ChatGPT- Friend or Foe?
Image by Parvin Mohmad
ONE of the readings this week in my ENGL 307T class was "ChatGPT:
Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher
education", which claims to be among the first peer-reviewed academic
journal article to focus on it's relevance for higher education and
performed experiments (Rudolph et. al., 2023). Being someone that is not
only taking undergraduate classes but also works in higher education, I
hear the words ChatGPT multiple times a week, if not daily. Add to the fact that my
husband is very interested in the evolution of AI and the things it can do....let's just say I am more familiar with the word than I care to be.
In the introduction of our reading, there is an example that a student produced with AI, and it is as follows:
"I have the knowledge, I have the lived experience, I’m a good student, I go to all the tutorials and I go to all the lectures and I read everything we have to read but I kind of felt I was being penalised because I don’t write eloquently and I didn’t feel that was right." (Rudolph et. al., 2023).
After
I read it, I immediately noticed how it was poorly written, then my
next thought was why in the heck did the student break the honor code
for that mess? It was horrible, and surely the student could have done
better on his own. So it made me question if ChatGPT was really all that
and a bag of chips, and I did my own test.
The prompt for ChatGPT: Is ChatGPT beneficial to students in college?
Here is a portion of the answer I received:
"ChatGPT and similar AI technologies can have several potential benefits for college students. Here are a few ways in which ChatGPT can be advantageous:
Accessible Support: ChatGPT can provide 24/7 access to information and support. Students can ask questions, seek clarification, or access learning resources at their convenience, regardless of time or location. This can be particularly helpful for students who may have busy schedules or face barriers to accessing immediate assistance.
Personalized Assistance: ChatGPT has the potential to offer personalized guidance and support. It can adapt to individual students' needs, provide tailored explanations, and offer resources based on their specific requirements. This personalized approach can enhance learning outcomes by catering to diverse learning styles and addressing individual areas of difficulty.
Supplemental Learning Resource: ChatGPT can serve as a valuable supplemental learning resource. Students can use it to reinforce their understanding of complex concepts, access additional explanations or examples, and engage in self-directed learning. It can provide an extra layer of support alongside traditional instruction. "
Shocked. Impressed. And curious to why the bloke that used the other AI product didn't use ChatGPT. Don't get me wrong, I am not promoting the usage for assignments that need to reflect your own work, but dang, this is good. If someone read this prompt that was not aware of the negatives to AI would think that it was a wonderful resource for students.
It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years with ChatGPT and AI in general. Will it truly transform the way we live? Or will it be a kind and forgiving overlord? Time will tell.
Rudolph, J., Tan, S., & Tan, S. (2023). ChatGPT: Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher education? 1, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.9
Rudolph, J., Tan, S., & Tan, S. (2023). ChatGPT: Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher education? 1, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.9
Rudolph, J., Tan, S., & Tan, S. (2023). ChatGPT: Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher education? 1, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.9
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