ChatGPT & Academic Integrity

 

The edu-sphere is abuzz with the potential of ChatGPT, both for good and for evil. How should teachers and schools react? 

If in the madness of teaching during the holiday season, you missed the coverage of the new chatbot that writes a variety of genres, including essays, lesson plans, and even computer code, you can read more here and here. 

I concur with Matt Miller and others that blocking access to one chatbot is an exercise in futility. For one, filters likely only work on campus networks. Moreover, more chatbot tools will likely emerge as the technology grows in popularity. It would be a waste of manpower to try to keep up with all of them. 

What can teachers do, then, but embrace the potential? Embrace, also, the responsibility to incorporate education and model best practices.

For instance, MLA and other style guides provide guidelines for citing the outputs of chatbots and other AI tools. Did you use ChatGPT to generate that stellar parent-teacher conference letter like this? Be sure to give credit to your source. OpenAI provides guidance for ChatGPT specifically as well. 

Schools, programs, and teachers should also educate students in appropriate and inappropriate uses for all forms of AI. Teachers and content developers should also continue to design courses thoughtfully, so that not only are answers not easily google-able, but they also are not easily AI-generated. Ask students to reflect on personal experiences in writing essays. This will not only foil the knowledge of the chatbot, but also make the learning "stickier" for the student. 

If you suspect a student used an AI tool, start a conversation. Since these tools are new, seize this as a teaching moment and not necessarily as a time for harsh consequences. Likely, this will necessitate a live conference by phone or video, as the tone is often lost in an email. First, confirm the tool used and remain positive about the student's use of available tools. Give the student information about how to use AI to generate ideas, and how to translate those ideas into their own work, just as they would do during the research steps of any project. Finally, share the proper way to cite AI sources. 

While chatbots and AI are not a part of the world in which I prepared to become an educator, they will always be a part of the world in which my students live. A well-rounded education will prepare them to thrive in this world.