Structuring your written assignment

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

Chatbot/AI has the capability to …

• Make an outline plan for an assignment
• Suggest which material to include in each paragraph, including the introduction, conclusion

Your role as a student

1. Engage thoughtfully with issues and debates in your subject

Drawing on these for your assignment. That might involve critical engagement with controversies, or devising methodologies to produce sound results. 

2. Select content

In such a way that you demonstrate how you are engaging in issues and debates, drawing on the best examples, evidence or methods.

3. Organise your thinking about your material

This is so that you can present your case (or argument) in a logical, coherent, internally consistent way.

Ensure you...

Plan your work to enable you to present well-structured work, reflecting organised thought, on time and within the structures required. You might be asked to submit an interim plan.

Select the best order to present your work. This should be your decision, although your course might offer, or permit, support or advice on this, or provide feedback on drafts.

Present your work using the expected structure for the kind of assignment, whether an essay, report, or other format.

Student prompt 1:

"Provide an outline plan for an essay on this subject, focussing on the impact on academic outcomes"

ChatGPT response 1

Certainly! Here's an outline plan for your essay focusing on the impact of poor nutrition on student academic outcomes in Higher Education:

I. Introduction

• Introduce the topic and its relevance to Higher Education.
• Present the thesis statement: Poor nutrition significantly affects student academic outcomes, impacting cognitive function, energy levels, and overall performance.

II. The Link Between Nutrition and Cognitive Function

• Discuss the role of nutrients in supporting cognitive abilities.
• Highlight studies that demonstrate the impact of specific nutrients on memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills.
• Explore debates about the direct causal relationship between nutrition and cognitive function.

III. Impact on Energy Levels and Focus

• Explain how nutrition influences energy levels and sustained focus.
• Discuss the effects of nutrient-rich foods vs. sugary or high-calorie options on maintaining mental alertness.
• Debate the role of balanced meals and snacks in preventing energy crashes during study sessions.

IV. Academic Stress and Nutritional Choices

• Examine how academic stress can lead to unhealthy eating patterns.
• Discuss the relationship between stress-induced dietary choices and their impact on cognitive performance.
• Present differing viewpoints on whether stress or nutrition is the primary driver of academic outcomes.

V. Sleep Patterns and Nutritional Habits

• Explore the connection between nutrition and sleep quality.
• Discuss how poor nutrition can disrupt sleep patterns and subsequent academic challenges.
• Debate the extent to which sleep and nutrition interact to affect academic success.

VI. Campus Food Environment and Student Choices

• Analyze the availability of nutritious food options on campuses.
• Discuss how the campus food environment influences students' dietary decisions.
• Debate whether campuses hold responsibility for providing healthier options or if students should be more proactive in seeking nutritious food.

VII. Socioeconomic Factors and Nutritional Disparities

• Explore how socioeconomic status impacts access to healthy food.
• Discuss debates about whether socioeconomic factors or personal choice play a more significant role in shaping dietary habits.
• Present examples of interventions aimed at reducing nutritional disparities among students.

VIII. The Role of Nutrition Education

• Examine the impact of nutritional education and awareness programs.
• Discuss debates on whether education alone is sufficient to influence students' dietary habits and academic outcomes.
• Highlight successful initiatives that combine education with behavioral change strategies.

IX. Long-Term Impact on Academic Trajectory

• Analyze how poor nutrition's short-term effects can lead to long-term academic challenges.
• Discuss the debates about whether cumulative nutritional deficits affect educational attainment and career prospects.

X. Recommendations and Solutions

• Provide practical recommendations for students to make healthier dietary choices.
• Discuss the importance of balanced meals, regular hydration, and adequate sleep in optimizing academic outcomes.
• Explore how institutions can implement policies and initiatives to support students' nutritional needs.

XI. Conclusion

• Summarize the main points discussed in the essay.
• Reinforce the thesis statement and the significance of addressing poor nutrition to enhance student academic outcomes in Higher Education.
• Encourage future research and initiatives to better understand and address this issue.

Remember to use the sources you've gathered to support each section and to provide a well-structured, evidence-based discussion of the impact of poor nutrition on student academic outcomes.

Commentary

Although ChatGPT sounds willing, its response isn’t very helpful. The recommended outline contains many interesting ideas that might contribute to an assignment, but is over-comprehensive. The outline itself takes nearly 500 words, when the assignment can only use 1500 in total. This outline doesn’t leave space to ‘analyse’, discuss, explore, etc as suggested.

By this point, the student should have started to be thinking for themselves what they wanted to cover, gathering more specific information, and then using that information to decide the best structure.

As an example, a student recognises that there is a problem with the proposed outline but tries the following prompt to get ChatGPT to do more work for them.

What are your thoughts on the generated text?

• Strengths of the outline?
• Weaknesses?

Student prompt 2: follow-up

"Provide a seven paragraph outline with a focus on the major debates in this topic"

ChatGPT response 2

Certainly! Here's a seven-paragraph outline that focuses on the major debates surrounding the impact of poor nutrition on student academic outcomes in Higher Education:

I. Introduction

• Introduce the subject and its significance within the context of Higher Education.
• Provide a brief overview of the link between poor nutrition and academic outcomes.
• Present the thesis statement: "The impact of poor nutrition on student academic outcomes is a multifaceted topic marked by several major debates and areas of contention."

II. Causality vs. Correlation:

• Discuss the ongoing debate about whether poor nutrition directly causes lower academic performance or if there is a mere correlation.
• Present studies and expert viewpoints supporting both sides of the argument.
• Highlight the complexity of disentangling causation from correlation in this context.

III. Quality vs. Quantity of Nutrition:

• Explore the debate between emphasizing the quality of nutrition and focusing on the quantity of calories and macronutrients.
• Discuss the perspectives of experts who argue for nutrient-dense diets versus those who emphasize the importance of meeting energy requirements.

IV. Individual Variation:

• Examine the disagreement about the degree of individual variation in how nutrition impacts academic performance.
• Present studies and opinions showcasing varying responses to dietary interventions among different individuals.
• Discuss the implications of individual variation on research findings and dietary recommendations.

V. Short-Term vs. Long-Term Impact:

• Analyze the debate surrounding whether poor nutrition's effects are primarily short-term or if they accumulate over time.
• Present evidence supporting the immediate impact of inadequate nutrition on focus and energy levels.
• Discuss the arguments about the potential long-term consequences for academic achievement and future success.

VI. Campus Initiatives and Responsibility:

• Explore the debate over the role of educational institutions in promoting healthy eating habits among students.
• Present viewpoints advocating for campuses to provide nutritious options and those emphasizing individual responsibility.
• Discuss the challenges and benefits of implementing campus-wide nutritional initiatives.

VII. Cultural Considerations and Socioeconomic Factors:

• Discuss the debate around how cultural norms and socioeconomic factors influence nutritional choices and academic outcomes.
• Present the complexities of accommodating diverse cultural diets and the potential impact on educational equity.
• Highlight the need for culturally sensitive approaches to addressing nutrition-related challenges.

VIII. Conclusion

• Summarize the major debates discussed in the essay.
• Emphasize that the intersection of nutrition and academic outcomes is a multifaceted issue with no one-size-fits-all answer.
• Encourage ongoing research, collaboration, and the exploration of innovative strategies to address the complex relationship between poor nutrition and student academic outcomes.

This outline focuses on the major debates and areas of contention in the topic, allowing you to delve deeply into each aspect and provide a comprehensive analysis of the different viewpoints and perspectives.

Commentary

It has not really helped to ask ChatGPT for a more realistic outline. It is still far too comprehensive.

Although it is less significant as a point, it is interesting that ChatGPT said it would provide 7 paragraph outlines but actually provided 8.

It is time for the student to do some thinking of their own about what to include and what their outline plan should look like.

Does this count as ‘my own work?’

Yes, if …

It is more likely to be acceptable to draw on one, or a few, of the ideas prompted by the outline, and then to research these in more depth. Your final plan outline should then look different to the one suggested by ChatGPT or any AI generated output.

No if…

This goes against the regulations set out by your institution. Check whether such use of AI tools, like ChatGPT, is permitted by your course for assessments.

You use an outline plan as provided by ChatGPT or any other source or person, then this is not your own work.

You omit part of the suggested plan and use only part of the plan, then that is partly your work and partly not – that is, it is not all your own work. The thinking and organising skills involved usually count towards the overall grade so should be all your own work.