Your Students Keep Using ChatGPT to Write Essays. Now What?
Panic set in when the calculator was introduced in classrooms across the United States. Today, we see a similar reaction with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT being used by students to write their essays.
While it's natural to be concerned about this recent development, it's crucial to remember that these AI tools are here to stay, just like calculators. The key is not to reject them but rather to understand them and adapt our teaching and assessment methods accordingly.
Yes - Ai Fits Into Today's Classrooms
Walk into any modern classroom today and find technology at the heart of learning. Digital tools are now integral to the educational landscape, from tablets to laptops. But a new player on the scene is causing a bit of a stir - artificial intelligence (AI), more precisely, OpenAI's ChatGPT language model.
ChatGPT, a powerful AI developed by OpenAI, is a text-based model that can generate human-like text. It's becoming more and more common to find students using ChatGPT to write essays. Approximately 90% of students admit to using AI writing tools at least once.
At first glance, this might seem like a cause for concern, but don't panic just yet!
"AI isn't going away, and it's time we reassess our approach towards its use in the classroom, particularly in the context of student assessments."
The goal of this article is not to criticize AI or to encourage its mindless glorification. Instead, it's about understanding that these technological advancements are here to stay and that they can prove to be beneficial if used correctly.
We need to adapt our teaching methods and assessment strategies to accommodate this emerging trend. Here's what you can do.
Tips for Adapting Your Assessment Methods in a ChatGPT Reality
Over 80% of teachers express concerns about the ethical implications of using AI writing tools in education. Embracing AI in the classroom doesn't mean letting it take over entirely.
Rather, it's about finding the right balance and leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance learning while holding students accountable for their work. Here are a few tips on how to adapt your assessment methods in a ChatGPT reality.
1) Make the Writing the Initial Assessment Step
If artificial intelligence is taking over the writing portion of your essay assignments, it's time to add another level to the assessment process.
This could involve having students use their essays as a springboard for oral presentations, group discussions, or debate exercises, where they would have to demonstrate a deep understanding of the essay content they produced.
How to Implement This Approach
In Mrs. Anderson's 9th-grade English class, students utilized AI tools for essay drafting assistance. However, she believed in adding a crucial layer of assessment. After receiving AI-assisted drafts, students were required to defend their writing choices. Mrs. Anderson conducted individualized sessions with each student, where they had to explain their content, argumentation, and structural decisions in their essays.
This process encouraged students to take ownership of their work and honed their critical thinking and communication skills. It combined AI assistance with the ability to articulate and defend their choices, resulting in more empowered and skilled writers.
2) Make Personalization an Expectation
Personalization must become a key expectation in writing assignments in today's classrooms. If your students are using AI like ChatGPT to write essays, it's time to embrace overt indivualization as an integral part of your assessment methods.
Why is personalization important? Because it adds a layer of authenticity to the work. Personalized work reflects the unique thoughts, understanding, and perspective of the student. AI can generate content, but it cannot replicate the student's individual and unique thinking process. Making personalization an expectation will encourage students to put more of 'themselves' into their work, consequently making it harder for AI-written essays to pass muster.
How to Implement This Approach
An essay on climate change could encourage students to include their own thoughts, feelings and experiences related to the topic. Maybe they've been impacted by a natural disaster or involved in local environmental initiatives. These personal insights bring depth and relevance to the assignment that artificial intelligence like ChatGPT simply cannot provide.
3) Focus on the Research Quality
If the assignment involves research, evaluate how effectively students locate, evaluate, and integrate sources into their essays. Assess their ability to distinguish credible sources from unreliable ones and their skill in synthesizing information.
How to Implement This Approach
As part of the grading process, Ms. Rodriguez assessed how effectively students located and evaluated sources for their essays. For instance, Sarah's essay was strong because she included a variety of primary and secondary sources, each with a clear relevance to her topic. In contrast, Mark's essay struggled because he relied solely on one source without critically evaluating its credibility.
Integrating AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement
Artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, is not the enemy in the classroom. Rather, it's a powerful tool that can facilitate learning when used in a thoughtful and critical manner.
It's important to understand that AI can't and shouldn't replace the unique human qualities teachers bring to the education process, such as empathy, creativity, and the ability to understand and respond to a student's needs.
ChatGPT can be employed to support student learning, not to do the work for them. For instance, it can be used to generate ideas, provide feedback, or help with language learning. However, it's crucial to guide students to use AI responsibly and to help them understand the difference between using AI as a tool and relying on it to do their work.