Two WHS Teachers Share Their Outlook on Written Versus Typed Assignments in the Classroom

An image of paper and pen that is sparsely used in classrooms due to the introduction of technology in education. Photo Credits: Marissa Groots, Unsplash. 

Andrew Larsen, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

Since the 2011-12 school year, students at Watauga High School have used computers in the classroom. The standard later shifted from Dell laptops to the familiar Chromebooks in the 2017-18 school year. With Canvas courses, NCVPS, and Caldwell classes, nearly every class utilizes the Chromebooks in some way. However, some teachers can still remember a time before technology was fully integrated into education and choose to keep with pencil and paper assignments. The decision between using handwritten and typed assignments is made more difficult with student AI usage continuing to rise, and AI detection methods being unreliable. 

Teachers now have to scan all digitally typed assignments for AI, creating extra effort during grading and hindering student learning. Two teachers at the high school have different perspectives on the issue and handle it separately in their classes. 

Jamie Wilson, AP US History teacher, continues to use handwritten assignments. Originally, the AP exams were all handwritten so she taught according to that, but even after the exams became mostly digital, she kept the handwritten format. 

“I find I can give better feedback more quickly on a handwritten essay,” said Wilson. “Being able to draw arrows, mark out incorrect wording or information, and circle/highlight certain sections of text is just easier for me on a physical piece of paper. I have also found even the most reliable computer systems to occasionally glitch during a test, while the worst thing that happens on a written essay is that a student needs to get a new pen when theirs runs out of ink.”

The only issue Wilson notices when it comes to handwritten assignments is reading students handwriting. However, many years of deciphering it has made it easier for her. Robin Lowe, AP English Language and Composition teacher, has integrated technology into her assignments. Lowe does about half of her assignments online and the other half on paper, with the paper half being primarily formative assignments. 

“The students used to write all 9 FRQs [Free Response Questions] on paper,” said Lowe. “But now that the test is digital, I want my students to be familiar with the platform and typing/editing on a computer. Having a variety is important. We need the technology to research and format our papers, but we also need time and space to think without the distractions that the internet and AI provide.” 

Concerns over AI have also heightened. Chatbots are starting to get to the point where their writing is almost indistinguishable from a human’s, which creates clear problems for teachers. Wilson is concerned by the lack of clarity between a student’s own ideas and those of AI. 

“I want to be able to see what students know and how they are able to connect ideas and think creatively and with complexity,” said Wilson. “I know how tempting it is for students to take shortcuts, and I generally see handwritten assignments to be the best way to circumvent that temptation.”

Lowe also has these concerns, but she has a different outlook on the issue. 

“It is the students’ job to follow the honor code and do their own work,” said Lowe. “It is my job to be able to tell when someone is plagiarizing, and I am pretty good at it. I have to include technology in the classroom. I would be remiss if I did not show you guys how to format a paper and research and use the databases and cite things properly using the citation tools. But it is also important, and increasingly so, to give you all time to think and write without technology.”

Lowe will continue to use digital submissions since that is the format of the exam and modern papers in general. She believes that physical elements will always remain in class, however, and certainly have their place. 

“I think we will always read hard copies of books and we will always write digitally and on paper,” said Lowe. “I teach an asynchronous class at ASU. Everything is digital, but if that class were face to face, their submissions would still always be digital. Formal papers are typed. Always. What is different in those modalities is that the teaching is digital versus in person.” 

Wilson does not plan to shift to digital assignments any time soon and instead views the Chromebooks as tools to assist with learning, rather than something to be consistently relied upon. She sees the merit when it comes to the Chromebooks but firmly believes that they have their place in the class and that it should stay there. 

“The ease with which we can access primary sources compared to when I started teaching has opened up a world of resources that my first students could not have dreamed of,” said Wilson. “I think in an increasingly digital and fast-paced world, it is important for us to embrace things that take more time and require deeper thought. History can lend itself to that if we go about it in the right way. I believe that teachers have an obligation to create scenarios where students have a higher probability of learning what they need to learn. Sometimes that will involve digital tools and sometimes it will not.”