ChatGPT was introduced to the public in November 2022, but it has already attracted a lot of attention from specialists in all kinds of fields. For educators, ChatGPT seems like a threat – students already started using it for writing assignments. However, the situation may not be as grim as it seems. Hence, here are the opportunities and challenges of ChatGPT for education.
Opportunity: Research
One of the things ChatGPT can be used for is research. Students, educators, and researchers alike can use the tool to aid them while performing research on a particular topic. Using the tool can be particularly helpful if you need a concise explanation of a broad or complicated subject but don’t have the time to read about it extensively. Likewise, the tool can also be used to generate summaries of literary works so that the student or educator can refresh their memory without having to read the work again.
Challenge: Plagiarism
Unfortunately, one of the biggest concerns for educators today is plagiarism. A lot of students immediately started using ChatGPT to generate their assignments from scratch and present them as their own work. Of course, this isn’t the same as the kind of plagiarism educators are used to, but it isn’t original work either. This is why students need to be taught to use ChatGPT in a way that won’t intervene with their schools’ rules regarding originality and plagiarism.
Opportunity: Content Creation
Speaking of generating texts, educators can use ChatGPT for content creation. Education has never been as accessible as it is today with tons of educational materials being available online for free. But even in universities, the educational materials used by educators are more abundant. Teachers and professors that need to generate more learning content faster can use ChatGPT to help them, especially when it comes to repetitive or standardized content such as quizzes and checklists.
Challenge: Inaccuracy
ChatGPT is not the first or last text generation tool, and even though many of them are quite impressive in their abilities, they are still limited. ChatGPT can’t always be accurate or generate the kind of content that is requested from it. This is why relying on it all the time isn’t an option just yet. On the other hand, you can hire human writers from the writing service Trust My Paper if you need to write something. This way, you can be certain that you will get exactly the kind of text you wanted.
Opportunity: Personalization
Personalization is a priority in many industries today, including education. Teachers and professors realize that students need individualized learning experiences – there is no one-fits-all approach. Luckily, ChatGPT can also be used for personalization in education. For instance, educators can generate more content which means they can also generate the kind of content each student requires. At the same time, students can use the tool for research and academic assistance which can make their learning experiences more enjoyable.
Challenge: Biases
Once people started using ChatGPT, it became apparent that the tool isn’t unbiased. This is because the developers who worked on it clearly influenced the tool to perceive certain topics in a particular way. Moreover, when the tool looks at the information available online on a particular topic, it will likely assume the perspective that dominates discussions on the said topic. This is why you should be careful when using the tool and not take everything it generates for you at face value.
Opportunity: Syllabus Design
An interesting way to use ChatGPT besides content generation is syllabus design. Deciding how to schedule different classes and topics can take a lot of time, but educators can experiment with the tool and see if they find interesting solutions for designing the syllabus. The tool hasn’t been used for this much before, but once some educators see success with it, it’s safe to say that many will follow suit (and this could potentially revolutionize education).
Challenge: Limited Options
As mentioned earlier, ChatGPT is not the first or last text generation tool. Essentially, this means that by only using it and nothing else, educators are limiting their own options when it comes to technology. Tools like the AI essay writer Write My Essays or the grammar checker Grammarly can be extremely useful – perhaps even as much as ChatGPT. It’s fascinating how many tools there are already, so only using ChatGPT would be a loss rather than a win.
Opportunity: Academic Assistance
Students can use ChatGPT for research, but it can also be used for academic assistance. Of course, this doesn’t mean that students should freely use the tool to create their essays, book reports, and even dissertations from scratch. Rather they should be allowed to use it to help them during the writing process instead of taking it over completely.
Challenge: Decrease in Critical Thinking
Last but not least, there is a concern among educators that the extensive use of ChatGPT could possibly lead to a decrease in critical thinking. If students start using the tool so often, it could lead to them overlooking their own abilities. However, if they are taught how to use the tool correctly, any negative effects could be avoided in the long run.
Final Thoughts
All in all, ChatGPT is definitely an interesting tool that can be used both for good and for questionable things. If educators fully embrace it and teach their students how to benefit from it in an acceptable way, everyone can start using technology more effectively.