Artificial Intelligence a.k.a. AI in Education - The Impact
Publishing Solutions Group
Full-service development, production, translation and audio for print & digital products. K-16. SOWMBA certified.
By Meg Carey
Fall 2023 Intern
Introduction
Over the past decade or so, Artificial Intelligence a.k.a. AI has taken the world by storm—some people are fully in support of AI’s many capabilities, while others argue that it does more harm than good. AI refers to machines' capability to learn through artificial neural networks that resemble humans’ [1]. However, AI is still in its infancy, and it’s difficult to tell just where this technology will be applied in the future but AI is becoming more and more relevant in our everyday lives—in the workplace, in our homes, and even in our schools.
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a generative AI program that offers two user plans, one that is even free. ChatGPT is taking the educational world by storm. The AI pulls from a dataset of text and uses this dataset to understand grammar, language, sentence structure, and meaning. It is also able to understand contexts, solve math problems, write stories or poems, and classify things, developing answers within seconds [2]. The tool uses natural language processing to respond to the user’s prompts and can do numerous assignments for teachers and students alike, like writing essays and lesson plans, designing a class syllabus, providing directions, or answering test questions [3]. Teachers and students alike are able to use it for various purposes, and so the discussion surrounding AI’s use has been ongoing and incredibly controversial, some people completely denying its usefulness whatsoever, and others over-amplifying it. But what do educators have to say on the topic?
The Superintendent’s View - Pros and Cons of AI in education
Generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, is one notable topic that has remained controversial over its positive or negative impacts on education. This is a tool that can help students write essays, answer questions, or do many of their other assignments by typing in questions and prompts for the AI bot to respond to, using its accumulated information [4]. Like any other AI, the more it is used, the more it can learn, which would make it a more useful tool. This creates the question of whether or not this is “helping” education, or if it is simply helping students cheat by writing assignments for them.
With generative AI being used so often, it is quickly becoming a fact of modern life, and educators and schools will have to take this into account while developing lesson plans and curriculums. It’s unlikely that AI could be completely banned in education, and this would likely only cause students to use it more, and could further dull the excitement of learning. And since computers have become a part of everyday learning for students, many no longer having to even bring a pencil to class, completely ruling out AI use seems impractical. Additionally, the use of AI has become and is continuously becoming more normalized outside of the context of K-12 education, so adapting to these new, modern changes is necessary for new, modern students.
Different circumstances call for innovation. The information on the internet and within AI programs being accessible to everyone means that some parts of formal education will have to change—namely, shifting towards application-based learning to accurately assess students’ abilities while still accounting for the possible use of AI. According to Dr. Anthony Rosetti, the superintendent of the Webb City School District in Missouri, “We’ve got to move toward application-based processes so that students can actually see the relevance of what they’re learning, go out and be part of the business community, and solve real-world problems” [6]. Application-based, or performance-based assignments require students to apply their learned skills, rather than simply testing them with multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blanks. Some examples of application-based assignments include group or community projects, presentations, performances, independent research, creative work, building something, research, class debates, and other hands-on, often community-based work [5]. In fact, students tend to learn best with hands-on projects and assignments, and knowing when they will use something in the “real world” could help bolster academic motivation. The additional use of AI in education could change the overall role of the teacher in the classroom as well. With the world’s information being right at our fingertips, and with students being able to ask AI virtually any question, there has been much discussion of teachers’ need to help guide students with problem-solving and self-discovery. In other words, educators can help students understand and apply the knowledge they’ve acquired especially in contexts where AI is not allowed, rather than simply being—as Rosetti puts it—a “vessel of knowledge” [6].
While AI is certainly becoming more and more relevant in the world of education, it is not solely a positive development, and many are doubtful or even fearful of the technology and the impacts it will have on students and educators alike. For example, students could be far too trusting of AI, and might not consider where they are getting their information from. Students must learn to be wary of AI, and know where to look for reliable information [6]. Additionally, despite creating seemingly flawless essays, due to the program still being new and in development, it could pull information from the internet that is inaccurate, or in some cases entirely incorrect. ChatGPT is sometimes seen as a new wave of academic dishonesty—despite there being an anti-plagiarism program (GPTZero), educators are more concerned over the missed opportunities of learning, researching, and critical thinking in school [2].
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Conclusion
Despite its undeniable usefulness, ChatGPT and other generative AI programs pose a significant threat to education as we know it. But whether or not we like it—this technology will continue advancing, and educators must take it into account in one way or another. It is helpful to consider ways that the technology’s power can have the potential to aid instruction, as well as developing alternative ways of teaching, such as application-based assessments, or implementing anti-plagiarism rules. By staying on top of the technological wave, educators and administrators can create the best, most productive learning environments for students in the modern world.
Publishing Solutions Group
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