At Cornell University, a German language instructor has introduced manual typewriters to her classroom to combat the use of generative AI and online translation tools by students. Grit Matthias Phelps, who teaches German, started the exercise in spring 2023 after becoming frustrated with students submitting grammatically perfect assignments that were not their own work.
“What’s the point of me reading it if it’s already correct anyway, and you didn’t write it yourself? Could you produce it without your computer?” said Phelps. She sourced several dozen old manual typewriters from thrift shops and online marketplaces, creating what her syllabus calls an “analog” assignment.
Students found the experience challenging but enlightening. Catherine Mong, a 19-year-old freshman, said she was initially confused, having only seen typewriters in movies. “I didn’t know there was a whole science to using a typewriter,” she said. The exercise forced students to slow down, think more carefully, and interact with each other, as there were no screens or delete keys.
Computer science major Ratchaphon Lertdamrongwong noted that without the ability to correct mistakes easily, he had to think more intentionally about his writing. “I was forced to actually think about the problem on my own instead of delegating to AI or Google search,” he said. The assignment also encouraged collaboration, as students asked classmates for help.
The revival of typewriters at Cornell is part of a broader trend towards old-school testing methods, such as pen-and-paper exams and oral tests, to prevent AI use. Phelps hopes the lesson extends beyond the classroom: “Everything slows down. It’s like back in the old days when you really did one thing at a time. And there was joy in doing it.”
