I’m (Kind Of) Changing My Mind About Blue Books
Source: Sydney Sullivan Substack
Author: Sydney Sullivan
Original source: https://sydneysullivanphd.substack.com/p/im-kind-of-changing-my-mind-about
Source type: essay
Summary
Sydney Sullivan argues that Blue Books are not the real answer to AI-era assessment, but the AI boom has pushed her toward a more important question: what evidence of learning do educators actually want to see? She says the old model of treating polished final products as proof of learning has become weaker because AI can now generate and revise fluent prose on demand. Instead of framing assessment as a battle between pens and algorithms, she argues for asking students to make their thinking visible through explanation, defense, revision, and other process evidence. The article also warns that if visible-thinking requirements are used mainly as anti-cheating surveillance, educators may simply create a new monitoring mechanism rather than a better learning model.
Pull quotes
The real question is learning evidence
“What evidence of learning do I actually want to see?”
Final products are weaker evidence
“Today, a polished document no longer tells me everything I want to know.”
Visible thinking should be for learning, not surveillance
“If the primary reason we ask students to explain their thinking is to prove they didn’t use AI, haven’t we simply built another surveillance mechanism into our classrooms?”
Big ideas
- In an AI world, assessment should focus on watching students think
- AI-assisted homework requires redesign, not just policing
- Learning still needs some struggle, even when AI can make things easier
Claims
- In an AI world, assessment should focus on watching students think
- AI-assisted homework requires redesign, not just policing
- AI-proofing classrooms can slide into surveillance
Key evidence and examples
- Sullivan contrasts traditional Blue Book exams with modern writing work that is iterative, social, and feedback-driven.
- She argues that AI has made final products less reliable as the sole evidence of learning.
- She recommends asking students to explain, defend, and revise their ideas so teachers can see the thinking process.
- She warns that visible-thinking assessment can become surveillance if its main purpose is catching AI misuse.
Education relevance
High relevance for writing instructors, assessment redesign, and AI-era classroom practice.
Durability note
Durability: High. The specific debate about Blue Books will fade, but the broader move from final-product grading to visible thinking and process evidence is likely to remain useful.
My notes
- Clay’s note: the article is a strong fit with the wiki’s assessment-redesign and visible-thinking work.