Conversational AI ChatGPT is making waves in American education, with some schools banning its use while others are embracing it as a tool to help students think.
However, concerns over accuracy and potential cheating have led some educators to question the benefits of using this technology.
Banning vs. Embracing ChatGPT
An increasing number of schools are banning the use of ChatGPT, citing inaccuracies and concerns over cheating. However, others see it as a tool that can assist students in critical thinking and problem-solving.
A Japanese language teacher, Kelly Gibson, initially had doubts about ChatGPT, but soon began experimenting with it over the winter break. She found ways to incorporate it into her classes, having students create sentences using this AI bot and then refine them.
Gibson sees this conversational AI as an opportunity to rethink the way learning is done and believes that creativity and ingenuity will shape the future of education.
Is this the “End of Education”?
Despite the benefits of this conversational AI, some educators see it as the end of education. They argue that the educational system has already collapsed and that ChatGPT is merely highlighting this fact.
Alex Taylor, who studies and teaches human-computer interaction at the City University of London, suggests that educators should focus on what they want to prioritize in future education, rather than formulating new evaluation criteria.
Taylor believes that mechanical questions that can be answered by chatbots are not a learning method that fosters students’ ability to think critically.
Critical Use of ChatGPT
Oya Kudina, who teaches AI and ethics courses at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, uses ChatGPT as a tool in her classes.
She assigns debate-style assignments where students compare the answers generated by the language model with the sentences the students produced.
While the chatbot can turn information into fluent sentences in an instant, concerns remain that it sometimes makes up facts, and its arguments are not logical.
Conclusion
ChatGPT has the potential to be a valuable tool in education, assisting students in critical thinking and problem-solving.
However, it is not without its flaws, and educators must use it critically to ensure its accuracy and effectiveness. As technology advances, educators must continue to adapt and innovate their teaching methods to prepare students for the future.