We’ve Reached the Era of College Video Essays

It’s becoming increasingly clear that many students can use AI tools to produce polished essays that reveal little about their actual thinking or engagement with the topic. At this point, I’d rather assess a twelve-minute YouTube-style video essay in which the student presents their argument naturally, without relying on a teleprompter. I’m still open to scaffolded writing assignments along the way—such as the introduction and claim, counterarguments, and rebuttals—but the final product should be the video itself.

I’m convinced that presenting a video essay will be a superior learning experience for students and a superior tool for measuring Student Learning Outcomes.

I wonder how far off my department is from having a discussion about replacing conventional essays with these video presentations.