There will be very few teachers who have not heard of ChatGPT. This new release of artificial intelligence (AI) uses text-based language to generate human-type responses.
The main issue for school leaders and teachers is that using ChatGPT in schools raises some ethical questions.
In this article, we will examine some of the primary concerns and advantages of using ChatGPT in schools.
Find Out More About ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a chat box where the user types in a question and it responds with a body of text. The software uses AI to generate responses based on its learning.
Launched in November 2022, it marks a substantial advance in text-based AI, and it has already been used by more than 100 million people globally.
One of the extensive growth areas has been its citation in more than 8000 academic references, dramatically impacting the education sector. Of course, this requires a swift response from education leaders to consider the ethics and management of AI use.
Ethics and ChatGPT
Across many sectors, there have been in depth discussions about the disruption caused by ChatGPT.
What are the risks and the ethical questions raised?
For schools, the obvious dilemma is how much it will affect how students complete their work and how assessments can be fair.
More broadly, there are concerns about the spread of disinformation which may become harder to identify with the growth of AI.
Nina Schick is one of the leading UK experts on AI ethics. As a follower of AI growth for the past two years, she has already noted how much has changed since the launch of ChatGPT.
Should schools ban ChatGPT?
AI has become an accepted part of society and is here to stay. Banning ChatGPT outright does not consider that all students can access it on their mobiles or at home on laptops and other devices.
It is far better for schools to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of ChatGPT and keep up to date with the latest research. This will allow school leaders, governors and teachers to establish best practices and consider the different contexts where ChatGPT might support education and learning.
All schools should be creating or adapting policies regarding assessment and marking to consider the use of AI.
One problem area is plagiarism and copyright issues.
It is early days for the education sector, so schools should look to the government and exam boards for guidance.
How can schools make the most of ChatGPT?
If ChatGPT is not going anywhere, then schools should consider how it may benefit teaching and learning. Schools should:
- Identify the training and resources required to use ChatGPT successfully as a learning tool.
- Ensure AI does not replace direct teaching but remains an additional tool.
- Monitor the use of ChatGPT by students.
- Allow for critical thinking, where pupils discuss the merits and limitations of AI.
- Use ChatGPT for teacher routine tasks to reduce workload.
- Use ChatGPT to increase accessibility by providing transcripts or answering pupil questions in class.
- Keep up to date with the latest research.
Let’s give the final thoughts to some ChatGPT-generated text:
Overall, ChatGPT has the potential to be a valuable tool in the classroom, providing personalised support and interactive learning experiences for students.
However, it should be used in conjunction with other teaching methods and not relied upon as the sole source of instruction.