Adopting plagiarism-detection software, rethinking assessment strategies to develop critical thinking skills: Administrators across schools and colleges in Delhi have begun using different methods amid concerns that students might exploit Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT to generate assignments. Recently, a law student from O P Jindal University moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court after being failed for allegedly using AI-generated content in coursework. The university Thursday said the student was issuing “factually incorrect, misleading, and prejudiced statements” on social media, possibly with the intent of influencing public opinion and judicial outcomes. As the debate gains momentum, The Indian Express spoke to schools and colleges in Delhi on how best to adapt to the challenges of AI in education. At Delhi University, Shriprakash Singh, Director of South Campus, noted that the varsity’s reliance on traditional pen-and-paper exams currently limits AI plagiarism concerns. However, for research papers and thesis submissions, DU uses Turnitin which flags not only conventional plagiarism but also content generated by AI. Singh emphasised that while AI can be a valuable learning tool, an over-reliance on it is detrimental. “AI is not dangerous, but completely depending on it is,” he said. At Miranda House College, Principal Bijayalaxmi Nanda voiced similar sentiments. She underscored that pen-and-paper exams help preserve originality. Still, with AI’s growing popularity, she acknowledges the need for more sophisticated assessment methods. “The Western world has come up with innovative ways to test students, and so will we in the near future,” Nanda explained. “We need stronger plagiarism checks and an ethical protocol to regulate AI use in education.” At Lloyd Institute of Engineering in Gautam Buddh Nagar too, Turnitin is in place. Senior Director Rajeev Aggarwal said assignments should increasingly emphasise technical and practical skills rather than theory alone. “The way we test students. is the area of importance to address plagiarism issues due to AI. We need to give more assignments that test technical and practical strengths of students rather than making theoretical assignments. We should also learn how to incorporate AI to seek and gain knowledge but should also put in boundaries to tackle it positively.” Schools, meanwhile, vary in their approach. At ITL Public School in Dwarka, where students submit both handwritten and online assignments, AI detection software is in use. Principal Sudha Acharya said it identifies AI-generated content, and her team uses AI analytics for performance assessments to improve teaching approaches. “Since our students submit internal assignments online and also through pen and paper, our computer department uses software that detects whether AI has been used by students in their assignments or not. We also use AI in our school’s result analysis. For instance, if we feel like a particular section or a subject has low performance, we use AI to analyse and identify what elements can be changed to make our performance better,” Acharya said In contrast, Springdales School still values the “human touch” in learning, according to Aporajito Bose, Manager of Technology, Innovation, Diversity, and Environment. While the school incorporated digital tools like Microsoft Teams during the pandemic, most assignments remain handwritten, and there is no AI detection software in place. “Our teachers have known their students long enough to find out whether one is using ChatGPT to do their assignments. If one is not performing up to the mark in their speaking assessments but can produce an entire writeup, that is self-explanatory,” Bose said. “Our efforts are to educate students to use AI responsibly, solely for learning and awareness,” he added.
