Beth Daly, an associate professor in the Department of Animal Anthropology at the University of Windsor, cites written exams as one of her preferred methods for assessing students, but the growing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots is forcing her to rethink her entire teaching approach.
Daily said he first learned about ChatGPT a few months ago after a presentation by one of his university's IT experts.
“One of the messages that was sent to faculty and staff was that we had to change the way we evaluate students, so that's what I've been thinking about ever since,” Dailey said.
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that can perform a variety of tasks requested by users, including composing poetry, providing medical advice, and writing highly detailed essays.
An upgraded version of the chatbot, called GPT-4, is set to be rolled out to some users this week.
The program allows ChatGPT to analyze images and generate code to create simple video games, passing most standard tests with almost no errors.
“As a professor who strongly encourages essay submission, I don't think we can use essays any more as an assessment tool,” Daly added.
Instead, she suggests educators consider an unconventional way to address concerns about students using ChatGPT to succeed on assignments: “Go back to basics.”
“Computers are banned in the classroom, which means students have to learn to write again,” Daly said, noting that fewer students are taking handwritten notes rather than using computers.
“I think that's a good thing. Maybe we have to go back to a situation where we're not allowed to use computers and it's all multiple choice and just in-class assessments,” she said.
For first-year student Sophia D’Alonzo, the current way of teaching students is ineffective, regardless of ChatGPT. She thinks it’s unfair to blame students for turning to an AI chatbot for help.
“With essays and exams, you just memorize, regurgitate everything, and forget it the next day,” D'Alonzo said. “If students don't actually understand the material, they're not going to be able to write the essay or do the assignment, so they're turning to AI.”
Oliver Brady, a first-year student at the University of Windsor, said the mobile phones would allow students to communicate with each other, use technology and access ChatGPT.
“They're going to continue to share ideas. There's always going to be a sharing of ideas,” Brady said.
University students aren't the only ones taking notice of ChatGPT: Grade 12 student Adam Maciewkiewicz said his teachers have tried to put measures in place to stop students from using AI chatbots, but his classmates are getting around it.
“Some of my classmates are expected to write essays in class, turn them in to the teacher, and then continue writing when they come back to class, but they still go home and use ChatGPT, write something in their notebooks, and then come to school,” Maciukiewicz said.
“As long as ChatGPT exists, students will find a way to take advantage of it, so I don't think teachers can do anything to avoid it,” he added.
Asked if there was any suspicion that ChatGPT had been used in a recently submitted assignment, Daly said he never wanted to cast doubt on the students' integrity.
But she is adamant that “going back to basics” could benefit students in the long run.
“I think the best thing for universities is that they're forced to go back to the traditional system of Socratic teaching, where you sit down with students and discuss their ideas,” Daly said.
“We need to talk to our students about what their goals are and how they're going to achieve those goals, no matter what learning environment they're in,” she said.
