Will artificial intelligence replace learning, or aid it?
The use of ChatGPT in education is controversial, bringing in opinions from both sides of the table. How did students react to the implementation of AI in the classroom? Has learning improved, or will learning be replaced altogether?
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that uses natural language processing to create humanlike conversational dialogue, according to TechTarget. For Bailey Aster, a freshman studying biomedical science and genetics, she believes the chatbot is a helpful aid for her coursework.
“It’s helpful for studying because ChatGPT will give you steps to solve a problem. Overall, it is not the most reliable just because sometimes it’s not fully correct, but I think it is really helpful,” Aster said.
Aster’s professors are against the use of Chat GPT in the classroom, but she says that’s expected in the biomedical science program.
“I do use it occasionally, but I try not to. If I really can’t find anything about a topic, I’ll put something into ChatGPT and then see the steps to solve an equation. As long as you’re learning from it, I feel like that’s okay,” Aster said.
Nathan Dickson, a computer science major in his sophomore year, is aware of the imperfections of AI.
A screenshot of ChatGPT showing the simplicity of the program and how easy it is for students to use the chatbot.
“It’s incorrect sometimes; quite often actually. I was looking into it, and there’s detectors now, so if you’re going to use AI, you have to be smart with it,” Dickson said.
Even with its inconsistency, not all professors at FIT are against the use of ChatGPT in the classroom. One of Dickson’s professors encouraged the use of AI for one of his assignments.
“For my oceanography class, she had us create an animal then ask ChatGPT how it would evolve over the next 50 to 100 years. That was for our final exam paper,” Dickson said.
However, many teachers highly discourage the use of AI and have threatened academic penalties if caught using the program. When a course is writing-intensive, many professors prefer students to use their own words.
“If you have English classes where if you use AI and you get caught, then you run the risk of getting in trouble,” Dickson said.
Many teachers include a section on the syllabus warning against the use of artificial intelligence without permission. The section is as follows:
“Plagiarism is the use of writing that is not your own but is submitted under your name. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal. Students should be thoroughly familiar with the policy regarding such dishonesty as stated in the Student Handbook. The submission or use of any Generative AI-produced material in a course without the instructor’s explicit direction or approval constitutes academic fraud.”
Both Dickson and Aster have had different experiences with AI in the classroom. While it is still new, ChatGPT is currently being utilized by both students and teachers as an academic tool at Florida Tech. Sarah Barczyk, a professor at the university, believes AI can be a useful tool if used properly.
“Public and private corporations have already begun to adopt AI into their day-to-day business practices. If we can engage in honest dialogue now—one that addresses ethics, legal implications, and security concerns—the benefits could far outweigh the risks,” Barczyk said.
Source: How is ChatGPT being used at Florida Tech?
