# Wiki Style Guide: Avoiding AI Writing Patterns ## Purpose This guide ensures wiki entries maintain encyclopaedic neutrality and directness. The goal is factual, verifiable prose without promotional language, editorialising, or artificial emphasis. ## Core Principles 1. State facts directly 2. Support claims with evidence 3. Use simple sentence structures 4. Avoid meta-commentary about the content 5. Write in UK English 6. Vary sentence length and structure ## Language Issues ### Overstated importance and symbolic language AI writing inflates significance without evidence and connects topics to broader themes in predictable ways. **Avoid:** - "stands as" - "plays a vital role" - "serves as a testament to" - "underscores" - "emblematic of" - "resonates with" - "marking a pivotal moment" - "represented a significant shift" - "enhanced significance" - "carries symbolic weight" **Examples:** - ❌ "The spacing effect stands as a fundamental principle of memory" - ✅ "The spacing effect is a fundamental principle of memory" - ❌ "Prior knowledge plays a vital role in algebraic reasoning" - ✅ "Prior knowledge affects algebraic reasoning" - ❌ "The curriculum reform marked a pivotal moment in mathematics education" - ✅ "The curriculum reform changed mathematics education in 2018" ### Promotional language Breathless descriptions that belong in marketing or travel brochures. **Avoid:** - "rich" - "vibrant" - "boasts" - "nestled within" - "gem" - "haven" - "captivating" - "majestic" - "diverse" - "fascinating" - "breathtaking" - "rich cultural heritage" - "enduring legacy" **Examples:** - ❌ "The curriculum boasts extensive problem-solving opportunities" - ✅ "The curriculum includes problem-solving opportunities" - ❌ "Nestled within the field of cognitive load theory..." - ✅ "In cognitive load theory..." - ❌ "The approach offers a rich and diverse set of strategies" - ✅ "The approach includes several strategies" ### Meta-commentary Unnecessary commentary about what the reader should think or notice. **Avoid:** - "it's important to note" - "it's worth mentioning" - "importantly" - "crucially" - "significantly" - "this highlights" - "this underscores" - "understanding this helps" - "recognising this is the first step" **Examples:** - ❌ "It's important to note that worked examples reduce cognitive load" - ✅ "Worked examples reduce cognitive load" - ❌ "Understanding this helps teachers plan lessons" - ✅ "Teachers can use this to plan lessons" ### Vague attribution Generic statements about significance using "-ing" phrases, or attributions to unnamed authorities. **Avoid:** - "highlighting the importance of" - "emphasising the need for" - "demonstrating the value of" - "showcasing" - "underlining the significance of" - "experts suggest" - "studies indicate" - "research shows" (without citation) **Examples:** - ❌ "Research highlighting the importance of retrieval practice..." - ✅ "Research on retrieval practice shows..." (with citation) - ❌ "Studies demonstrating the value of interleaving" - ✅ "Studies of interleaving show" (with citation) - ❌ "Experts suggest that formative assessment is effective" - ✅ "Black and Wiliam (1998) found that formative assessment is effective" ### Dramatic change language Overstated descriptions of impact. **Avoid:** - "transforms X into Y" - "fundamentally changes" - "radically alters" - "revolutionises" - "dramatically improves" - "profoundly impacts" - "exponentially increases" - "proves to be" - "serves to" **Examples:** - ❌ "Explicit instruction transforms student understanding" - ✅ "Explicit instruction improves student understanding" - ❌ "This approach fundamentally changes how students learn algebra" - ✅ "This approach changes how students learn algebra" ### Negative parallelisms and false dichotomies AI writing uses formulaic contrasts and negations. **Avoid:** - "not only...but also" - "rather than...it's about" - "it's not X, it's Y" - "this is not X, this is Y" - "that's not X, that's Y" **Replace with:** Direct statements using "and" or separate sentences **Examples:** - ❌ "Effective teaching is not only about content knowledge but also pedagogical skill" - ✅ "Effective teaching requires content knowledge and pedagogical skill" - ❌ "This isn't just about memorisation, it's about deep understanding" - ✅ "This approach develops deep understanding beyond memorisation" ### Overuse of transition words AI writing relies heavily on a small set of transition phrases. **Avoid overusing:** - "Additionally" - "Furthermore" - "Moreover" - "Overall" - "In summary" - "In conclusion" - "On the other hand" - "Nevertheless" **Examples:** - ❌ "Direct instruction is effective. Additionally, it reduces cognitive load. Furthermore, it supports novice learners. Overall, this makes it valuable." - ✅ "Direct instruction is effective for novice learners because it reduces cognitive load." ### Rule of three overuse AI writing uses three-item lists excessively, often superficially. **Avoid:** - "adjective, adjective, and adjective" - "short phrase, short phrase, and short phrase" - Three parallel clauses in succession **Examples:** - ❌ "The strategy is effective, efficient, and engaging" - ✅ "The strategy is effective and engages students" - ❌ "Students learn to analyse problems, develop solutions, and evaluate outcomes" - ✅ "Students learn to analyse problems and develop solutions" Note: The rule of three is acceptable when used naturally and meaningfully, not as a formulaic pattern. ## Structural Issues ### Punctuation **Never use:** - Em dashes (use commas, parentheses, or colons instead) **Avoid:** - Curly quotation marks (" ") (use straight quotes " ") - Excessive boldface **Examples:** - ❌ "The approach is effective for novices in Years 7-8" - ✅ "The approach is effective for novices (in Years 7-8)" - ❌ "The method has three benefits: clarity, efficiency, and depth" - ✅ "The method has three benefits: clarity, efficiency, and depth" ### Formatting **Avoid:** - Title Case in Section Headings (use sentence case) - Headings with conjunctions ("Early Life and Career", "Awards and Recognition") - Emojis (✨ 🎯 💡) - Bullet points with bold headers followed by redundant sentences - "Recognition" in headings (use "Reception" instead) **Use:** - Sentence case for headings - Simple, direct headings - Bold sparingly for key terms on first use only **Examples:** - ❌ "Background and History" - ✅ "Background" - ❌ "Awards and Recognition" - ✅ "Reception" - ❌ **Effectiveness:** The method is effective for novice learners - ✅ The method is effective for novice learners ### Writing style **Avoid:** - Collaborative phrases ("Let's explore", "We can see") - Dramatic openings ("Consider...", "Imagine...") - Essay-like transitions showing synthesis - Questions as rhetoric - Passive voice overuse - Uniform sentence structures (same length, same pattern) **Examples:** - ❌ "Consider the impact of wait time on student responses" - ✅ "Wait time affects student response quality" - ❌ "Let's explore how mastery learning changes outcomes" - ✅ "Mastery learning affects outcomes by..." - ❌ "It was found that retrieval practice is effective. It was shown that spacing improves retention. It was demonstrated that..." - ✅ "Studies show retrieval practice is effective. Spacing improves retention. Research demonstrates..." ## Common Problematic Patterns ### Emphatic constructions **Avoid:** - "proves to be" - "proves particularly" - "particularly challenging/important" - "especially critical" - "remarkably" - "notably" - "clearly demonstrates" **Replace with:** Simple statements or evidence-based descriptions **Examples:** - ❌ "Direct instruction proves particularly effective for novices" - ✅ "Direct instruction is effective for novices" - ❌ "This clearly demonstrates the value of formative assessment" - ✅ "This shows the value of formative assessment" ### Superlatives and absolutes **Avoid:** - "perhaps the most powerful" - "one of the most important" - "the single biggest factor" - "always" - "never" - "all students" - "every teacher" **Replace with:** Qualified statements ("many", "often", "generally", "most") **Examples:** - ❌ "Feedback is perhaps the most powerful influence on learning" - ✅ "Feedback is a powerful influence on learning" - ❌ "All students benefit from scaffolding" - ✅ "Most students benefit from scaffolding" ### Cyclical language **Avoid:** - "vicious cycle" - "virtuous cycle" - "positive feedback loop" - "downward spiral" **Replace with:** Direct description **Examples:** - ❌ "Early failure creates a vicious cycle of low confidence" - ✅ "Early failure reduces confidence, which affects subsequent performance" ### Rhetorical questions **Avoid:** - Questions followed immediately by answers - Questions as section transitions - "What makes this effective?", "Why does this matter?" **Replace with:** Direct statements **Examples:** - ❌ "Why does retrieval practice improve retention? The answer lies in..." - ✅ "Retrieval practice improves retention because..." ## Quick Reference: Banned Phrases ### Absolute modifiers - crucially - dramatically - exponentially - fundamentally - notably - particularly - profoundly - radically - remarkably - significantly - truly - undeniably ### Importance markers - emblematic of - enhanced significance - marking a pivotal moment - plays a vital role - represented a significant shift - serves as a testament - stands as - underscores ### Transformation verbs - proves to be - serves to - transforms X into Y ### Meta-commentary - Consider... - Imagine... - it's important to note - it's worth mentioning - recognising this - this helps us understand - this highlights - understanding this ### Promotional - boasts - breathtaking - captivating - diverse (as filler) - enduring legacy - fascinating - majestic - nestled within - rich (as filler) - rich cultural heritage - vibrant ### Vague analysis - demonstrating the value - emphasising the need - highlighting the importance - showcasing - underlining the significance ### Transition overuse - Additionally (at start of every sentence) - Furthermore (repeated use) - Moreover (repeated use) - Overall (overused) ### Negative parallelisms - it's not X, it's Y - not only...but also - rather than...it's about - that's not X, that's Y - this is not X, this is Y ## Application Process ### Before writing 1. Identify the main factual claim 2. Gather supporting evidence with specific citations 3. Plan direct statement structure 4. Consider varying sentence lengths ### During writing 1. State facts directly with active voice 2. Use simple subject-verb-object sentences 3. Connect ideas with coordinating conjunctions (and, but, so) 4. Cite evidence after claims with specific sources 5. Vary sentence length and structure 6. Use commas or parentheses instead of em dashes ### After writing 1. Search for absolute modifiers (particularly, dramatically, fundamentally) 2. Remove transformation language (transforms, proves to be) 3. Delete meta-commentary (it's important to note, understanding this) 4. Eliminate promotional language (boasts, vibrant, stands as, captivating) 5. Replace rhetorical questions with statements 6. Check for negative parallelisms (it's not X, it's Y) 7. Remove excessive transition words (Additionally, Furthermore, Overall) 8. Vary sentence structures if too uniform 9. Replace passive voice with active voice where possible 10. Replace em dashes with commas or parentheses 11. Verify UK English spelling (organise, emphasise, analyse) ## Examples from Mathematics Education ### Spacing effect entry **Before:** "The spacing effect stands as a fundamental principle in learning theory. Research highlighting the importance of distributed practice clearly demonstrates that students who space their practice dramatically outperform those who mass practice. Additionally, understanding this helps teachers design more effective revision schedules. Overall, this is one of the most important findings in cognitive psychology." **After:** "The spacing effect is a fundamental principle in learning theory. Research on distributed practice shows that students who space their practice outperform those who mass practice (Cepeda et al., 2006). Teachers can use this finding to design revision schedules that distribute practice over time." ### Worked examples entry **Before:** "Worked examples prove to be particularly powerful for novice learners. Rather than simply showing solutions, worked examples serve to reduce cognitive load whilst demonstrating problem-solving processes. Furthermore, this approach fundamentally transforms how students engage with new mathematical content. It's not just about showing answers; it's about building understanding." **After:** "Worked examples are effective for novice learners. They reduce cognitive load whilst demonstrating problem-solving processes (Sweller et al., 1998). This approach changes how students engage with new mathematical content by providing structured guidance alongside practice." ### Retrieval practice entry **Before:** "It's important to note that retrieval practice not only strengthens memory but also enhances future learning capacity. Consider the impact on long-term retention: students who regularly test themselves dramatically outperform those who simply re-read material. Additionally, this clearly underscores the significance of low-stakes quizzing. Moreover, it's particularly effective when combined with spacing. Overall, this proves to be one of the most powerful learning strategies." **After:** "Retrieval practice strengthens memory and enhances future learning capacity. Students who regularly test themselves outperform those who re-read material (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). This supports the use of low-stakes quizzing in classrooms. The effect is stronger when combined with spaced practice." ## Checklist for Wiki Entries - [ ] Facts stated directly without hedging - [ ] No promotional or symbolic language - [ ] No meta-commentary about the content - [ ] No dramatic transformation language - [ ] No rhetorical questions - [ ] No negative parallelisms (it's not X, it's Y) - [ ] Simple sentence structures with variety - [ ] Evidence cited after claims with specific sources - [ ] UK English spelling - [ ] Sentence case headings - [ ] Minimal bold formatting - [ ] No em dashes (use commas or parentheses) - [ ] No excessive transition words - [ ] No rule of three overuse - [ ] Active voice preferred over passive - [ ] Varied sentence lengths