Beyond the Chatbot: Redesigning Classroom Tasks with the A³™ Framework

In an era where ChatGPT can draft an essay in seconds, the traditional worksheet is facing a crisis of purpose. If a student can generate a "decent" answer with a single prompt, what are we actually assessing?

The answer isn't to ban AI—an impossible and counterproductive task. Instead, we must shift our focus from the product (the final answer) to the process (how the student got there).

This is the core of the A³™ (AI-Aware Assessment) framework.

What is A³ (AI-Aware Assessment)™?

A³ is a simple, three-step framework designed to make student thinking visible. It assumes that students have access to AI and asks a different question: What parts of this task must still be done by a human mind?

While traditional worksheets often focus on "what" the student knows, A³ shifts the spotlight to how they see, think about, and argue from information.

The Three Pillars: Absorb · Analyse · Argue

A³ breaks every assignment into three distinct layers of cognitive work.

1. Absorb™ – “What do I see or know?” The goal here is basic comprehension. Students identify key details, identify sources, and summarize information.

• AI’s Role: Supportive. Students may use AI to clarify vocabulary or summarize long texts.

• The Task: "Identify three key details in this source" or "Describe what is happening in this political cartoon."

  
  

2. Analyse™ – “What does this tell me?” Students move beyond the surface to interpret perspective, bias, and significance. This is the "think about it" layer.

• AI’s Role: Thinking Partner. AI can suggest interpretations, but the student must evaluate, choose, or reject them.

• The Task: "Infer the author’s purpose" or "Explain why this piece of evidence is more reliable than the other."

  
  

3. Argue™ – “How do I explain my thinking?” This is the "explain it" layer, where human judgment is central. Students must commit to a position and justify it logically.

• AI’s Role: Restricted. While AI might help polish grammar, the argument and reasoning must belong entirely to the student.

• The Task: "To what extent do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer using evidence and your own knowledge."

  
  

Why A³ Matters in the Modern Classroom

1. It makes thinking visible. By structuring tasks into these three steps, teachers create natural checkpoints. You can see exactly where a student is struggling—is it a lack of evidence (Absorb) or a weakness in logical reasoning (Argue)?

2. It is "AI-Resilient." Research suggests that instead of trying to "detect" AI, we should design tasks that emphasize higher-order skills like ethical reasoning and judgment. A³ makes it harder to outsource the entire task to a chatbot because the work requires personal reflection and iterative choice.

3. It prepares students for the real world. In their future careers, students won't be banned from using AI; they will be expected to use it as a tool to enhance their human output. A³ teaches them exactly where the tool ends and the human begins.

Implementation: Start Small

You don’t need to rewrite your entire curriculum. You can start using A³ today by:

• Labeling your questions : Clearly mark questions as Absorb, Analyse, or Argue.

  
  

• Setting AI boundaries: Tell students exactly where AI is a "helper" (Absorb) and where it is "off-limits" (Argue).

  
  

• Using A³ in feedback: Move away from generic comments. Try: "Your Absorb layer is strong, but we need to work on the depth of your Analyse."

  
  

When used in digital environments like Lexa, the A³ framework becomes even more powerful, allowing for semi-structured responses that automate the basics while reserving the teacher's expertise for the complex layers of human thought.