Canadian universities urged to expand writing instruction to develop students' critical thinking
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Writing courses teach critical thinking skills that AI cannot replicate, like synthesizing information, assessing credibility, and engaging an audience.
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Canadian universities have traditionally underemphasized writing instruction compared to the US. More robust writing programs are needed.
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Generative AI like ChatGPT cannot truly "understand" anything. It produces plausible text strings based on its training data.
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Dedicated writing programs help students learn to communicate concepts to specific audiences in flexible, responsible ways.
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Canada should make an intro writing course mandatory for undergrads, plus upper-level writing courses in each discipline, to graduate students ready to make a difference.