On this page, you will read about vulnerabilities in assignment requirements (in relation to GenAI) that can often be fixed. You will also find information on solutions and detailed examples. There are explanations of four specific vulnerabilities, each of which is detailed on a separate page.

By clicking on the links you can view the other pages or go back to the page on written assignment without supervision.

The assignment does not require course-specific knowledge
The assignment does not require higher-level skills
The assignment does not require students to engage with discipline-specific literature
The assignment does not require visualizations

The more information teachers give in the assignment instructions, the easier they make the job for GenAI tools to generate an adequate response. Teachers are typically conditioned to formulate clear assignment instructions, e.g., by supplying a model answer. In the age of GenAI, less is often more. Leaving out details (e.g., the specific theory students should use in their answer) or sub-questions makes the assignment more generic. Thus, producing a high-quality answer requires more reasoning and critical reflection by students.

In particular, details concerning major, well-known theories may make an assignment vulnerable to GenAI fraud. LLMs are very good at predicting the next words in a sequence based on what they have learned. These systems are trained by analyzing patterns in large amounts of text. Thus, their output suffers from “uneven factual accuracy” (Lingard, 2023): It is considerably more likely that GenAI will excel at writing a coherent and accurate text explaining a well-known, seminal theory or concept that is often cited and appears frequently in the materials the LLM was trained on than one focused on a more specialized theory or concept that appears less frequently in the training materials – it is, to put it simply, just a numbers game, after all.

See below an example of an assignment with detailed instructions followed by suggestions for improvement. Or watch this video.

Assignment instructions

Imagine that you are an intern at an agency that has recently been awarded the contract to come up with a communication campaign for the Dutch market, promoting sustainable travel by train instead of by plane within the EU. You are put in charge of the creative team working on a digital poster for this campaign, to be placed on metro and train stations within Amsterdam. Explain how you would apply Agenda-Setting Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model when coming up with the design of the poster. In your answer, make sure to:

a. Explain the two theories and their mechanisms (i.e., AST and ELM);
b. Link each theory to specific elements of the poster design. Make sure to link at least two elements to each of the theories.

Explanation

As you can see in the example on the right, Chat GPT does reasonably well on part A, where an explanation of theories is asked for. It does comparatively worse on part B, not accounting for the specificities of the case (target market/audience and channel). In other words, the explanation is good, while the application is too generic. It is possible, however, to make the assignment less GenAI-friendly (see below).

ChatGPT

Agenda-Setting Theory (AST) is a communication theory that suggest that the media plays a significant role in influencing public opinion by determining the issues and topics that people think are important. It asserts that media has the power to set the agenda and determine the salience of various issues in the public’s mind. In the context of sustainable travel by train, AST can be applied to shape public perception and prioritize the importance of this mode of transportation over air travel. On the other hand, the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) is a theory of persuasion that explains how individuals process and respond to persuasive messages. ELM posits that there are two routes to persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. The central route involves deep cognitive processing and evaluation of arguments, while the peripheral route relies on superficial cues and heuristics. By understanding the mechanisms of ELM, the design of the poster can be tailored to engage viewers through both central and peripheral processing routes.

When designing the digital poster to promote sustainable travel by train in the Dutch market, we can apply AST and ELM to specific elements of the design:

Agenda-Setting Theory (AST):
a) Eye-catching imagery: The poster should prominently feature an attractive visual of a train traveling through scenic landscapes emphasizing the beauty and appeal of train journeys. This imagery helps shape the public’s perception of train travel as an exciting and desirable option for exploring Europe.
b) Bold headline: The poster should include a clear and attention-grabbing headline, such as “Discover Europe, One Train Ride at a Time!” or “Choose Sustainable Adventures – Travel by Train.” This bold statement aims to set the agenda by capturing the viewer’s attention and highlighting the importance of sustainable travel.

2. Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM):
a) Central route: Include compelling factual information about the environmental benefits of train travel compared to air travel. Statistics like “Traveling by train reduces carbon emissions by 90%” or “Choose train travel to preserve our planet for future generations” appeal to the viewer’s logical thinking and engage them in central processing, emphasizing the importance of sustainability.
b) Peripheral route: Incorporate peripheral cues like symbols or icons representing sustainability, such as green leaves or recycling symbols. These cues serve as mental shortcuts, invoking positive associations with sustainability without requiring extensive cognitive effort. Additionally, including social proof elements like testimonials or endorsements from well-known environmental organizations can further enhance persuasion through peripheral processing.

By combining the elements of AST and ELM in the design of the digital poster, the campaign aims to influence the public agenda by emphasizing the importance of sustainable travel by train, while also engaging viewers through both central and peripheral routes of persuasion.

Revising your assignment instructions

ChatGPT

While I don’t have direct knowledge of the specific communication theories discussed in your class, I can present an approach based on two popular communication theories that are often employed in such campaigns. For this scenario, let’s consider the Diffusion of Innovations and Framing Theory.

Explanation of the appropriateness of the two theories:
Diffusion of Innovations:
Why it’s appropriate: This theory explains how new ideas and behaviors spread in societies. Sustainable travel is an innovative approach to transportation, and getting people to adopt this behavior requires understanding how they take up new ideas.
Mechanisms from class:
Innovators: The first to adopt the new behavior.
Early Adopters: Often influential within their social groups, can help promote the behavior to a wider audience.
Early Majority: Adopt the behavior after seeing it validated by innovators and early adopters.
Late Majority: More skeptical but will adopt after the majority have.
Laggards: The last to adopt.
Framing Theory:
Why it’s appropriate: The way information is presented (its “frame”) can heavily influence audience perception. To
encourage train travel over plane travel, you’d want to “frame” trains as the superior, sustainable choice.
Mechanisms from class:
Problem Definition: Identifying what needs to be addressed (e.g., environmental concerns).
Causal Interpretation: Linking causes to the problem (e.g., plane emissions).
Moral Evaluation: Passing judgment on the issue.
Treatment Recommendation: Suggesting ways to solve or address the problem.

Linking each theory to specific elements of the poster design:
Diffusion of Innovations:
Innovators and Early Adopters:
Element: Testimonials or endorsements.
Application: Feature quotes from influential figures or eco-activists. E.g., “I choose trains for my travels – a step for a greener Europe.”
Early Majority and Late Majority:
Element: Statistics and figures.
Application: Highlight data such as “Join 200,000 Amsterdam residents who have switched to train travel in 2023.”
Framing Theory:
Problem Definition:
Causal Interpretation:
Element: Striking visuals.
Application: Show a split image: A polluted sky with a plane on one side, and a serene countryside view from a train window on the other. This visually defines the problem (pollution) and its cause (air travel).
Moral Evaluation:
Treatment Recommendation:
Element: Clear call to action and moral appeal.
Application: Use phrases like “Make the right choice for our planet” and “Book your next European adventure by train.” This not only morally evaluates air travel as a less desirable option but also provides a direct solution. Through the synergy of these two theories, the digital poster can effectively present train travel as not only an environmentally responsible choice but also a socially accepted and burgeoning trend in sustainable travel.

Revised assignment instructions

Imagine that you are an intern at an agency that has recently been awarded the contract to come up with a communication campaign for the Dutch market, promoting sustainable travel by train instead of by plane within the EU. You are put in charge of the creative team working on a digital poster for this campaign, to be placed on metro and train stations within Amsterdam. Thinking back to the class discussions, which two of the communication theories we discussed then would be the most appropriate to base the poster design on? In your answer, make sure to:

explain why these two theories are the most appropriate theories for this case. Your explanation should include the specific underlying mechanisms that we discussed in class.
link each theory to specific elements of the poster design. Make sure to link at least two elements to each of the theories.

Result
The response is a much less accurate answer than the original one and would not result in a passing grade. Although one of the theories was discussed in the course, it’s not the theory that’s most appropriate to base the poster design on. The application also lacks depth and accuracy. Framing the assignment instructions in this way would result in the student needing to invest considerably more effort in designing a good prompt (i.e., input to GenAI) and editing the output to provide a correct and complete answer.

In short
To revise the assignment instructions, refrain from naming the specific theories. Instead, you can, for example, connect the question to class discussions. GenAI does not know which theories you covered in the course or what you discussed in a certain meeting. Furthermore, refrain from assignments that ask to summarize or explain well-known concepts or theories. Instead focus on application and assess knowledge with on-campus exams.