AI with Integrity: Bringing Clarity to the Learning Process #AskTurnitin
Got questions about AI in the classroom? Watch this panel discussion — then ask what's on your mind.
We've gathered a panel of educators to come together for a panel discussion on a question many of us are navigating: how can we support authentic student learning in a world where AI is everywhere?
The recording is attached above. Take some time to watch, then share your questions in this thread. We’ll be checking in and responding right here on TEN through July 3.
Answering your questions:
Jason Friend has been an English teacher at Saratoga High School since 2003. He is a founding member and the current program coordinator of the Media Arts Program, an interdisciplinary academy dedicated to innovative education. Passionate about thinking and writing, Jason has had several articles published in Philosophy Now. He received the Goldin Award for Excellence in Education in 2016, and was named Teacher of the Year for the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District in 2026.
Melissa Rofer has just completed her first year as an English teacher at Los Gatos High School. Previously, she taught English at Cupertino High School from 2004 to 2010. Between these roles, she spent 14 years as a parent volunteer and K-12 substitute teacher. She has her Master's in Education from U.C. Santa Cruz and is a graduate of Humboldt State University.
Audrey Campbell is a Manager of Educator Engagement at Turnitin, where she connects educators with practical, real-world strategies for teaching in a rapidly changing landscape. Before joining Turnitin, she was a classroom teacher for ten years and understands the everyday realities educators face. She’s passionate about helping educators make sense of feedback, learning integrity, and the evolving role of AI in ways that feel supportive and useful.
Karen Smith brings 34 years of experience as a public school ELA teacher and literacy coach to her role on Turnitin's Teaching and Learning Innovations team. Since 2021, she has designed instructional resources and professional learning content that help educators worldwide implement Turnitin products effectively. Her extensive background in writing instruction ensures all her work is deeply rooted in pedagogy and academic integrity.
Not sure what to ask? Start here:
"How do I write an AI policy my students will actually read?"
"Should AI use be allowed on some assignments but not others?"
"How do we rebuild a culture of original thinking in an AI-saturated world"
#AskTurnitin Guidelines:
1. Be respectful: Treat all participants with kindness and professionalism.
2. Stay on topic: Questions should relate to AI detection, teaching strategies, and classroom experiences.
3. No product support requests: Technical or account issues should be directed to Turnitin Support
4. Avoid sensitive personal info: Do not share personally identifiable information about yourself, your institution, or students.
5. Engage constructively: Share insights, ask thoughtful questions, and build on others’ contributions.
29 replies
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#AskTurnitin Conversation Starters: When supervising projects and dissertations, what sort of indicators help you distinguish between meaningful AI-supported learning and superficial use of AI-generated outputs?
Onboarding Consultant at Turnitin and former researcher and lecturer, shares:
That is really the million-dollar question right now, isn’t it? Because as educators, our instinct shouldn't be to turn our supervision sessions into a hostile surveillance state. My own research focuses on how people resist surveillance, and I can tell you that if students feel we are just trying to 'catch' them, they will simply find more sophisticated ways to hide it.
Instead of playing cat-and-mouse, which I sort of escaped my Forensic Investigative background to try and avoid, really! I look for a few distinct indicators that separate meaningful learning from superficial generation.
First, I look at the paper trail of the project. Meaningful learning leaves a messy, human footprint. A student who is using AI properly as a sounding board can show me their evolution such as their early mind maps, their draft progression, different versions of the drafts, and how their thesis shifted from week three to week six. Superficial use, on the other hand, usually results in a 'sudden breakthrough.' A perfectly polished, cohesive chapter suddenly appears out of nowhere, with zero logical evolution from the previous week's conversation, and often not taking into account most feedback or comments that I have provided.
Second, I look for the illusion of synthesis. AI is incredibly good at summarizing information smoothly, but it tends to 'flatline' intellectually. If a student's literature review lists five different theories perfectly, but fails to critically evaluate how those theories conflict in a real-world context, that's a red flag. Human learning is often non-linear or messy; it has 'spikes' of unique, perhaps less-polished, but highly original critique. AI outputs are often polished but hollow.
Finally, the ultimate indicator is the live defense. In a one-on-one supervision, I’ll ask them to expand on a specific, nuanced paragraph. A student who used AI as a tool will confidently debate the concept with me because they’ve internalized the knowledge. A student who simply copy-pasted a superficial output will struggle to explain the text using their own vocabulary.
Ultimately, if we start assessing the process of their research, for instance, asking them to critically reflect on why they accepted or rejected an AI’s suggestion instead of just grading the final output/report/prototype or whatever it is that they are supposed to deliver, superficial AI use becomes impossible to hide, and meaningful learning naturally comes to light.
Educator at Los Gatos High School, California, shares:
The Clarity tools of the writing history and the AI detector are helpful indicators, especially so when used in conjunction with the pre-writing strategies I mentioned previously.
What indicators do you look for when distinguishing meaningful AI-supported learning from superficial use? Share your thoughts below!
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#AskTurnitin Conversation Starters: What does “responsible AI use” actually look like in your classroom or lecture hall?
In my nearly two decades of teaching secondary literacy, the persistent push to “use more technology in the classroom” grew in urgency each year. Whatever the shape of the latest technological advance, the fears were the same: Will it become a crutch? Will students be able to learn – and demonstrate their learning – without it?
The concerns surrounding the responsible use of AI in an educational setting are not that different. With the lines between original and AI-assisted work becoming blurred, educators have valid concerns over how to determine (and prove) that a student’s work is authentic. The concept of responsible AI use doesn't have to be centered on policing shortcuts or banning bots. Like any new technology, teachers can model how to use these tools ethically to cultivate the mindset that AI is a thinking partner, not a thinking replacement.
In an inclusive literacy classroom, where gifted scholars share tables with students building foundational reading skills, responsible AI can act as a leveling force for equitable access.
- Advanced students can use LLMs to generate complex counter-arguments in order to push their thesis statements or refutations further, addressing their personalized goals for academic enrichment.
- Developing language learners can utilize AI to adjust text complexities when reading, or use voice-to-text AI in their first language to outline their thoughts, translate the framework, and suggest syntactical refinements in the developing language.
By shifting the cognitive load from the mechanics of decoding and transcription to the critical thinking required for comprehension and analysis, AI can remove barriers to entry, transforming differentiation from a teacher’s exhaustive logistical hurdle into a student-driven reality.
Is there still a need for reliable methods of determining work that was generated solely by AI tools? Absolutely.
Thankfully, some of the tools used by educators to detect AI use also come equipped with pedagogically-driven guidance that empowers students to refine their writing strategically and authentically (have you seen Turnitin Clarity?).
Treating AI as an equitable thinking partner rather than a shortcut can allow educators to bridge the gap between diverse learning needs. When supported by tools that encourage growth rather than just policing compliance, technology ceases to be a threat to academic integrity and instead becomes a powerful catalyst for student-driven, differentiated success.
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#AskTurnitin Conversation Starter: What is gained when students use AI well?
Have you seen moments where using AI helped students build skills they will need when they enter the workforce? What did that look like in your classroom?
When used intentionally, instead of replacing student thinking, AI can enhance learning and help students build the essential skills the modern workforce requires.
Integrating AI into the writing process encourages critical engagement. Instead of staring at a blank page, students can use AI to generate a starting point and then focus their energy on critiquing and refining those ideas. For multilingual learners, it’s a powerful scaffold that lets them prioritize deep concepts over grammar mechanics. Plus, learning to prompt and verify outputs builds the evaluative judgment needed in every professional role today.
Professional competence now means knowing how to delegate to automated systems while staying 100% accountable for the result. The real skill is the discernment to know when to trust AI and when to override it. Students who master this balance enter the job market with a massive competitive edge.
As educators, our shift is moving from monitoring for AI use to teaching students how to use it effectively. By creating transparent environments for AI use, we can see the trajectory of a student’s work and offer coaching where they need it most. This turns learning integrity from a "gotcha" moment into a teachable career skill.
Our goal is to prepare students who can collaborate with technology while never losing their own voice or judgment. That balance between algorithmic help and human oversight is the future of work.
How are you using AI to enhance career-readiness in your classroom?