As generative AI continues to disrupt the worlds of work, education, and just life as we know it, a major university is unabashedly embracing it. Harvard University is now using an AI tool powered by ChatGPT to help teach computer science courses for beginners and free up teaching assistants from certain tasks at the same time.
Known as CS50 Bot, the generative artificial intelligence tool was deployed to around 70 students as part of the university’s introductory programming course, as a training tool for students.
The AI chatbot can give students personalized help by understanding their coding difficulties and providing immediate feedback. This prevents students from getting stranded and discouraged when teachers are unavailable. This can result in improved retention rates for both the program of study and the university.
A support tool for students
However, the AI robot is not intended to replace teachers or teaching assistants. It’s supposed to “support students wherever possible with software and reallocate the most useful resources – humans – to help students who need it most.” “It is not a question of reducing the number of teachers, but of strengthening them”, tries to demine David Malan, professor holder of the Gordon McKay chair on the practice of computer science.
He explained that it is a support tool for students, research assistants and professors to make the most of available resources.
Other institutions have already encouraged the use of AI in classrooms. But some are much more reluctant.
At the end of January 2023, in France, the use of ChatGPT at Sciences Po, “or any other tool using AI was “strictly prohibited”. And schools in the city of New York had decided to block access students and teachers to ChatGPT on digital devices and networks.
The use of AI in Harvard’s computer science course, however, could eventually set the standard for the wider adoption of AI in higher education.
Source: “ZDNet.com”