for a scholarship essay. This conversation was an exciting one for me because it was representative of the kind of productive conversations that curious students can have with writing tutors in Charlotte’s Writing Resources Center (WRC). First, I’ll relay my experience, and then I’ll explain the power of peer tutoring when it comes to generative AI and writing.
At a scholarship workshop where WRC tutors were offering one-on-one feedback, a hopeful scholarship applicant approached me and asked earnestly, “Will ChatGPT help me write a personal statement that will get me this scholarship?” Before responding, I thought for a minute. This student was not asking me if he could get away with using ChatGPT; he was not interested in cutting corners or “using the easy way out.” He was asking me in all seriousness, would ChatGPT actually help him achieve his writing goal: to win a scholarship to help him study abroad. I inquired how he would envision himself using ChatGPT. He shrugged and said, “I don’t know, maybe write a first draft for me.” I asked him if he had some time to talk with me, and he said yes.
So we sat together for about half an hour and talked through his personal statement ideas and considered ways ChatGPT might be useful or not. I first cautioned him against beginning his personal statement with ChatGPT. While a writer might use generative AI to help brainstorm with some genres of writing, a personal statement is unlike many other academic genres. A personal statement must have a strong, unique voice and must include specific, relevant personal experiences. We talked together about how relying on a first draft generated by ChatGPT might flatten his voice or prevent him from fully exploring his authentic reasons for studying abroad. So, I asked him to share his study abroad story with me and wow, was he passionate and eloquent! His voice was so strong, but he lacked confidence in his ability to write that story coherently. I guided him through an outlining process and encouraged him to write down some beautiful phrases he used as he shared his story with me.
Then, we brainstormed–together–how ChatGPT might serve as an aid for him, but not as a writer. I suggested he ask ChatGPT to generate a list of common conventions for writing personal statements (while also reminding him that this list would be generic and thus not the end-all-be-all). He suggested that he could prompt ChatGPT to ask him questions about his interest in studying abroad. At the end, we both felt invigorated: he felt ready to write a draft of his personal statement, and I felt excited that I had an honest conversation with a student about the potential and limitations of using ChatGPT as a writing tool.
I believe the WRC is a place for students to have these conversations. WRC tutors are students who understand the pressures of academic writing and the allure of using generative AI, but they are also writing experts. They have strong writing voices and have learned how to support individual writing growth. With them, other students can honestly explore questions related to writing with (or without) generative AI in a low-stakes, supportive environment. At the WRC, I am working with a team of exceptional tutors who are passionate about studying generative AI. Together, we are creating a training program for WRC tutors that will prepare them to have these conversations with Charlotte’s students. I encourage faculty to send their students our way. Teaching writing was hard before generative AI, and it will keep being hard. But–the WRC’s got your back.