Cornell Professor Uses Typewriters to Stop AI Cheating in German Class
Cornell University German instructor Grit Matthias Phelps makes her students use typewriters once each semester to prevent AI cheating. The exercise forces students to write without screens, online dictionaries, spell checkers, or delete keys.
Cornell University German instructor Grit Matthias Phelps has found an old-school solution to a modern problem. Once each semester, she brings typewriters into her classroom to stop students from using AI to cheat on their work.
The exercise forces students to experience what Phelps calls "the raw feeling of typing without online assistance." No screens, no online dictionaries, no spell checkers, and no delete keys. Students must think carefully before typing each word because mistakes can't be easily fixed.
The typewriter assignment serves two purposes. First, it prevents students from using AI tools like ChatGPT to write their German assignments. Second, it teaches students to work independently and think more carefully about their writing.
As AI becomes more common in schools, teachers across the country are struggling with how to prevent cheating while still teaching effectively. Some ban AI entirely, while others try to incorporate it into lessons. Phelps' approach offers a middle ground that eliminates the temptation entirely.
The method also teaches students valuable life skills about working without digital assistance and being more deliberate with their words.
As AI tools like ChatGPT make cheating easier, teachers are finding creative ways to ensure students actually learn. This approach shows how educators are adapting to keep academic work honest in the digital age.
More teachers may adopt similar low-tech approaches as AI cheating becomes more widespread in classrooms.
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