Latest news with #RoaringSpringPaperProducts
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Why US colleges are turning to blue book exams to fight ChatGPT cheating
Why blue books are making a comeback in US classrooms amid AI concerns. (Representative AI Image) As artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT reshape the way students study and complete assignments, many US colleges are taking a surprising step backward—toward pen, paper, and the iconic blue exam booklet. The humble blue book, first introduced in the late 1920s, is making a powerful comeback as educators look for ways to counteract a growing wave of AI-assisted academic dishonesty. According to The Wall Street Journal, blue book sales have surged in recent years, fueled by growing concern among professors about students using ChatGPT to complete take-home tests, write essays, and finish homework. While many students see AI as a helpful tool, educators are raising red flags about the integrity of academic work in the AI era. A return to handwritten testing across US campuses Roaring Spring Paper Products, the family-owned company that manufactures most blue books, reported a significant rise in demand. Sales are up more than 30% at Texas A&M University, nearly 50% at the University of Florida, and 80% at the University of California, Berkeley over the past two years, according to The Wall Street Journal. Each blue book costs just 23 cents in campus bookstores, making it a simple but effective tool for in-person, supervised exams. Professors are using the blue book to create AI-proof environments. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Yale University lecturer Kevin Elliott adopted the blue book after discovering that some students had submitted essays with fabricated quotes from famous philosophers—a clear sign of AI-generated content. Elliott replaced take-home papers with in-class, handwritten blue book exams and told The Wall Street Journal the change worked so well that he plans to continue the approach next academic year. Faculty are worried, and students are using AI widely A January 2023 survey by as cited by The Wall Street Journal, revealed that nearly 90% of college students admitted using ChatGPT for homework, 53% used it to write an essay, and 48% used it during an at-home test or quiz. Another survey conducted in January by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Elon University found that 59% of US college leaders believe cheating has increased since AI tools became widely available. Over half of those surveyed also said their faculty struggle to tell the difference between AI-written and student-written work. More than 70% of college professors expressed concern about how ChatGPT is impacting academic integrity, according to The Wall Street Journal. Still, some faculty recognize the complexity of banning a tool that will be widely used in professional settings. Arthur Spirling, a politics professor at Princeton University, told The Wall Street Journal that although he gives proctored blue book exams, he finds it 'strange' to ban a technology students will use in their careers. 'It is strange to say you won't be permitted to do this thing that will be very natural to you for the rest of your career,' he was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal. Balancing tradition with digital-age skills The shift to blue books is not without controversy. While some educators see it as necessary to preserve academic honesty, others question whether avoiding AI in the classroom prepares students for real-world work environments where AI tools like ChatGPT are likely to be commonplace. As of April, ChatGPT had 500 million global weekly users, up from 400 million in February, according to The Wall Street Journal. With AI tools becoming more powerful and accessible, the debate over their role in US education continues to intensify. But for now, the blue book stands as a symbol of the analog fight for academic integrity in the digital age. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
India Today
29-05-2025
- India Today
What are blue books that are returning to US colleges to prevent AI cheating?
In an unexpected twist, the humble blue book -- a staple of traditional college exams -- is making a strong comeback in US universities. As AI tools like ChatGPT become increasingly prevalent, educators are turning to these paper booklets to uphold academic integrity and prevent the rise of generative AI tools, students have found new ways to complete assignments and exams. A study highlighted by WIRED revealed that 86% of students globally use AI regularly, blurring the lines between assistance and cheating. Educators are grappling with this shift, seeking methods to ensure genuine student engagement and BLUE BOOKS ARE A TRUSTED SOLUTIONBlue books, simple stapled booklets with lined pages, have long been used for handwritten exams. Their resurgence is driven by the need for in-person, supervised assessments that minimise the risk of AI interference. Roaring Spring Paper Products, the main maker of blue books in the US, says demand has soared in the past two years. Sales have jumped by over 30% at Texas A&M, nearly 50% at the University of Florida, and a massive 80% at UC USING DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT METHODSProfessors across disciplines are revising their assessment strategies. Many have shifted from take-home essays to in-class writing assignments, oral discussions, and pre-assigned prompts answered by hand during methods aim to evaluate students' genuine understanding and reduce reliance on AI-generated TECH AND INTEGRITYWhile the return to blue books addresses immediate concerns, educators acknowledge the importance of integrating AI responsibly into the students how to use AI ethically and effectively is becoming a priority, ensuring they are prepared for a future where technology plays a significant OF EXAMSThe resurgence of blue books is part of a broader conversation about assessment in the digital institutions navigate the challenges posed by AI, a hybrid approach that combines traditional methods with modern technology may emerge as the optimal path Reel
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
To Prevent AI Cheating, Blue Books Are Making A Comeback In US. Here's All We Know
As AI tools like ChatGPT become more common in classrooms, colleges across the United States are returning to an old-school method to stop students from cheating, reports The Wall Street Journal. It involves small paper booklets, once dreaded by students. They are now making a comeback as a reliable way to ensure fair exams without digital help. These paper booklets are experiencing a major resurgence as a proven way to ensure honest exams without digital assistance. According to the WSJ report, "Students hiring computers to do their homework and cheating their way through college has become so widespread, so fast, that it has created a market for a product that makes professors ChatGPT-proof their classes. As it happens, the product already exists. In fact, you've likely used it. You might even dread it. It's a blue book." What Are Blue Books? Blue books are plain, stapled exam booklets with unlined or lightly lined pages and easily recognisable blue covers. They were traditionally used for in-class handwritten exams and essays and were feared by students for the physical and mental effort they required. First popular in the 20th century, blue books have now returned as a trusted tool for maintaining academic integrity in an age where students can outsource entire assignments to AI tools. Why Are Blue Books Back? The return of blue books is directly linked to growing concern about AI-assisted cheating. When today's college graduates began their studies, ChatGPT and similar tools didn't exist. Now, students are using generative AI for everything-from coding assignments and literature essays to language papers and science reports. This surge in AI-driven cheating has pushed instructors to seek more secure testing methods. Blue books offer a simple yet powerful solution: students must write their answers by hand under supervision, removing the chance to use AI. The Business of Blue Books: Roaring Spring Paper Products At the centre of the blue book revival is Roaring Spring Paper Products, a Pennsylvania-based company that has become the country's leading supplier of these booklets. Founded over a century ago, the family-owned business produces millions of blue books each year. Kristen Allen, Roaring Spring's VP of Sales and Marketing, noted that the sudden demand even surprised the company. After a dip in sales during the pandemic due to online classes, recent years have seen a sharp increase-sales rose over 30% at Texas A&M, nearly 50% at the University of Florida, and 80% at UC Berkeley over the past two academic years. Professors Returning To Analog Testing Professors across disciplines-from political science to economics-are switching back to handwritten exams. Many have stopped assigning take-home essays, knowing that students can easily use AI to generate responses. New testing approaches include: The Future of Exams: Balancing AI and Analog The blue book's return isn't just about nostalgia-it reflects the urgent need to adapt education in the age of AI. As technology advances, colleges may explore hybrid assessment strategies that combine traditional methods with new digital tools. Teaching students how to use AI responsibly might become part of the curriculum itself.
