Generative AI solutions such as ChatGPT, Perplexity.ai, and AutoGPT are spreading like wildfire, capturing the imaginations of users from all walks of life. But at higher education institutions, academic leaders are concerned about how it will affect pedagogy and learning.
Generative AI has proven very useful in sifting through vast resources to derive accurate answers and summaries quickly, but it puts academic parents on edge. Some students use it to generate content for their projects. This defeats the very purpose of giving challenges aimed at instilling habits of research and out-of-the-box thinking.
interruption of learning
“We recognize that tools like ChatGPT can disrupt the teaching and learning process. says.
Starting this semester, the university has begun the process of understanding how these tools are being used by its students and members. Data helps you analyze and derive insights for developing strategies and plans.
The university has already launched awareness campaigns among students and members of the university to prevent its unhealthy use (such as plagiarism) and to put mechanisms in place to identify and avoid misuse.
“We are also experimenting with different types of assessments in academic courses to ensure that the impact of these tools is limited. We will find ways to integrate meaningfully,” he says.
On the other hand, Shalabh, professor and dean of academic affairs at IIT Kanpur, argues that generative AI is not yet a threat to the IIT ecosystem. “The IIT curriculum combines theoretical and practical elements. Especially at his IIT Kanpur, the education and curriculum are geared towards developing intuitive thinking, creativity and innovative problem-solving skills. It’s designed to be standardized and not based on textbook-based assessments,” he explains.
There is a lot of discussion about this topic in academia right now. His Vice Chancellor, KL University, G Pardha Saradhi Varma, said: He feels that education will be greatly impacted by generative AI solutions. “We at KL University have decided to focus on activity-based, project-based learning and gamification,” he said. Previously, these were only 10% of his learning methods, but now he can reach 60%.
understand the threat
Rajiv Tandon, CEO of Bits Pilani WILP (Work Integrated Learning Programmes), said ChatGPT poses a conundrum that has not been witnessed for generations. He says there is optimism mixed with latent fear.
To meet the challenge, improving our understanding of generative AI is a top priority for higher education leadership across institutions and policy makers. “Most progressive institutions are doing just that, trying to better understand the opportunities and implications of AI in teaching, learning and assessment,” he said.
However, he cautions against a knee-jerk reaction.
good bit
Tandon feels that there is also a positive side. He said he sees notable efforts, especially in unsupervised assessments, such as assignments and projects.
The ability to evaluate and generate content has a way of beating AI that is entirely based on input material.
“In project-based learning and assessment methods, educators are moving to tasks that involve solving the ‘evil problem.
Evil problems are problems that cannot be easily solved by knowing past patterns, and are often used by AI to build solutions. “Solving intractable problems requires many interconnected phenomena, and learners need to understand these interconnectedness in order to design approaches to solving them. “We have to prove it,” he points out.
In addition to making further efforts to design thorny problems for projects, some educators have made simple but effective changes in both project requirements and how project reports are submitted. I’m starting to add Requesting an in-person or online live presentation of your project report is another way to check for copycats.
Generative AI in education systems is itself a “thorny problem,” sums up Tandon, and institutions need more understanding and imagination to arrive at the right solutions and use cases.
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