Like many of my colleagues, I’ve been grappling with how ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) are impacting teaching and education — especially at the undergraduate level.
To help navigate this brave new world, a number of us started a set of Frequently Asked Questions about ChatGPT in the classroom.
Since ChatGPT’s public launch last November, there’s been a flurry of articles predicting educational chaos as students use it to complete assignments and pass AI-generated work off as their own. But there’s also a growing awareness that LLMs have a remarkable capacity to positively transform learning if used creatively.
Over the coming months and years we’re likely to see profound changes in how AI-based technologies like LLMs are used in formal education. Yet navigating the transition to a future where LLMs are used effectively and responsibly in education is not going to be straight forward.
We’re already seeing signs of the challenges here as a growing divide emerges between LLM-savvy students who are experimenting with novel ways of using (and abusing) tools like ChatGPT, and educators who are desperately trying to catch up. As a result, educators are increasingly finding themselves unprepared and poorly equipped to navigate near-real-time innovations in how students are using these tools. And this is only exacerbated where their knowledge of what is emerging is several steps behind that of their students.
To help address this immediate need, a number of colleagues and I compiled a practical set of Frequently Asked Questions on ChatGPT in the classroom. These covers the basics of what ChatGPT is, possible concerns over use by students, potential creative ways of using the tool to enhance learning, and suggestions for class-specific guidelines.
These are meant to be very practical guidelines that bring educators up to speed fast, and help them navigate immediate challenges as well as explore innovative ways of using ChatGPT.
They are also intended to be updated frequently as new information and insights emerge.
The FAQ were primarily written to help and support instructors in Arizona State University’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society. However, given how many people are grappling with similar challenges at the moment, they are worth sharing — with the understanding that they are still a work in progress:
Link: FAQ: ChatGPT in the Classroom
Please do share with others who may find them useful — and if you have feedback, just let us know! The short URL for sharing is: https://bit.ly/gptclassfaq