Students of Holy Cross Attend Writing Seminar Following AI Incident
In a recent meeting organised by the Academic Services office at Holy Cross, the importance of academic writing was emphasised, with a focus on its role in communicating complex ideas, ensuring clarity, logical organisation, and consistency. This discussion was sparked by a temporary outage of AI generative tools, which left a student, Emily Carbone '28, struggling while working on an essay.
Emily, who is not only a student at Holy Cross but also an analyst for the AI Dark Ages and the Features Editor for the college's article, took the opportunity to share practical strategies for strengthening academic writing skills without relying on AI tools.
One such strategy is engaging in prewriting techniques such as listing, clustering/mapping, and outlining. These methods help organise thoughts, providing a clear writing roadmap. Emily also suggested brainstorming by asking questions to encourage deeper exploration and improve the content and focus of writing.
Clear and concise expression was another key point emphasised. Writing should be straightforward and succinct, while still conveying all essential information. Paragraphs should be structured around one main point each, using the PEIL format: Point, Evidence, Interpretation, and Link to thesis or question.
Reading and analysing academic texts was also highlighted as a valuable tool for familiarising oneself with academic vocabulary, style, and conventions. This practice helps expand vocabulary and aids in building one's own writing skills.
Editing and proofreading methodically was another strategy discussed. Allocating time to revise drafts for clarity, grammar, and academic style improves papers and reinforces writing skills over time.
Setting specific, measurable writing goals was the final strategy shared. Identifying weaknesses and creating SMART goals, such as reducing grammatical errors, makes the improvement process focused and manageable.
Meanwhile, the comedy troupe Entropy made their inaugural on-campus appearance at Stein 120, showcasing their sketch comedy format. Previously, they had wowed an audience of Boston College students. Climate change and discussions about sustainability are at the forefront of global politics and scientific research, and Holy Cross is actively working towards becoming carbon-neutral. The College's Office of Sustainability, established in April 2020, has made significant progress on several environmentally-progressive initiatives.
In a separate incident, many students struggled to respond to a writing prompt exercise without the aid of AI generative resources, highlighting the need for students to develop their own writing skills. In response, the instructor advised students to revisit second-grade writing skills due to the lack of responses.
Sources: [1] "Prewriting Techniques." The Writing Centre, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [2] "Brainstorming." The OWL at Purdue University.
- Emily Carbone '28, a student at Holy Cross and an analyst for the AI Dark Ages as well as the Features Editor for the college's article, presented practical strategies for enhancing academic writing skills without resorting to AI tools during a recent meeting on campus.
- Engaging in prewriting techniques such as listing, clustering/mapping, and outlining, brainstorming by asking questions, clear and concise expression, and structuring paragraphs around one main point using the PEIL format (Point, Evidence, Interpretation, and Link to thesis or question) were some of the strategies Emily emphasized.
- Reading and analyzing academic texts, editing and proofreading methodically, and setting specific, measurable writing goals are other effective strategies that build and strengthen writing skills.
- In a separate event, the comedy troupe Entropy made their debut on the Holy Cross campus, showcasing their sketch comedy format, while the College's Office of Sustainability, established in April 2020, continues to make progress on numerous environmentally-progressive initiatives, aiming for carbon-neutrality.
