What is ChatGPT and Why is it an Essential Tool for Teachers?
Generative AI and LLM’s
Does anyone else feel like new tech vocab words (like Generative AI and LLM) have entered our world and we don’t have a clue what they mean? I certainly do!
An article recently published by Education Next has done a fantastic job of laying out a primer (in plain English) about what generative AI and LLM’s actually are. The article also details several examples of ways that teachers can leverage this new tech to make their job of teaching easier. Not easier in the sense of sitting behind their desk, but easier in the sense of spending less time prepping for school while providing students with more! More activities, more lessons, more differentiated learning, more customized support and individualized learning opportunities.
AI is the New 3R’s All Teachers Must Master
The U.S. Department of Education's report titled Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations highlights the growing interest in integrating AI into education. AI, particularly ChatGPT, offers numerous benefits for teachers in schools, but also presents challenges that need to be addressed. The report's findings indicate that while there is excitement about AI's potential to enhance education, concerns about risks and biases associated with AI also exist.
Here are just a few of the benefits and challenges of AI as noted in the Education Next article cited at the top of this blog.
Benefits of AI:
Instructional Assistance: AI-powered chatbots can provide adaptive tutoring and explanations for challenging concepts, aiding students in their learning journey. AI-based feedback systems enhance students' writing skills through constructive critiques.
Teaching Assistance: AI can automate administrative tasks, such as lesson planning, generating worksheets, and designing quizzes, enabling teachers to focus more on peer collaboration and student engagement. AI also offers recommendations to address student needs, helping teachers reflect and improve their practice.
Customized Learning: AI can support students with disabilities and English language learners by tailoring learning experiences to their individual needs. Additionally, AI-based translation services can facilitate communication and understanding for diverse student populations.
Parent Engagement: AI can assist parents in navigating the education system, generating letters for personalized education plans and evaluating gifted program options. AI can also create customized bedtime stories for children.
Administrator Support: AI aids administrators in drafting communications, analyzing complex data for pattern identification, and performing sentiment analysis to gauge school climate and survey data.
Challenges of AI:
Student Cheating: The use of AI for solving homework and generating essays raises concerns about students circumventing the learning process and academic integrity.
Bias in AI Algorithms: Biases present in training data can lead to biased AI responses, favoring certain groups and undermining fair and equitable education.
Privacy Concerns: Interactions with AI tools might jeopardize student and educator privacy, as conversations and personal data could be stored and analyzed.
Decreased Social Connection: Excessive use of AI systems may reduce student interaction with peers and educators, potentially exacerbating issues of loneliness and isolation.
Overreliance on Technology: Both teachers and students risk becoming overly dependent on AI-driven technology, hindering critical thinking and quality educational content.
Equity Issues: Unequal access to technology may widen the achievement gap between students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Popular AI Tools for Teachers
ChatGPT 3.5. The free version of ChatGPT released by OpenAI in November 2022.
ChatGPT 4.0. The newest version of ChatGPT, which requires a paid account.
Microsoft Bing Chat. An iteration of Microsoft’s Bing search engine that is enhanced with OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology.
Google Bard. Google’s AI generates text, translates languages, writes different kinds of creative content, and writes and debugs code in more than 20 different programming languages.
Anthropic Claude 2. A chatbot that can generate text, summarize content, and analyze texts of 75,000 words - the length of an entire novel.
Conclusion
While AI, including ChatGPT, holds substantial promise for revolutionizing education, the challenges and risks identified in the report underscore the need for careful implementation. It is crucial for policymakers, education leaders, and technology developers to ensure that AI technology aligns with sound instructional practices and supports the agency of teachers, learners, and parents. Collaborative efforts are essential to harness AI's potential while mitigating its associated risks in the realm of education.
Blog written in collaboration with ChatGPT August 2023 Version.