Teachers bring back blue books to curb AI cheating in classrooms
(NewsNation) — Teachers nationwide are turning to a low-tech solution to curb artificial intelligence-assisted cheating: requiring students to write essays and take exams by hand.
According to the Wall Street Journal, sales of blue books, the staple-bound exam packets with blue covers, are surging.
Campus bookstores report a 30% increase at Texas A&M University, nearly 50% at the University of Florida, and an 80% jump at the University of California, Berkeley over the last two years, the Journal reported.
Rubio says the US will begin revoking the visas of Chinese students
This shift to handwritten assignments comes as educators grapple with handling AI tools in the classroom.
A survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Elon University found that 59% of academic leaders believe cheating has increased since AI tools became widely available.
In response, some professors and teachers are bringing back blue books to combat the rise in cheating, while also trying to determine how to evolve with the ever-increasing use of AI.
Student visa pause 'disturbing': Ex-education secretary
Some academic leaders argue AI can be used to improve students' creativity, writing and research skills.
AI advocates believe it's time for teachers to start embracing the technology.
'AI is seeping into every corner of business, culture and society,' said author Matt Britton. 'I think it's up to educators and parents alike to be creative in figuring out ways to embrace it and have it be a part of our everyday lives because we're not going backwards.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
41 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Video Shows US Ally Confronting China in Contested Waters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Philippine coast guard has released footage of a confrontation with its Chinese counterpart within the Southeast Asian country's maritime zone. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters China claims the majority of the South China Sea as its territory, including areas that fall within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. A Hague-based arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016 and rejected China's claims. Beijing has called the decision illegitimate. The further expansion of Chinese maritime forces into the Philippine EEZ has been met with pushback under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The resulting dramatic clashes have raised the specter of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, which could draw Washington into a conflict with the East Asian power. A Chinese coast guard ship seen from the Port of Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province on February 22. A Chinese coast guard ship seen from the Port of Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province on February 22. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images What To Know While much of the neighbors' dispute has centered on uninhabited reefs and sandbanks, since the start of the year China's coast guard has maintained a steady presence closer to Luzon, the major Philippine island that's home to the capital, Manila. On Saturday, the Philippine coast guard deployed the 144-foot BRP Cabra to challenge the much larger CCG 3105—a Chinese coast guard cutter operating about 86 miles from Luzon's Zambales province and well within the country's 230-mile-wide EEZ, a spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday. Video shows the Philippine crew broadcasting radio warnings and ordering their Chinese counterpart to leave the EEZ, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which both countries are signatories. Later that day, the Cabra responded to a distress call from a fishing boat with engine trouble. The cutter towed the stricken vessel back to Zambales' Subic Port. In Singapore, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with his Japanese, Australian and Philippine counterparts over the weekend on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit. The meetings were held amid doubts following U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff broadsides and remarks questioning the utility of Washington's security commitments in the region. The officials voiced concern over China's growing assertiveness and stressed the importance of maintaining the status quo. What People Are Saying Jay Tarriela, a Philippine coast guard spokesperson, wrote on X: "The actions of BRP Cabra and its crew reflect the commitment of the [Philippine coast guard] to uphold the directive of the president, reinforcing the Philippines' rights in the West Philippine Sea." Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said during Tuesday's regular news conference: "The U.S., together with Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, brazenly spread the false accusation of 'China threat' at the Shangri-La Dialogue and sought to use the East China Sea issue and the South China Sea issue to sow discord and incite confrontation between regional countries. ... We will not flinch in defending China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests." What Happens Next China and the Philippines are firmly entrenched in their positions, and a diplomatic breakthrough appears unlikely anytime soon. Speaking with Newsweek at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro criticized China's actions, saying the country suffered from a "trust deficit." He said Manila was working toward building an "international coalition to increase deterrence."
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
'Russia's Pearl Harbor' Fuels Fears Over Chinese Cargo Ships at US Ports
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sunday's Ukrainian drone ambush on a Russian airbase more than 3,000 miles from the front lines has intensified a growing debate among U.S. military analysts over the plausibility of a similar attack launched from Chinese merchant vessels docked at American ports. The scenario has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and security analysts alike following confirmation that COSCO Shipping—China's state-owned shipping giant—operates across key U.S. ports, despite being designated by the Department of Defense as a Chinese military company. At issue is whether drones or cruise missiles could be hidden in shipping containers aboard these vessels, activated remotely or after offloading, and used in a preemptive strike. "This is a very plausible form of attack in the U.S.," said Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a former U.S. Navy officer. "But the attack would need to overcome several challenges," he told Newsweek. "The drones need to get out of the container, and that's hard to control aboard a ship. A more feasible approach would be to deploy the drones from a container once it's offloaded and moved on a truck." In this image taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. In this image taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. AP Retired Navy commander Thomas Shugart, now a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, has voiced a more urgent warning. "It is becoming borderline-insane that we routinely allow ships owned and operated by DoD-designated Chinese military companies to sit in our ports with thousands of containers onboard and under their control," Shugart said in a conversation with Newsweek. Shugart said the concept isn't speculative—it mirrors Chinese military writings. "Their Science of Campaigns is full of references to 'sudden' and 'surprise' strikes," he said, referring to a core text that Chinese military officers are expected to study. "They explicitly discuss hitting first, especially against what they call the 'powerful entity,' which is clearly a reference to the United States." The concerns are not just theoretical. In January, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security asked the U.S. Coast Guard for a classified briefing, citing COSCO's access to "major U.S. ports" and warning of risks including "espionage, cyber intrusions, sabotage, and supply chain disruptions," according to a letter sent in January. Vulnerabilities Can Be Exploited Zak Kallenborn, a researcher of drone and asymmetric warfare, acknowledged the technical possibility but questioned the timing. "A similar Chinese drone attack is definitely plausible and worth worrying about," he told Newsweek. "However, a Chinese attack is unlikely to come completely out of the blue. If China were to do this, we'd likely already be at war." Shipping containers, including those from COSCO, a Chinese state-owned shipping and logistics company await transportation on a rail line at the Port of Long Beach on July 12, 2018 in Long Beach, California. Shipping containers, including those from COSCO, a Chinese state-owned shipping and logistics company await transportation on a rail line at the Port of Long Beach on July 12, 2018 in Long Beach, California. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images Still, the lessons from Ukraine's recent drone strike on Russian airfields linger heavily in the minds of U.S. analysts and war planners grappling with the warp-speed progress of battlefield technological advancements like drone warfare. The operation on Sunday exposed how even hardened military targets can be neutralized by low-cost drones—deep inside a nuclear-armed adversary's territory where an enemy's conventional air power would be difficult to penetrate. For some of these experts, it raised uncomfortable parallels to U.S. vulnerabilities. Shugart said the U.S. shouldn't assume distance offers safety. "We've hardened some overseas air bases," he said. "But we still park billion-dollar aircraft in the open on our own soil. That's a risk." According to a March report from the Atlantic Council, China has developed and demonstrated containerized missile and drone platforms that can be covertly transported aboard commercial vessels. The report warned these systems could enable Beijing to establish "a covert way to establish anti-access/area denial nodes near major maritime choke points." A Regulatory Blindspot Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb demonstrated how swarms of inexpensive, off-the-shelf drones—slightly modified to carry explosives and smuggled in wooden containers to be deployed remotely—can inflict billions of dollars in damage on strategic military assets, including long-range bombers. The contrast has fueled criticism of more traditional defense approaches, such as President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile shield, which analysts say may be poorly matched to emerging low-cost threats. What if I told you that as I type this there was a vessel, associated with the Chinese PLA, that *could* be equipped with many dozens of anti-ship cruise missiles—and was parked less than 4 miles from the bulk of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Well guess what: it's happening—for real. — Tom Shugart (@tshugart3) August 22, 2024 The regulatory environment surrounding drones is also a major factor in the growing risk, experts say. "We don't have a drone transportation and logistics system," military theorist John Robb wrote on X. "The FAA strangled it in the crib a decade ago. If the FCC had regulated the internet the way we've handled drones, we'd still be using AOL." Robb advocates for a national drone framework with built-in security measures: "Monitoring, kill switches, no-fly zones, hardware and software rules, maintenance requirements, and corporate certification." In Congress, lawmakers continue to press the Coast Guard to ensure more stringent vetting of foreign vessels, crew members and cargo. "The vetting process must be consistent and comprehensive across all U.S. ports," the Homeland Security Committee wrote in its January request. The committee also raised concerns about Chinese political officers allegedly embedded aboard COSCO vessels, which it argued underscores direct Chinese Communist Party influence over ostensibly commercial operations. For analysts like Clark, the technology is only part of the equation. The more pressing concern is readiness. "If China believes it can use relatively small drones to cause major damage, and we've done nothing to detect or deter it, that's a vulnerability we can't afford to ignore," he said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bannon: Graham giving Ukrainians ‘false hope'
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, a key MAGA insider, doubled down late Monday on his criticism of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and the lawmaker's vocal support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia. In an interview on NewsNation's 'Cuomo,' Bannon said Graham was giving Ukrainians 'false hope' by meeting with the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and by suggesting the U.S. support Kyiv's stunning drone attack on Russia's strategic bombing fleet. 'We can't have Lindsey Graham, and particularly Zelensky, leading us into a third world war with a deep strike into Russia,' Bannon told host Chris Cuomo. The comments come after the former Trump adviser called for the South Carolina Republican to be jailed for his pro-Ukraine stance. Cuomo repeatedly challenged Bannon to back up that request. 'I don't understand how you could want to jail a U.S. senator because he's saying something you don't like,' the NewsNation host said, adding, 'That sounds like the worst of the deep state and lawfare.' Bannon responded, 'No, it's absolutely — what he's doing over there right now is stirring it up. He's giving the Ukrainians false hope.' Cuomo cut in, 'But it's not illegal.' The Trump ally continued, 'He's giving Ukrainians false hope that we're there to support them on engaging Russia in a kinetic conflict. And we are not.' The host continued to press Bannon about why he thinks Graham should be detained. 'So maybe he's wrong, but why do you say throw him in jail?' he said. 'Two things ought to happen: Either cancel his passport and don't let him back in the country, or put him in jail if he comes back,' Bannon responded, adding, 'The attack was audacious.' 'It was brilliant. But the problem is it gets us involved in a conflict that no one in the United States wants to be part of,' he added. Cuomo noted that he didn't necessarily disagree with the former strategist's opinion. 'I'm just saying you can't be throwing people in jail because you don't like what they say. That's my only point,' he told Bannon. 'I'm not saying that you're wrong about where this might lead and how dangerous it is.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
