by David J. Hansen, Ph.D.
Ascannio/ Shutterstock
Most likely you’ve heard of ChatGPT. If not, do a quick search, and you’ll find countless news articles, blog posts, discussion threads, etc., about it. For the most part, it is a welcome innovation, helping people with writing ideas, coding, and pure amusement. However, when it comes to education, there are some that embrace it, others that oppose it and want to restrict its use, and those in the middle that just accept that it’s yet another tool students will use no matter what we do to stop them. And it’s not going away anytime soon. In January 2023, Microsoft invested $10 Billion in it, mere weeks after it was released to the public in December 2022!
How It Works
ChatGPT is an AI (artificial intelligence) tool that responds to queries with conversational, human-like answers. It’s currently free to use (though as of February 2, 2023, they have added a paid tier for access during peak demand). A user first creates an account, then can provide any kind of prompt, such as asking a question, and ChatGPT responds with typically two paragraphs of text, though it can also provide code. From there it continues somewhat like a conversation, in that you can give additional prompts and answers will take into account previous prompts and replies. There is some capacity to save these “conversations”, but that is limited and will probably cost money sooner or later.
The replies are surprisingly conversational, causing a major concern that ChatGPT can be used to generate entire articles or homework assignments. This has led to the development of other AI tools to try to determine whether something has been written by a human or AI. Even the creators of ChatGPT — Open AI — have a tool, but they are not very accurate. The tool by OpenAI, as of January 31, 2022, is only accurate 26% in detecting text written by AI. That is, 3 out of 4 times, it incorrectly labels AI-written text as being written by a human. It also labels human-written text as being AI-written 9% of the time. Of course, it’s very early in development and will likely get better, but so will ChatGPT as it continues to learn.
Use in the Classroom
Because it is an obvious tool that students can now use to complete assignments, it has become a topic of debate. New York banned its use in the classroom. Many instructors’ initial reactions are to find ways to prevent its use, thus the quick development of tools to detect whether or not something was written by AI. Others argue that it’s just another technological advance that instructors need to accept. Students will always find a way to cheat if they are determined enough. Right now there are numerous services that can provide human-written papers, assignments, homework, etc. There have been many innovations that were at one point banned, such as calculators, spell and grammar check, word processors, smartphones, and more. Just as quickly as tools have appeared for preventing the use of ChatGPT, so, too, have guides for how to better use it in the classroom. For example, Larry Ferlazzo lists 19 ways to use it for class. The New York Times asked for student input on how to use it in classes.
What Does ChatGPT Say about Using It In Class?
I had a “conversation” with ChatGPT about the pros and cons of using it. Below is a selection of some of the prompts and responses.
How can college students benefit from using ChatGPT?
Homework Help: ChatGPT can assist with answering questions and solving problems related to various subjects such as mathematics, science, history, and literature.
Essay Writing: ChatGPT can help with generating ideas, outlining, and summarizing text for essay writing and academic projects.
Research Assistance: ChatGPT can assist with finding information and sources on a variety of topics for research projects.
Study Material: ChatGPT can provide summaries and explanations of concepts, theories, and phenomena in various fields of study.
Language Learning: ChatGPT can help with practicing a foreign language by translating and answering questions in the target language.
Wouldn’t that be cheating?
It depends on how the information provided by ChatGPT is used. Using ChatGPT as a tool for assistance and guidance in studying and completing coursework is not inherently cheating. However, submitting work that was generated or heavily influenced by ChatGPT without proper attribution would be considered academic misconduct and would likely be considered cheating. It’s important for students to understand the ethical implications of using AI tools and to use them responsibly and in accordance with their school’s academic policies.
How can ChatGPT summarize something it hasn’t read?
ChatGPT uses its vast training data and advanced language processing capabilities to generate summaries of text it has not seen before. When asked to summarize course material, ChatGPT will attempt to generate a concise and comprehensive summary based on its understanding of the topic and related information it has learned through its training.
However, it’s important to note that the quality and accuracy of the summary will depend on the breadth and depth of ChatGPT’s training data, as well as its ability to understand the specific course material in question. In some cases, the summary may not be completely accurate, and students should always use their own judgment and verify the information obtained from ChatGPT with other sources.
What kind of feedback can ChatGPT provide for student writing?
Clarity and coherence: ChatGPT can provide feedback on the clarity and coherence of a student’s writing, suggesting improvements to make the writing more understandable and well-structured.
Vocabulary: ChatGPT can suggest synonyms or alternative words to improve the vocabulary in a student’s writing.
Style: ChatGPT can provide suggestions for improving the style of a student’s writing, such as making it more engaging, persuasive, or creative.
It’s important to note that while ChatGPT can provide helpful feedback, students should always use their own judgment and critical thinking when evaluating the suggestions provided by the model. Additionally, students should always verify the accuracy of the feedback provided by ChatGPT with other sources, and seek clarification from their teacher or a reliable source if necessary.
What is a good argument to convince professors to allow use of ChatGPT for assignments?
Improving writing skills: ChatGPT can provide feedback on various aspects of writing, such as grammar, vocabulary, and style, which can help students improve their writing skills. This can be especially beneficial for students who struggle with writing or who are looking for additional guidance to take their writing to the next level.
Enhancing creativity: ChatGPT can help students generate ideas and spark creativity by suggesting new perspectives and approaches to writing. This can encourage students to think outside the box and approach writing assignments in a more imaginative way.
Saving time: ChatGPT can assist students in summarizing course material or generating outlines for papers, which can save time and allow students to focus on other aspects of their studies.
Providing additional support: ChatGPT can provide support and guidance to students who may be struggling with a particular assignment or who are seeking clarification on a concept.
What is a good argument against allowing students to use ChatGPT for assignments?
Lack of originality: Allowing students to use ChatGPT for assignments could lead to a lack of originality and creativity in their work. The model can generate text and ideas based on existing information, but it may not encourage students to think critically or come up with their own original ideas.
Plagiarism concerns: If students use ChatGPT to generate text for assignments without proper attribution, it could be considered plagiarism. This is especially concerning if the generated text contains information or ideas that are not commonly known or widely available.
Decreased learning: By relying too heavily on ChatGPT for writing assignments, students may miss out on the opportunity to learn and improve their writing skills through practice and feedback from their professors.
Lack of accountability: Allowing students to use ChatGPT for assignments may also decrease their accountability for the work they submit, as they may be more likely to rely on the model to do the work for them.
Unfair advantage: If only some students are allowed to use ChatGPT for assignments, it could create an unfair advantage for those students over their peers who do not have access to the tool.
There seem to be more arguments against the use of ChatGPT than for its use. So would you recommend that professors not allow it?
In the end, it’s up to each professor to make an informed decision based on their own evaluation of the situation and the best interests of their students.
Disclaimer: HigherEdJobs encourages free discourse and expression of issues while striving for accurate presentation to our audience. A guest opinion serves as an avenue to address and explore important topics, for authors to impart their expertise to our higher education audience and to challenge readers to consider points of view that could be outside of their comfort zone. The viewpoints, beliefs, or opinions expressed in the above piece are those of the author(s) and don’t imply endorsement by HigherEdJobs.
