Devising an assignment title

Be clear about the guidelines for AI use at your institution, if unclear, seek clarification and permission

 

Chatbot/AI has the capability to …

Suggest ideas for titles for essays, research projects and other assignments.

These can stimulate your own ideas if you work with the suggestions to devise your own.

 

Your role as a student

1. Evaluate suitability

Decide whether the proposed titles are appropriate. Do they make sense in terms of what you know about the topic from your course. AI can make things up.

• Which suggested titles best fit the assignment brief?
• Which are best aligned to the learning outcomes of your course?
• Are they a good fit to material covered in class and on the course?

2. Ensure originality

Remember many other students are likely to be asking similar questions of the AI. Use the AI suggestions as a starting place:

Devise options of your own.

You could choose an AI suggestion and give it a specific focus, such as by applying it to a different geographical focus, client group, material base, experimental conditions, time-frame, or similar adaptation.

3. Consider your ‘argument’

An AI generated title might sound great but you need to consider whether you could develop a strong, well-reasoned argument that demonstrates good critical thinking.

4. Check for reliable material

See whether there is enough good quality materials available for you to draw upon to support your argument.

 

Ensure you...

Play with possibilities. It is expected that you will put some thought into creating a title that works well – not just use the first options that appear.

Decide wisely. Select a title that best supports your own studies, whilst meeting the conditions above.

• What do you need to know more about?
• What will be most useful to you for the course, exams or in working life?
• What kind of title will enable you to demonstrate your academic skills so you can gain a good grade?

Use an interim ‘working title’: remember that you might not be able to decide on a really good title until after you have completed some research, reading, thinking and outline planning of your assignment. Refine your title later on to match the angle that you take on the topic.

 

Student prompt 1: for title suggestions

Can you suggest titles for a 1500 word essay on improving student well-being?

 

ChatGPT response 1

Certainly! Here are some title suggestions for your 1500-word essay on improving student well-being:

1. "Nurturing Student Well-being: Strategies for a Healthy Academic Journey"
2. "Balancing Act: Enhancing Student Well-being in the Modern Educational Landscape"
3. "Cultivating Wellness: Approaches to Promote Student Well-being in Schools"
4. "Empowering Student Lives: The Quest for Enhanced Well-being within Education"
5. "Thriving in Education: A Deep Dive into Strategies for Student Well-being"
6. "Beyond Grades: Prioritizing Student Well-being for Long-Term Success"
7. "Holistic Education: Integrating Well-being Initiatives for Academic Excellence"
8. "The Well-being Revolution: Transforming Student Experiences in Educational Settings"
9. "Mind, Body, and Education: A Comprehensive Approach to Student Well-being"
10. "From Stress to Strength: Fostering Resilience and Well-being among Students"

Feel free to modify these titles or use them as inspiration to create a title that best reflects the focus and content of your essay.

 

Student prompt 2: follow-up

Can you focus these more on sleep and nutrition?

 

ChatGPT response 2

Certainly! Here are some title suggestions for your 1500-word essay that specifically focus on improving student well-being through sleep and nutrition:

1. "Recharge and Refuel: The Vital Role of Sleep and Nutrition in Student Well-being"
2. "Restoring Balance: Enhancing Student Well-being through Healthy Sleep and Nutrition Habits"
3. "Well-rested, Well-nourished: A Blueprint for Elevating Student Well-being"
4. "From Zzz's to A's: The Impact of Sleep and Nutrition on Student Wellness"
5. "Nourishing Minds and Bodies: Strategies for Promoting Student Well-being through Sleep and Nutrition"
6. "Quality Sleep, Nutrient-Rich Diets: Paving the Way for Optimal Student Well-being"
7. "Balancing Act: Managing Sleep and Nutrition for Improved Student Health and Performance"
8. "Fueling Success: How Sleep and Nutrition Shape Student Well-being in Academics"
9. "Sleep Smart, Eat Well: A Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing Student Well-being"
10. "Sleep, Eat, Excel: Cultivating Student Wellness through Prioritized Sleep and Nutrition"

Feel free to adapt these titles to suit the specific angle and content you plan to cover in your essay.

 

Commentary

It is important to think about the suggestions, and interrogate whether they are likely to be fit for your purposes. Consider the kind of follow-up work they might generate.

Below are some of the ways the student worked on the titles suggested, having considered ChatGPT’s suggestions.

 

Examples of student adaptations and choices

‘Student well-being: the importance of sleep to academic outcomes’

• The student then rejected this, as not usefully phrased for developing a strong argument.

‘A recipe for disaster: the impact of poor nutrition on student academic outcomes’

• The student also rejected this, as it is not usefully phrased for developing a strong argument.

‘A recipe for disaster’: poor nutrition and lack of sleep have the most significant impacts on student academic outcomes. Discuss with reference to students in Higher Education.

• Used as working title. This was later modified, as below. The reasons for this were that it was hard to find evidence to support the contention ’the most significant impact’, and that there was too much ground to cover in a 1500 word essay. A sharper focus enabled a stronger argument based on a closer examination of the evidence.

This is the title the student used for the assignment:

‘A recipe for disaster’: poor nutrition has a more significant impact on student academic outcomes’. Discuss with reference to students in Higher Education.

 

What are your thoughts on the generated text?

• Strengths and weaknesses of the titles?
• Would these kinds of suggestions be helpful to you as a learner?

 

Does this count as ‘my own work?’

Yes, if ….

The assignment requires you to devise your own title, that means it must contain the main substantial intellectual input from you. Using ChatGPT for ideas that help you create your own title, as the student did here. As a starter, not the main or final outcome.

No, if…

• This goes against the regulations set out by your institution when writing assignments. Check whether such use of AI tools, like ChatGPT, is permitted by your course for assessments such as this.
• Simply using a title suggested by ChatGPT or by any source would not be meeting the requirement for the title to be your own work.