Hay naku! These days, AI like ChatGPT can write essays and solve math problems in seconds. As teachers, we are scratching our heads and asking: “How do we really know if our students are learning?” Digital exams and take-home assignments are super easy to cheat on now. It’s not a question of if students use AI—many already do—but how we should adjust our teaching to this new reality.
I’ve seen this problem in my classes. This trimester, my colleague shared something interesting. Her students who took online quizzes from abroad had almost perfect scores, while those who took the same test with pen and paper got much lower remarks. Suspicious, diba?
What’s more revealing is what we see in Canvas, an online learning management system. It can track student activity during online exams. That colleague showed me the activity log of one student abroad who aced the quiz. Canvas recorded multiple instances of “Stopped viewing the quiz-taking page” then “Resumed,” repeatedly. This student was clearly switching between the quiz and other windows—probably consulting AI or other resources.
Another red flag is with reflection papers. These are supposed to be personal accounts of learning experiences—the kind of writing that should come from one’s heart. But lately, many sound artificial and overly polished. Another professor, also a colleague of mine, noticed the same. Even students who struggled all throughout the term were submitting flawless essays online. The pattern was too obvious to ignore.
So, I’ve been thinking about something that might sound old-fashioned: going back to traditional testing methods like pen-and-paper exams, handwritten essays and oral exams. This isn’t just because I am feeling nostalgic for the good old days—it is, I believe, a practical solution to a real problem.
Think about the simple pen-and-paper test. When students take exams in person with no gadgets allowed, they have to use what’s actually in their brains. No ChatGPT to rescue them! Writing by hand also helps with memory and thinking. Scientists say our brains work differently when we write by hand compared to typing.
There is also something more serious happening that worries me. Many scientists call it the “muscle atrophy effect” of AI in the brain. Just like how muscles get weak when we don’t use them, our brains, although an organ, can lose cognitive strength when AI does our thinking for us. When students constantly rely on AI for writing and critical analysis, those mental muscles don’t get exercised. Over time, this dependency could weaken their ability to think deeply on their own.
Written essays done in the classroom work the same way. Students can’t just ask AI to fix their grammar or organize their thoughts. They have to really understand the topic to write about it clearly on the first try. No delete button, no AI editor—just their own knowledge and skills.
For reflection papers specifically, having students write it in class shows more authentic voices—some with grammatical errors, but with genuine insights that truly reflect their learning journey.
But for me, the best traditional method is the oral exam. Doing more oral questioning, individually or by group, really shows who knows their stuff. When you ask follow-up questions based on their answers, students can’t just recite memorized AI content. They have to think on their feet. Even the smartest AI can’t help them in a real-time conversation.
These traditional methods also help with student health by reducing screen time and teaching important communication skills. They build confidence for job interviews and prepare students for the workplace, where thinking under pressure is super important.
Of course, there are downsides. These methods take more time and might be harder for some students with disabilities. And yes, we still need to teach students how to use technology since that is part of the real world. Maybe the best is to mix old and new methods.
As we figure this out together, let us remember that tests aren’t just about grades—they are about actual learning. As we try to bring back some traditional methods while still using technology wisely, we can make sure our students are really learning, not just letting AI do the work. Going back to basics doesn’t mean we’re anti-technology. It just means we’re making sure our students can think for themselves, even when they have AI tools to help them. Sometimes, the old ways still work best!
Adrian Mabalay is a faculty member at the Department of Management and Organization of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. He can be reached at adrian.mabalay@dlsu.edu.ph.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.
