The following is a list of how ELSO faculty have observed students using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools for writing (e.g. ChatGPT, Quillbot, Copilot, Gemini). This is not a static document, nor a list of uses that ELSO necessarily endorses. We encourage you to use this document to think through how you use GAI tools for writing and which uses you think are appropriate and ethical for different contexts.
Editing and Language Choices:
- Check for errors in grammar, usage, and style (e.g. I will ask ChatGPT to provide a list of my errors so that I can edit more easily)
- Edit a sentence, making corrections to grammar, usage, and style
- Edit a paragraph, making corrections to grammar, usage, and style, as well as improving cohesion (e.g. flow)
- Edit writing to make it more concise
- Assist with word choice and vocabulary learning (e.g. provide a list of synonyms, provide definitions and samples of the words used in context, help writers figure out which words are used more often in specific fields)
- Provide ChatGPT with words and phrases in first language to translate into English (or vice versa)
- Other:
Invention:
- Provide a sample of a genre (e.g. a sample abstract, a sample email)
- Do a reverse outline of a sample text so that a writer can better understand its structure.
- Assist with brainstorming
- Assist with narrowing and further focusing a topic
- Assist with finding references to begin researching a topic
- Develop an outline for a paper, based on information provided by the writer.
- Provide a list of potential topic sentences related to a topic.
- Draft paraphrases from readings (to use in a literature review)
- Write the first draft of a paragraph, based on an outline provided by the writer.
- Write the first draft of an abstract, based on information provided by the writer.
- Write first draft in first language and ask ChatGPT to translate it into English.
- Other:
Revision:
- Do a reverse outline of a draft so that the writer can assess the structure and make revisions to the organization.
- Check a draft for logical order of ideas (e.g. ask ChatGPT to summarize the draft or list main points)
- Further develop a draft (e.g. the writer provides ChatGPT with a “messy” first draft and ask it to write the second draft)
- Ask ChatGPT to edit a draft for readability.
- Provide ChatGPT with a draft in English and ask to translate it into the writer’s first language (to check and make the meaning is as intended), make revisions, and then ask ChatGPT to translate it back to English.
- Other:
Reading:
- Summarize a reading to make it easier to understand
- Explain a concept from a reading to make it easier to understand
- Other:
Listing to Lectures:
- Turn on ChatGPT’s microphone and have it transcribe and translate lectures in real time.
- Other: