Put this on the task sheet: "Attach two different outputs or two interpretations and a 5 to 7 sentence justification of which one you trust more and why." The grade is in the reasoning for the choice, not the output itself.
Use a consistent norm: "Show me your comparison before your conclusion." When students hear this repeatedly, it stops feeling like a rule and starts feeling like a way of working.
When the first output is treated as the answer, the thinking stops. When the first output is treated as one candidate among at least two, the thinking has to continue. Comparison is the design move that makes stopping early impossible.
The justification sentence count matters. Five to seven sentences is enough to require genuine reasoning without becoming a burden. Too short and students can bluff. Too long and the comparison becomes another polished product rather than visible thinking.
Ask for two different outputs or two different explanations, then make the student justify which is more trustworthy and why. The grade is in the reasoning for the choice, not the output itself.
Two sources for one claim: justify which is stronger for this task. This makes credibility a visible, taught process rather than a vague expectation that students are supposed to already understand.
Am I grading the smoothness of the product, or the quality of the comparison and the evidence used to decide?
Are students using only class materials, not personal data or identifying contexts? Do all students have access to the same evidence set so the comparison is fair and equitable across the class?
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