ChatGPT made waves, and headlines, upon its launch at the end of 2022. Previously, generative AI like this seemed like a technology reserved for the most advanced tech companies.
OpenAI brought the latest artificial intelligence tech to the masses with their web-based AI tool, ChatGPT. The bot quickly spread across social media as more and more people explored the tool to find out just what it was capable of. From generating short stories to code for computer programmes, the potential seemed limitless. For many, ChatGPT signified the beginning of an AI-age for industry or, for some, the potential end of the human workforce.
Whatever concerns you might have about AI, it’s clear that the technology is here to stay. It’s only going to develop further as more industries find new ways to work with bots like ChatGPT and provide even more data for the software to learn from. Its abilities can only increase over time.
What about the education industry? Needless to say, the open accessibility of ChatGPT meant that both students and teaching staff had access to this continually expanding technology from its launch. But where will this lead? While the future of AI in education isn’t necessarily clear just yet, it is clear that school’s need to make space for this technology in the classroom and prepare for the teaching and learning styles of the future.
As with any new technology, it takes time to realise its true potential for any purpose. Generally speaking, we are just beginning to learn what this technology could do for the classroom. However, students are already making use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool for a variety of purposes and it is naturally becoming increasingly difficult to monitor.
The primary concern at the forefront of many educators' minds is the use of generative AI tools when completing assignments. Students ask the AI to write essays or question answers and submit those as their own work. Due to the advanced nature of the technology, it can be difficult to identify AI-written content. Schools have even begun implementing their own AI tools made to catch AI-written content submitted by students.
Cheating like this is often the first thought that comes to mind when considering ChatGPT in the classroom. There are also considerable concerns about the potential for misinformation in AI-written answers.
This impact on critical thinking could detriment learning and hugely shift lesson plans in the future. However, it’s also unlikely that teachers can eliminate AI from the classroom altogether. The key is to harness the benefits of AI, while educating on and avoiding the potential pitfalls for students.
Looking beyond concerns about originality, cheating and misinformation, AI has the potential to make some extremely positive changes for both teachers and students. It’s easy to get caught up in the negatives. Ultimately, dwelling on them doesn’t help students to develop for the world and workplace of the future.
The development of tools like ChatGPT have unlimited potential for the future of classrooms, and wider school operations. This includes benefits for both teaching staff and students. Below are just a few basic examples:
Teachers:
Students:
Just like with most things in the school environment, the key to ensuring the safe and appropriate use of AI in the classroom is education. As the technology develops, there is always going to be an element of misuse until we understand its benefits and drawbacks, but these experiences are to be learned from.
AI has a firm place in the digital world of the future. Schools have a responsibility to prepare students for that world. It would be counterproductive to act as if AI is not developing and evolving the education landscape. It is important to outline clear rules for the use of the technology, and continually evolve those guidelines according to the growth of the technology.
As we learn more about tools like ChatGPT, official guidance will become clearer. For now, it’s important to educate both staff and students on how generative AI tools can support learning, and where caution should be exercised.
The right EdTech has the potential to make all independent school processes much more efficient. Your MIS, school database, and additional systems are critical to the successful operation of your school.
At iSAMS, we continue to work to develop solutions that school’s need on a daily basis, with our cloud-based MIS as the centrepiece. If you’re interested in learning more about what iSAMS has to offer, you can watch our MIS demo below.