Summary for Educators

In their October 16, 2025, essay for The Chronicle of Higher Education titled “Stop Assigning Traditional Essays,” Scott Carlson and Matthew Brophy argue that in the age of advanced generative AI, the traditional take-home essay has become not only outdated, but ethically problematic. Why traditional essays no longer work

The authors begin with a pointed claim: virtually everyone capable of using modern AI tools now has access to generative writing assistance, making standard take-home essays vulnerable to misuse. The result is widespread academic dishonesty, and institutions are increasingly uncertain about how to ensure the authenticity of student work.

Given this reality, Carlson and Brophy assert that continuing to assign traditional essays without rethinking pedagogy amounts to failing to protect academic integrity—and thus, becomes ethically indefensible. 

Toward a process-oriented, authenticity-centered pedagogy

Rather than respond by engaging in a technological arms race against AI (e.g., plagiarism detection, proctoring), the authors propose a pedagogical overhaul: shift from focusing on end-product essays to emphasizing writing as a process. Their framework, called VOICE, encourages instructors to prioritize ideas over mechanics: writing should be judged not on polish, diction, or rigid structure—but on genuine synthesis, critical thinking, original insight, and intellectual engagement. 

This approach recognizes that in a world where AI can draft grammatically correct essays quickly and easily, true educational value lies in students’ ability to think deeply, grapple with complexity, and express authentic, original thought. 

Institutional and ethical stakes: credibility, trust, and sustainability

Carlson and Brophy argue the shift isn’t just about improving pedagogy—it’s about safeguarding the credibility of higher education itself. If institutions continue to rely on take-home essays vulnerable to AI-assisted cheating, they risk being perceived as “diploma mills”—eroding trust among students, families, employers, accreditors, and the public. 

They note that the burden of enforcement should not fall only on individual instructors. Instead, colleges and universities must provide institutional support: revise assessment policies, invest in new forms of writing and evaluation, and rethink how writing instruction fits into curricula. What this means for educators now

For educators committed to meaningful student learning, this essay raises a set of urgent implications:

• Reimagine writing assignments. Think beyond traditional essays. Use formats that emphasize process: drafts, peer review, in-class writing, reflections, project-based writing, iterative writing, or adaptive writing tasks.

• Focus on critical thinking and authentic voice. Encourage work that requires original analysis, synthesis, creativity—even uncertainty. Ask students to respond to prompts that demand personal reflection, detailed engagement, and positions that cannot easily be outsourced to AI.

• Advocate for institutional change. Faculty should collaborate with departments and administrators to develop new assessment policies, provide resources for alternate assignments, and redesign curricula to reflect the evolving writing landscape.

• Value process over product. Assess writing not just as polished final essays but as evolving processes—drafts, revisions, peer feedback, and reflective practices that show students’ thinking and growth over time.

A call to action: reconceiving the role of writing in higher ed

Carlson and Brophy do not deny the importance of writing. On the contrary: they insist writing remains pedagogically essential — but its role must evolve. Instructors must reclaim writing as a tool for thinking, meaning-making, and intellectual development, rather than as a standardized, polished product.

They urge higher-education institutions to respond proactively — because continued reliance on product-oriented take-home essays no longer merely jeopardizes academic integrity; it undermines the very purpose of higher learning. 

In sum: traditional essays are no longer a neutral assignment in an age of AI—they are pedagogically and ethically indefensible. The future, Carlson and Brophy argue, lies in process-based, authentic writing that restores integrity, deep thinking, and meaningful learning.

Original Article

“Stop Assigning Traditional Essays” by Scott Carlson and Matthew Brophy in The Edge: The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 16, 2025;

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com