Writing assignment #0

Reflection Assignment: Thinking for Yourself in the Age of AI Reading The Virtues of Thinking for Yourself. Lund, C. (2025). The Virtues of Thinking for Yourself | by Cooper Lund | Medium Purpose of the Assignment The purpose of this reflection is to encourage you to think critically about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning, writing, and academic work. This assignment asks you to reflect on your own relationship with AI, consider its potential benefits and limitations, and examine how relying on AI may affect your development as a studentparticularly in this course. This is not a summary of the reading. Instead, you should engage with the authors ideas and connect them to your own experiences, choices, and learning process. Instructions Write a thoughtful reflection consisting of at least two complete paragraphs (8-10 sentences per paragraph). Your response must: Address the required question below, and Respond to at least two (2) additional questions from the list that follows. You are encouraged to reference specific ideas from the reading, but direct quotations are not required. Students must use the attached template to complete this assignment. Please type directly into the document, delete the placeholder text (including Student Name), and replace it with your own information. Submit the completed template file as your assignment. Required Question What is one concrete choice you can make this semester to ensure that AI supports, rather than replaces, your own thinking and learning? Choose at Least Two Additional Questions The author argues that the work is the point. What do you think this means in the context of learning, and how might this idea influence the way students approach completing assignments in college? The author argues that struggle, or friction, is necessary for growth and learning. First, explain how using AI to complete or shortcut writing assignments might reduce productive struggle and affect your development as a student, both in this course and in future courses. Then, discuss where you see value in working through difficulty rather than receiving quick answers. Identify one specific idea, example, or claim from the reading that challenged, confirmed, or complicated your existing views about AI. Explain how this idea relates to your own academic habits or assumptions, and describe whether it has influenced how you think about using AI as a student. In the context of this course, what do you think responsible or appropriate AI use should look like? Where do you think the line is between using AI as a tool and allowing it to do the thinking for you? Reflect on your own use of AI in academic settings. In what ways has AI been helpful to you, and in what ways might it have limited your learning or independence? Important Notes This assignment is about honest reflection, not agreement or disagreement with the author. There is no single correct response. Your reflection should demonstrate engagement with the reading and thoughtful consideration of your own learning process. Writing quality, clarity, and effort matter. Responses that rely on general statements without engaging specific ideas from the reading may not receive full credit.