How Educators Can Responsibly Use ChatGPT in the Classroom: A Practical Guide
The emergence of ChatGPT has sparked debate among educators about its potential risks and benefits. While concerns about academic dishonesty persist, tools like ChatGPT can enhance teaching and learning when integrated thoughtfully. Hong Yang, a lecturer at the University of Reading, shares her approach to using ChatGPT responsibly in her courses on air pollution. By leveraging ChatGPT for project design, programming assistance, and generating ideas, she ensures students learn both core subject matter and how to work with AI tools in their future careers.
However, educators must remain mindful of the biases embedded in large language models (LLMs) and take steps to decolonise curricula to foster inclusivity. By diversifying assessments and incorporating tools like ChatGPT responsibly, educators can balance academic integrity with skill development in an AI-driven world.
Important Points
- Integrating ChatGPT into Education:
- Students use ChatGPT to design research projects, generate ideas, and debug R code for statistical analysis.
- Practical examples, such as analysing CO2 levels on campus, illustrate how AI can streamline project workflows.
- Adapting Assessments:
- Oral presentations complement written assignments, fostering original thinking and reducing plagiarism risks.
- Personalised feedback ensures students engage critically with the material.
- Challenges with AI Tools:
- ChatGPT exhibits biases due to the over-representation of privileged groups in training data.
- Reliance on English-dominated data sets risks marginalising non-Western perspectives.
- Practical Tips for Educators:
- Learn how to create effective prompts and refine them iteratively.
- Diversify assessment methods to enhance inclusivity and prevent academic dishonesty.
- Collaborate with colleagues and students to co-edit and test ChatGPT prompts.
- Long-Term Vision:
- Encourage students to view ChatGPT as a tool, not a substitute, for learning.
- Prepare students for future workplaces where AI tools may be integral to their roles.
