ChatGPT and Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing with more improvements each year. With more applications available, functionality is expanding, allowing more industries to benefit from these resources. ChatGPT is a newer addition that could help or harm schools and students.

What Is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI software that creates content from provided prompts. It is a comprehensive solution that can answer various responses and create several kinds of content, making it a powerful system used across industries and personal interests. Some ways individuals can use ChatGPT is to generate the following content types:

• Computer programs and code
• Business pitches
• Essays and test questions
• Emails
• Creative projects, like music and poetry

ChatGPT uses machine learning to gain more insight into topics with each use, allowing it to expand its applications and skills continually. It scans the web for other content and sources related to the prompt fed to it to generate its response. This AI is unique because it can remember some recent prompts fed to it by users, allowing it to build on knowledge and host pseudo-conversations.

How Does ChatGPT Impact Education?

ChatGPT’s versatility and constant machine learning mean students can use it to complete their essays and homework. Rather than spending weeks planning, writing and revising, students let ChatGPT do the heavy lifting. Since the purpose of writing assignments in school is to build fundamental skills like critical thinking and language comprehension, educators need to make a plan for dealing with this emerging technology.

How Are Schools Handling It?

With more students using ChatGPT for homework and essay completion, schools have concerns about student education and plagiarism. The main issues schools are facing with the introduction of Chat GPT include:

• Plagiarism: Because AI-generated content is not original student work, many schools consider this plagiarism and a violation of the honor code. Violating school policies on plagiarism can seriously jeopardize a student’s education, resulting in suspensions or expulsions that appear on their academic records.
• Impact on student skills: Teachers assign written work to help students develop their skills. Essays enable students to practice and improve their critical thinking and grammar skills. Assignments across different subjects encourage students to use skills taught by that class, like literary analysis for English courses or vocabulary and syntax in foreign languages. ChatGPT can even write lab reports, threatening student connection with science classes.
• Ethical considerations: ChatGPT does not write original content, instead using existing courses to compile something that resembles new and unique work. Because it is not human, it cannot form thoughts or opinions, relying on what it can find through online scans. Many organizations consider AI work stealing because it takes the hard work of original creators and doesn’t provide credit.

Many schools are banning Chat GPT for assignments, counting it as cheating and honor code violations for those caught. However, can schools detect ChatGPT? Some schools are deploying other AI programs to help identify AI-generated work, but these solutions are less accurate, especially with how well Chat GPT can mimic written content.

Accuracy of ChatGPT in Homework and Essays

While ChatGPT is a powerful content-creation tool and resource, it has challenges interpreting and implementing facts. It will often rephrase or change facts to fit the provided prompt, resulting in work that doesn’t make sense. Teachers can use this element to better identify work students submitted with this AI.

The Pros and Cons of AI in Education

AI has versatile applications in education, making it a powerful resource for schools and administrative teams. AI and machine learning can apply to various functions, such as:

• Management and administration
• Communication
• Finance
• Security
• Transportation
• Teaching

However, these operations have benefits and considerations that schools should weigh before investing in various tools and technology.

The Benefits of AI for Students and Schools

While schools are facing challenges with ChatGPT, technology like AI and machine learning can benefit schools in many ways. The right implementation and functions can streamline operations and support your teachers and administrators for better student and parent services. Some advantages of AI in education include the following:

• Handling and managing administrative tasks: AI often runs on automation, making it a valuable tool for busy schools and executive teams. Your administrative teams can automate several functions, like scheduling. AI can use historical records to learn the best scheduling habits to create customized schedules for students each year, weekly schedules for faculty members and even arrange transportation for students and field trips. When AI can manage and execute daily menial tasks, administrators can refocus their attention on other operations.
• Providing more customized learning: AI needs existing resources to learn and complete functions. Schools can better understand student learning and performance by pairing AI with student information. Further, AI is excellent at identifying patterns, which it can use to understand and analyze student learning patterns to develop content that supports their needs. Students can receive better assignments and tutoring assistance with AI-powered processes.
• Helping strengthen teaching materials: When AI scans and analyzes student performance data, it can provide teachers with feedback on their testing and homework materials. It can report what students get wrong past listing questions, highlighting which concepts they struggled with. When given class or grade overviews, teachers can determine which ideas or subjects they might need to reevaluate and strengthen for more effective reflection backed by performance data.
• Supporting busy teachers: Teachers have diverse responsibilities, from planning lessons and grading assignments to attending meetings with parents and students. AI can ease the burden on teachers by automating essential functions for them. AI can use testing rubrics to grade assignments and exams and update grade books. Some can send automated messages to parents and students to update them on scheduling changes and assignments.

Teachers can even use ChatGPT to create test and essay questions for their students, helping them use more creative options and save time brainstorming.

The Considerations of AI in Education

While AI can offer many functions and benefits to schools, they are not a perfect tool. Some factors your school should consider include the following:

• Highlighting factual inaccuracies: ChatGPT especially is not always correct. When teachers and faculty rely on AI for any aspect of school functions, you should check for inaccuracies before sending information to students. Teachers can check prompts for inconsistencies and inaccurate information while faculty reviews schedules and communication.
• Reducing connections with real people: AI is excellent for handling repeated tasks, but schools should be careful that students and parents still get the connection and support they need from real people. When students and families only interact with AI and technology, they can feel disconnected from the school community, damaging their relationship.
• Decreasing functionality for smaller schools: AIs have limited capacities and require other resources to function. For schools without access to comprehensive digital historical records or information systems, AI has little to draw conclusions and content from. Information might be more vague or inconsistent, reducing the value of your investment.

Bring Technology Into the Classroom With PowerGistics

While AI might not support your school, technology can benefit students in many ways with diverse tools and applications. Laptops and tablets in the classroom can enhance student learning and engagement, connecting them to more resources that support their individual needs and learning goals.

PowerGistics develops portable charging stations and storage units for school technology, making it more efficient to use and store your classroom devices. With easy-to-access technology, your students and teachers can focus more on their lessons and learning. PowerGistics can even customize your solution’s colors to boost school spirit in each classroom.

Contact PowerGistics to learn more about how we can bring technology into your school today.