Inside ConnectINK: What Happens When AI Asks Questions Instead of Giving Answers

Discover an AI tool that challenges students while keeping them in control of their writing.

In conversation with

• Guests: 
  • Rahul Patel, ConnectInk & Insights & Innovation
  • Julio Intriago-Izquierdo, Insights & Innovations
  • Joseph Martinez, Designer for ConnectINK
• Host: Dr. Roberta Lenger Kang
• CPET Panelists
  • Dr. Cristina Compton
  • Dr. Kelsey Hammond
  • Gregory Petershack

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Snapshot

​This episode explores ConnectINK, an innovative AI-powered writing coach developed through collaboration between CPET's Student Press Initiative team and Insights and Innovations. The conversation features the full project team—including educators, software engineers, and program managers—discussing how they designed a tool that addresses the critical problem of delayed feedback in writing instruction. Unlike typical AI writing tools, ConnectINK never generates content for students. Instead, it provides inquiry-based, affirming feedback that keeps students in control of their own writing while speeding up the feedback cycle from weeks to real-time.

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Breakdown

In this episode, we bridge theory and practice in the classroom as we discuss the following:

• The broken feedback loop in writing instruction and how AI can help fix it
• Designing AI tools with pedagogical integrity
• The power of collaborative, student-centered design across disciplines

The broken feedback loop in writing instruction and how AI can help fix it
Dr. Roberta Lenger Kang opens the episode by describing a familiar challenge: students write on Wednesday, but don't receive feedback until two weeks later—and may not read it at all. With 150 students and 15 minutes of feedback per paper, teachers face 8-10 hours of grading that must happen outside their regular teaching schedule. This delay breaks the connection between drafting and revision, leaving students without the timely support they need to improve. The team shares research from their pilot showing that 68% of students want feedback on their writing, yet only 21% believe their writing can impact the world. ConnectINK addresses this gap by providing immediate, inquiry-based feedback throughout the writing process—from brainstorming prompts to draft development—allowing teachers to focus on deeper instructional moments while students receive consistent support.

Designing AI tools with pedagogical integrity: Keeping students in the driver's seat
What sets ConnectINK apart is its fundamental design principle: the tool will never generate content for students. Instead, it functions as a coach, asking questions like "Who else was there?" or "What did that feel like for you?" This inquiry-based approach, rooted in SPI's methodology, helps students develop their own voice and critical thinking. Joseph Martinez shares a powerful moment when a 16-year-old student rejected his suggestion for a proactive "get unstuck" feature, explaining: "Writing is supposed to be difficult. What I like about this tool is that it keeps me in the driver's seat." The team designed the tool to supplement—never replace—teacher feedback and human interaction. Gregory Peterschack notes that many students who were initially resistant to AI, believing "everyone just uses it to cheat," became enthusiastic once they understood the tool wouldn't do the work for them but would help them think through their ideas.

The power of collaborative, student-centered design across disciplines
The development process brought together educators (Cristina Compton, Kelsey Hammond, Gregory Peterschack), a software engineer (Joseph Martinez), a program manager (Julio Intriago-Izquierdo), and the founder (Rahul Patel) in intensive design conversations where, as Rahul admits, the team told him his initial idea—to have AI do everything—was "terrible." This productive tension between educational expertise and technical possibility created something better than any individual could have envisioned. 

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Taking Action

• Approach AI with curiosity, not fear - Keep wondering rather than engaging in all-or-nothing thinking. Ask how AI tools can support your teaching and encourage conversations about building critical thinking rather than replacing it.
• Prioritize tools that supplement human connection - Look for AI writing tools that provide inquiry-based feedback through questions rather than generating content. Ensure technology creates space for more differentiated, individualized teacher-student interactions.
• Involve students and teachers in the design process - The team's success came from keeping students at the center of every decision and testing with real classrooms. Pilot new tools in authentic settings and let user feedback shape development.
• Reframe AI's role in writing instruction - Use AI to speed up feedback cycles and help students get "unstuck" during brainstorming and drafting, while preserving the essential work of developing voice, identity, and the belief that student writing can impact the world.
• Learn more about SPI and ConnectINK - Visit tc.edu/CPET to explore the Student Press Initiative or build a ConnectINK connection for your school or district.

Summary assisted by Cleanvoice (2024 Cleanvoice AI) and Claude (Anthropic, 2024) 
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