ChatGPT -- AI -- is here, it's not going anywhere, and we as educators need to embrace and accept this notion, instead of fear it and reject it with our pitchforks and torches. The current terror that is making its way into the field of education is ChatGPT and fears of academic cheating as a result of the platform. But ChatGPT is not really... good at cheating, it just provides something... plausible at best, if you will. I see ChatGPT as a tool. Instead of fearing the platform that is not going anywhere and is only going to evolve as tools like ChatGPT will continue to permeate our daily lives, the best thing we as educators can do is get out in front of this and own it -- and also, you know -- learn what exactly ChatGPT is, and what ChatGPT is not.
Here are my thoughts as an educator that makes use of ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an amazing tool. The platform is great for getting thesis ideas, basic outlines, source suggestions, and for smaller discourse launchpads (think online discussion boards), to name a few. In short, ChatGPT can be used in education to help serve as a planning and entry point into a vast wealth of assignment types. ChatGPT has other uses too. I have used it to help me craft emails to committees/administrators, and to help me craft a "welcome to my course and the new semester!" post. This is what ChatGPT is, a tool. What it is not, is a cheating device. While the platform can be used for cheating, if you copy/paste ChatGPT content as your final deliverable, the content will almost always be subpar and a bit... out there, often lacking a sort of voice / “human soul.” I view ChatGPT as a tool for drafting and planning. You the learner/user than take what ChatGPT gives you and refine it/add to it to make it yours, making the deliverable authentic and true. The hardest part about using ChatGPT is getting your prompt right. You get that prompt right and ChatGPT will help elevate you to your destination. But again, when used correctly and effectively, it's important to note that ChatGPT is not the destination, it's just the first stop.
I said that the best thing we as educators can do is get out in front of this and own it, and that is what I want to do. How do we do that? We educate our students about ChatGPT, and find ways to incorporate the platform into the learning experience. I am currently in the early stages of curriculum planning and am musing over the idea of creating scaffolded assignment types that teach students to make use of ChatGPT. The idea is to allow students to think critically and evolve in their thoughts as they grow and learn, using ChatGPT to show students how their work started, and then morphed/evolved over the duration of the course/assignment as they take what they started with, and morph it into their own creation.
This potential scaffolded project serves as a platform where continuous learning grows and evolves as a form of self-directed learning; the student can define and meet goals/milestones across the duration of this project, which enhances reflective thinking as the student’s thoughts and views change and evolve. Giving students the autonomy to learn and use the tools that best align with their learning style in whatever way works best for them is part of the learning process in the modern classroom, and ChatGPT appears to be the beginning in what will be a big change in culture as AI continues to morph and evolve. I would like to close this blog entry out with a great video by a YouTuber that I follow named Steve Shives where he discusses his views on ChatGPT, and breaks down some of the strengths and weaknesses of the platform.
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Learning Design