ChatGPT and other AI-based chatbots have been driving the crowds crazy lately. Especially when it comes to the topic of education and the education system. What if the technical skills of these AI-powered chatbots made it obsolete for humans to learn certain skills? In response, several schools have decided to block student and teacher access to ChatGPT on their networks. Ethan Mollick, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, took an entirely different approach. He has adopted ChatGPT and the use of AI in all his courses. Its policy is that its students should use AI in the classroom and learn how to use it well.
Image: Ethan Mollick.
“Great” results
The results of implementing ChatGPT into his curriculum came quickly, and they were “awesome,” according to the professor.
To help students maximize their use of AI, Ethan Mollick has provided them with his guide to using editorial AI. He then gave them a project where they had to use at least five ChatGPT prompts to write a five-paragraph essay.
The results of the first question, no matter how descriptive, have always resulted in poor C- writing. However, by using other prompts that provided better instructions, students were able to refine the results. Students who added user knowledge and co-edited writing with ChatGPT achieved the best results.
Learn to use AI
According to the professor, the poor results that are generally seen when students copy and paste from ChatGPT result from the fact that they do not make a real effort to work with the chatbot and produce quality content.
“Producing good material written by an AI is not really trivial,” he says. “Getting an AI to produce meaningful content requires both subject matter expertise and skill. »
Better success rate thanks to AI
Ethan Mollick says AI is already everywhere. Even before he taught students how to use the AI chatbot to generate project ideas, students were already doing it. The results of AI assistance in generating project ideas have also been positive.
“As a result, the projects this semester are much better than those of the classes that did not have access to AI,” he points out. “This has led to better project success rates and more engaged teams. »
However, the professor points out some drawbacks. For example, these students raise their hands less during class. Indeed, they have the option of simply asking a chatbot for an in-depth explanation later. And this, without having to speak in front of a whole class.
Source: ZDNet.com