It was the second week of school, and I was attending my first retail management lecture. The professor pulled up his PowerPoint slides and started talking about the course outline. While he was going over the activities, he paused and told us:
“ChatGPT is heavily encouraged in this class.”
Everyone stopped and looked at each other. Although I’m sure many of my classmates have used ChatGPT, I haven’t utilized the software at all. Plus, it’s rare to see a professor allow such software in class.
However, the professor isn’t wrong. ChatGPT can be a benefit for students.
It allows them to experiment with the latest technology, seek answers, and get an idea of different concepts. When students don’t understand a term, they can easily search it up on this software and get an answer.
For example, if you’re learning about the dark triad, you can use this software to get a gist of the answer. Then, you can do more research on the topic.
ChatGPT also can help students summarize their readings. Sometimes, professors assign dense articles, which aren’t always easy to understand. So, the program can summarize these articles succinctly, and the student won’t struggle with understanding the material.
But at the same time, ChatGPT has caused more issues regarding academic integrity.
According to a survey conducted by BestColleges, more than half of the students surveyed see using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools as cheating. Some colleges and school boards have also suspected students of using ChatGPT for schoolwork. For example, many teaching assistants have spotted students using such software to complete short essays.
Therefore, ChatGPT and other AI generative tools have led professors and academics to redefine the purpose of education.
Since the software is relatively new, many institutions don’t have policies regarding such tools. But the question is, how can they be used ethically?
As more students are using ChatGPT and as generative AI is becoming more popular, schools need to have policies regarding such tools. They should also teach students the importance of using ChatGPT ethically.
ChatGPT should be used as a brainstorming tool.
Students can use it to get ideas for their assignments. For example, they can utilize it to gather argumentative ideas if they have to write an essay. In that case, they’ll be able to find a starting point efficiently.
That said, students shouldn’t use ChatGPT as a “homework writer” or an “answer” tool. Students shouldn’t type their whole essay question in the prompt and expect ChatGPT to write the entire essay. They also shouldn’t provide the answer generated by the tool; they need to tweak it and use their readings and research.
So, to all schools: ChatGPT isn’t always a hindrance. Students can learn more from utilizing the tool and adapt to new technology. However, there needs to be more education and policies surrounding AI use. That way, students can learn how to use AI effectively and with integrity. Moreover, they’ll also be prepared for the future.
Featured image via Peter Olexa on Pexels
