As technology continues to advance, new opportunities and problems arise for the education sector. One of these advances is ChatGPT. Like other technological breakthroughs, it will not only give greater access to resources for students and teachers, but also create more significant inequities and distractions in the classroom.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI computer program that uses its intelligence to receive, analyze and produce a response that mimics natural human language. So it means when a user inputs a prompt or question, ChatGPT uses its training to generate a response based on the context and patterns in the input. For example, if you enter “how many years did OpenAI used to create you” into the system, it will reply “OpenAI started working on the GPT-3 model in 2017 and released it in June 2020.”
How can teachers use ChatGPT?
1. Real-time and concise answers
ChatGPT can be regarded as a more efficient alternative to Google. While Google may provide many results that require sifting through, ChatGPT can quickly provide clear and concise answers in real-time. This makes it a useful tool for supplementing discussions and providing teachers with quick, accurate responses to questions. For example, in a classroom discussion about the causes of the Revolutionary War, ChatGPT could provide an immediate and straightforward answer that students and teachers could easily understand.
2. Grammar and writing
Given the prevalence of social media and text language, teaching grammar and writing can be challenging for educators. However, ChatGPT offers instantaneous feedback to students, which can assist them in enhancing their writing abilities.
3. Assessment
ChatGPT has the ability to generate assessments. Teachers can input data into the AI program along with the necessary context, and ChatGPT will produce an output. Though it may require some adjustments, this can serve as a valuable foundation for teachers who want to create assessments from scratch.
4. Automatic grading
The technology can help teachers streamline one of their most time-consuming tasks: grading. ChatGPT is capable of grading assignments and providing feedback to students, which can save teachers’ time and allow them to focus on creating engaging lesson plans and giving more attention to their students.
How can students use ChatGPT?
1. Help with homework
ChatGPT is a useful tool for students who need quick answers to their homework questions. Similar to how Siri works on an iPhone, ChatGPT can provide students with immediate answers to their queries, saving them time and effort in sifting through information.
2. Improve writing skills
Just like writing tools NoRedInk and Grammarly, ChatGPT can be a great resource for students looking to improve their writing skills. By typing a sentence and asking ChatGPT to correct it, students can learn how to make their writing better.
3. Timely feedback
As ChatGPT is very good at data analysis, a student can input an essay into the text box and ask ChatGPT to offer feedback. So students can have sufficient time to make necessary revisions before handing in the assignment. More importantly, teachers may not answer emails in time when they go home, but students can turn to for information 24/7, especially when their teacher is unavailable.
What problems ChatGPT may cause in education?
1. Accuracy limitation
ChatGPT’s accuracy may not be 100% as it relies on internet data. Besides, although intelligent, ChatGPT may misunderstand context, leading to incorrect outputs.
2. Hinder critical thinking
Critical thinking is a crucial skill for students to develop. If they always rely on ChatGPT for answers, they may not learn to think for themselves.
3. Lack of originality
ChatGPT can produce entire essays, but if a student uses it to write their essay, it can lead to plagiarism and a lack of original thought. This is a significant concern, and plagiarism checkers are trying to catch up.
4. Possible bias
ChatGPT's training data can be biased, which can lead to bias in its outputs.
5. Technology dependence
With the increasing reliance on technology, ChatGPT can become a crutch rather than a tool for students and teachers
Generally, ChatGPT is a powerful AI that does possess the ability to transform education. With increasing knowledge about ChatGPT, it is expected that the benefits will surpass the drawbacks, leading to the enhancement of education through the use of AI over time.
If you want to try ChatGPT in your classroom, you can use our NearHub Board to login in. NearHub Board also serves as a convenient tool for hybrid learning, because it provides an unlimited canvas as well as a large screen. Click on the link to view more about NearHub.
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