German language instructor at Cornell University, Grit Matthias Phelps, has reintroduced students to manual typewriters as an attempt to teach them about the raw feeling of typing without online assistance. The exercise began in spring 2023 after Phelps became frustrated with students using generative AI and online translation platforms to produce grammatically perfect assignments. She found several old manual typewriter machines and created an "analog" assignment, which she calls an 'analog' assignment. This move is part of a trend towards old-school testing methods like pen-and-paper exams and oral tests to prevent AI use for assignments on laptops. The typewriter's ability to manually type and interact with the world around you can be taught how to slow down and create a learning curve. The assignment also teaches students about how to interact with technology.