In a unique educational initiative reminiscent of a bygone era, Grit Matthias Phelps, a German language instructor at Cornell University, has introduced manual typewriters into her classroom. Starting in spring 2023, this "analog" assignment aims to disconnect students from the pervasive influence of generative AI and online translation platforms, which Phelps observed were leading to grammatically flawless but student-disconnected assignments. Her motivation was clear: to challenge students to produce work without digital crutches and to experience writing, thinking, and classroom dynamics as they were before the digital age.

Phelps meticulously sourced dozens of old manual typewriters from thrift shops and online marketplaces, transforming her classroom into a scene from the 1950s. Students arrive to find these vintage machines, some with German and some QWERTY keyboards, awaiting them. The exercise is designed to be a stark contrast to modern digital writing, stripping away conveniences like screens, online dictionaries, spellcheckers, and crucial delete keys.

For the smartphone generation, accustomed to intuitive digital interfaces, the manual typewriter presented an unexpected challenge. Freshman Catherine Mong, 19, expressed initial confusion: "I had no idea what was happening. I’d seen typewriters in movies, but they don’t tell you how a typewriter works." Phelps provides a comprehensive demonstration, teaching students the manual process of feeding paper, striking keys with precise force to avoid smudges, and understanding the significance of the "ding" that signals the end of a line, prompting a manual carriage return. This moment of realization, where students grasp the origin of terms like "return," underscores the deep dive into historical writing practices.

Beyond the mechanical lessons, the typewriter assignment fosters a profound shift in students' approach to writing. Phelps emphasizes that "Everything slows down. It’s like back in the old days when you really did one thing at a time. And there was joy in doing it." The absence of digital distractions, such as notifications, allows students to immerse themselves fully in the task at hand. Computer science major Ratchaphon Lertdamrongwong noted, "It dawned on me that the difference with typing on a typewriter is not just how you interact with the typewriter, but how you interact with the world around you."

The lack of a delete key forces students to think more intentionally and critically before committing words to paper. Lertdamrongwong candidly admitted, "This might sound bad, but I was forced to actually think about the problem on my own instead of delegating to AI or Google search." This constraint also inadvertently encourages collaboration; without instant answers, students turned to their classmates for help, fostering a level of social interaction rarely seen in modern, laptop-dominated classrooms. Mong, despite a recently broken wrist, found the experience transformative. A self-described perfectionist, she initially struggled with the messy appearance of her pages, filled with odd spacing and misspellings, which Phelps instructed them to cover with 'X's or correct with pencil marks. However, she eventually embraced the imperfections, seeing them as "part of the process of learning that you’re going to make mistakes" and even creatively experimenting with visual layouts.

The physical act of typing on manual machines also proved to be a workout, with many students finding their pinky fingers unaccustomed to the required force, leading to a slower, more deliberate pecking style. Yet, the overall sentiment among students was positive. Mong saved her imperfect typed poems, intending to hang them on her wall, a testament to the unique and memorable learning experience. This innovative method at Cornell aligns with a broader national trend in education, where instructors are reverting to old-school testing methods like pen-and-paper exams and oral tests to counter the challenges posed by AI in academic integrity.