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Supervised writing labs

Supervised writing labs are supervised spaces where students can work on their long assignments in their own time.

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Marker-doodle illustration of students writing on laptops in a supervised writing lab

A new college experience for the age of AI

An innovative solution to the problem of AI misuse in essay assignments is to require students to work on their essays exclusively within a supervised writing lab. MATCHA's Locked-Down Mode prevents AI misuse on students' laptops while the supervisor prevents a secondary device from being used. A supervised writing environment is an opportunity to create community and support students' AI-free writing experience with qualified supervisors.

In the newsProf David Bourget discusses his MATCHA Writing Lab with the Globe's Kelly Grant

How it works

Using MATCHA for supervised writing labs

  1. Step 1

    Set up the lab and activity

    First, the instructor needs to secure a room and supervisors. They then use the MATCHA Dashboard to create an activity, enabling Check-In, Copy-Paste Block, and Locked-Down Mode.

  2. Step 2

    Students join with an access code or direct LMS access

    Students install MATCHA on their laptops, arrive at the lab, and use the provided access code or LMS link to start the activity.

  3. Step 3

    Check in by QR code

    Students check in with a supervisor, who scans a QR code on their screen with MATCHA Proctor to unlock their project.

  4. Step 4

    Students write

    Students research, take notes, and write in MATCHA under supervision, using the built-in browser, notes, and AI assistant when enabled. MATCHA prevents AI misuse on the computer while the supervisor prevents students from using other devices.

  5. Step 5

    Check out when leaving

    Students must check out with a supervisor every time they leave the lab, so they cannot continue editing their project from home. They can still read in MATCHA.

  6. Step 6

    Return for another session

    Students may return for multiple supervised sessions instead of completing everything in one sitting. They check in again before each session to continue their work on the same assignment.

  7. Step 7

    Submit the work

    Students submit directly from MATCHA or export their work, according to the activity's submission settings. The instructor receives certified .docx or .mcha submissions.

Key features for supervised writing labs

How MATCHA compares

MATCHA enables supervised writing labs by allowing writing supervisors to control when a document can be accessed and/or edited. Unlike traditional exam-taking software, MATCHA allows an activity to be continued across multiple sessions. No other product has equivalent functionality.

Set up a supervised writing lab with MATCHA

Case study

Case Study: Supervised Writing Labs at Western University

MATCHA began as a software solution for supervised writing labs at Western University. After experimenting with edit-tracking software, we found that far too many students, over 30%, were transcribing or auto-typing AI-generated essays. In most cases, however, the evidence was still not strong enough to support a formal academic offense charge. That limitation made edit-tracking alone an inadequate response.

Read the supervised writing lab case study

Other uses

MATCHA's authorship certification features have many other uses.

Introductory offer

Create an instructor account with a verified academic email before October 23, 2026 and get 200 free student seats for this calendar year.

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