Use ChatGPT technology

WE We live in exuberant times with unprecedented rapid advances in technology and sometimes on the verge of euphoria when online BOTs challenge us to confirm we are not robots.

According to the online statistics portal Statista, the Google Play Store alone publishes an average of 99,000 applications (apps) per month, and users use an average of 10 apps per day in their daily activities. This rapid infiltration of technology into our daily lives has impacted the education sector in many ways over the decades, and education and technology formed a symbiotic relationship, finding ways to embrace each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

As many know, since the advent of Microsoft’s spell checker in the 1990s, various AI (Artificial Intelligence) generators have been available for educational purposes. Recent news and hype surrounding ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer), launched by OpenAI in November 2022, hit one million users in just five days of its launch and reportedly has over 500 million users today and is sending waves through the science field, which raises questions of authenticity, academic integrity, and plagiarism.

In response, it has been reported that educational institutions from the US to Australia have responded with drastic measures banning the use of ChatGPT in schools.

Use of AI

Through these technological innovations, science has quickly adapted and capitalized on developments such as the integration of the automated MCQ markers, Turnitin plagiarism detectors, Grammarly, Duolingo, AI exam proctoring, and the list is endless.

Because current AI writing and content apps are so freely available, educators are realigning and redesigning their teaching and learning repertoire to take advantage of these new developments. There are some benefits to using these AI tools, such as using the data insights available in these apps into their students’ performance to modify lessons for a more personalized approach to teaching and learning.

There are also ways to improve the lives of academics by using these tools to help and support administrative tasks such as preparing reports and creating lesson plans.

Strategic changes in the classroom

The classroom challenges of these accessible AI tools cannot be denied as the science once again catches up. However, with strategic changes and steps towards teaching, the authenticity and originality of the students’ course contributions can be ensured:

-> Instructional strategies need to focus more on soft skill development, which allows the classroom to become an arena for problem solving, communication, developing group dynamics, analytical discussions, etc.

-> Evaluation methods must be re-evaluated with regard to formative and summative weighting, specific evaluation criteria and refined questioning techniques.

-> Reevaluation of policies related to codes of conduct, expanding the definition of plagiarism to include BOT-generated work.

There is no escaping these technological developments as with IR5.0 (Industrial Revolution 5.0) looming, more sophisticated and intelligent tools will be knocking on our classroom doors faster than we think. It is imperative that we equip and evolve towards the futuristic approach to education.

Prema Ponnudurai is Director of the School of Media and Communication at Taylor’s University and Associate Director of the Education for All Impact Lab.

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