A Lethbridge Polytechnic instructor is making an international impact by helping students and educators navigate academic writing in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
In May, Dr. Olga Klymenko led a virtual seminar for the University of Seychelles on challenges in teaching post-secondary academic writing, implicated by the increasing use of AI.
Klymenko holds a master's degree in teaching English as a second language and a doctorate in comparative linguistics from two Ukrainian universities. She spent nearly ten years teaching English and conducting language research at the University of Seychelles, located in the Indian Ocean east of Africa, where she also served as the founding director of its Education and Socio-Economic Research Institute.
"Presenting to a Seychellois audience was a professional homecoming for me as they are people I've worked with before," says Klymenko. "Despite being a small island state, they face many of the same issues we face in North America, including an overreliance on AI, which is often compounded by limited resources and the lack of relevant policies.
"Having lecturers, academic administrators, representatives from the Seychelles Ministry of Education and researchers in one room added depth to what became an insightful cross-sectional discussion."
Klymenko explains one of the issues she faces as an academic isn't just the rapid integration of AI, it's the need for instructors to adapt quickly.
"An instructor's job is to respond to the needs of students, and we're seeing our students rapidly adopting this new technology."
According to a recent KPMG report, the number of students using AI for academic work rose to 59 per cent in 2024, up from 52 per cent in 2023. In her presentation, Redefining Post-Secondary Academic Writing in the age of Artificial Intelligence, Klymenko discusses the realities of using AI for writing.
"Human agency in writing is being revised as we see an increasing blend between human and technological tools. Unlike typewriters or word processors, which do not interfere with a writer's creative processes, AI tools take part in wording or generating ideas and are becoming the extended commission for students. As lecturers, we're left to accept and navigate this change."
Klymenko says instructors can monitor student AI use with "AI-checkers" and plagiarism detectors, but that work can be falsely flagged. She says this presents particular challenges for international students who often rely on AI tools for grammar and spelling.
"This is further evidence that we need to change our approach to assessment, especially with academic misconduct," says Klymenko. "Changing from punitive to educative approaches, with an emphasis on ethical technological use, can be the key to influencing student behaviour for the better."
