Bring back the blue book? A reflection on teaching strategies, engaged pedagogy, and the challenges of GenAI in the classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31iConf64237Keywords:
Engaged pedagogy, GenAI, Experiential EducationAbstract
Introduction. This paper reflects on teaching practices implemented as a pre-doctoral lecturer in undergraduate informatics courses on race, gender, information, and technology. It reintroduces the blue book not as a punitive measure against generative AI (GenAI), but as an intentional analogue practice to foster engagement, creativity, and reflection in the classroom.
Approach. Through literature review, applied practice, and framed by feminist, decolonial, and critical information studies, the paper discusses inclusive strategies such as in-class journaling, student-led facilitation, and multimodal final projects that encourage diverse learning styles and redistribute power in classroom dynamics. The reflection emphasises the importance of diversifying reading lists, valuing lived experience, and offering students meaningful choice in demonstrating their learning. These approaches respond to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student attention and participation, while also addressing the challenges and risks posed by the rise and prevalence of GenAI in higher education. There is also an acknowledgement of limitations and need for future work.
Conclusion. Ultimately, this paper argues for a pedagogy of engagement that resists both nostalgia and technological determinism, foregrounding human experience, care, and community as essential elements of learning in a rapidly changing educational environment.
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