Cornell Prof Bans AI, Embraces Typewriters for Class

Grit Matthias Phelps, a German language instructor at Cornell University, has implemented an "analog" assignment for her students. The exercise requires students to use manual typewriters, foregoing technology like computers, spellcheckers, and delete keys. This initiative, which began in spring 2023, aims to reconnect students with the pre-digital era of writing and thinking.

Phelps's students engage with the tactile experience of typing, learning to manage paper feeding and carriage returns. This analog approach fosters a slower, more deliberate process, encouraging students to think independently and interact more with their peers. It highlights a national trend of educators adopting traditional testing methods to counter AI-generated work.

The assignment imparts lessons beyond typing mechanics, emphasizing focused work and problem-solving without immediate digital assistance. Students have described the experience as challenging yet rewarding, appreciating the intentionality it brings to their academic tasks. Some students even found creative ways to use the typewriter's limitations to enhance their work.