The debate of paper versus digital assignments is one that has gained increased attention in recent years. As technology becomes more integrated into our lives and into schools, teachers are faced with the challenge of choosing which format of assignments work best for their classroom.

With the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) chat bots such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, many classes are transitioning from digital assignments to paper. Social sciences teacher Eric Linthwaite, for instance, switched over to completely paper based assignments and tests in 2022.

“AI was the final straw in my decision to stop using digital assignments,” Linthwaite said. “AI makes it very difficult to discipline students for such dishonesty as it’s difficult and time consuming to prove when students are using AI work.”

Despite some difficulties with handwriting and losing assignments when it comes to paper work, Linthwaite finds that the quality difference he sees in his students’ work makes it worth it.

“Significantly less of the work I receive on paper sounds like it was written by a robot,” Linthwaite said. 

English and history teacher Jeanne Jarvis curbs the issue of AI in her class by utilizing AI detectors and Blocksi to identify essays written using AI and to monitor her students’ activity while they are writing.

Jarvis also shared that she thinks there should be a balance between handwritten and digital assignments, with both having their advantages.

“If I feel like students need to absorb more, I use paper so they can annotate it,” Jarvis said. “Sometimes digital is easier though because it’s all in one place.”

For freshman Sujatha Chutkay, her preference for paper or digital work varies depending on whether she is working on a test or doing an assignment.

“I think paper is better for tests but digital is easier for assignments,” Chutkay said.

Some students think that using digital tests and assignments give them more skills that they will use when they enter the workforce after high school.

“Digital gives us more practice because more things are digital these days so it’s a good skill to learn,” sophomore Emilie Otalora said.

As technology continues to evolve, some teachers believe it is best to embrace digital resources for their efficiency while others argue that paper assignments are more reliable and offer a more focused learning environment. There is no one right answer when it comes to the debate of paper or digital assignments, with educators deciding what works best for their curriculum and students.