All it takes is a click

Life progresses as technology does.

The tools we have at hand impact how we talk, work, play and learn. For example, the abundance of gadgets in our society has allowed us to talk over long distances, work faster and more productively, play various games, and explore different topics with just a click.

Technology is a fantastic thing, indeed.

One of the factors affected by technology is education, “the great equalizer,” according to Horace Mann. Learners today have greater exposure to technology. One such piece of technology that is quite popular with the youth is ChatGPT.

ChatGPT’s adaptive learning is one factor that makes it a handy tool for many.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OFpexels/ theshantanukr

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) that generates dialogue in response to user input as described by Amanda Hetler of TechTarget, has great educational potential. From answering simple queries to assisting in essay writing, ChatGPT’s algorithms operate to cater to users’ needs, enhance their learning experiences, and enable them to complete tasks more efficiently.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH/ arthur-lambillotte

For students juggling their academic schedules and personal lives, the need for a tool to streamline their schoolwork is common. ChatGPT is precisely that tool. With its ability to provide detailed answers akin to a human and its swift response to the right questions, it is a game-changer, a dream come true for learners worldwide, particularly those who may find answering questions and writing challenging. ChatGPT empowers students to tackle their tasks quickly and efficiently, a significant advantage in today’s fast-paced educational environment.

But it is important to consider both sides. Is ChatGPT all good? Let us delve into its pros and cons and how its use might affect education.

Positive effects

ChatGPT’s adaptive learning is one factor that makes it a handy tool for many.

Through a learner’s frequent queries, the AI’s algorithms trace the students’ learning style pattern to deliver resources most suited for their needs.

Writing is a part of a student’s life. As such, students can use ChatGPT to correct errors by running the material through the program, wait for it to use its algorithms to suggest tips and sources that will enhance the copy.

In short, ChatGPT is an efficient way to gain information, polish outputs, and learn essential skills with a click.

Negative effects

While ChatGPT’s adaptive learning allows it to respond speedily to students’ questions once they are patterned, these responses may be answers to questions provided by the instructor that require respect for the source material.

Thus, there is a significant risk of plagiarism in ChatGPT-generated answers.

The issue of plagiarism is familiar to writing. With information merely copied from other sources by a machine, the student potentially does not learn any fundamental writing skills and passes material generated by a machine copied from various sources that are not cited properly.

ChatGPT can threaten learners, offer a shortcut to accomplishing tasks, and hinder learning essential skills.

Adapting to the emergence of ChatGPT, similar technologies in education

It is natural for students and educators to be awed and intimidated by the benefits and challenges of novel technology greatly impacting education and learning. After all, it may sometimes feel like humans are being replaced by robots each time a teacher runs an output through a detector only to find 99 percent of her student’s work is AI-generated.

In a world with rapidly advancing technology, it is best for all to be educated on how ChatGPT and other technologies being developed are ultimately machines that still need a thinking, breathing human to use them properly. Humans should think and create, not AI.

In education, rather than banning ChatGPT, students should be given clear boundaries and warnings on how to and how not to use them in their schoolwork. Teachers must implement AI checkers and certain boundaries on how much content must be AI-generated. Students must also learn how to do their work without AI and utilize ChatGPT and technology to the benefit of their knowledge.

After all, all it takes is a click to be aware of such technological advancements such as ChatGPT. We need to consider their impacts on learning in school and elsewhere.

Click wisely.