Is an Ice Cream Sandwich a Sandwich? The ChatGPT Conundrum

Students Should Surpass AI—or Not

When Boris Steipe, associate professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto, first asked ChatGPT questions from his bioinformatics course, it produced detailed, high-level answers that he deemed as good as his own. He still encourages his students to use the chat bot. But he also created The Sentient Syllabus Project, an initiative driven by three principles: AI should not be able to pass a course, AI contributions must be attributed and true, and the use of AI should be open and documented.

How Faculty Can Exploit ChatGPT’s (Current) Weaknesses

In the future, faculty members may get formal advice about how to craft assignments in a ChatGPT world, according to James Hendler, director of the Future of Computing Institute and professor of computer, web and cognitive sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

An Unsolved Problem

Big tech plans to mainstream AI writing tools in its products. For example, Microsoft, which recently invested in ChatGPT, will integrate the tool into its popular office software and sell access to the tool to other businesses. That has applied pressure to Google and Meta to speed up their AI-approval processes.

Conclusion

The emergence of sophisticated chat bots like ChatGPT has raised fundamental questions about the role of technology in higher education. While some faculty members are exploring ways to exploit ChatGPT’s weaknesses, others are challenging the idea that students should compete with AI. The debate highlights the need for educators to rethink their approach to teaching and assessment in the age of AI.

FAQs

Q: What are some ways faculty members can exploit ChatGPT’s weaknesses?

A: Some faculty members are creating assignments that require critical thinking, such as engaging in a Socratic debate with ChatGPT, or encouraging students to use the tool to produce first drafts that warrant review for accuracy, voice, audience, and integration to the purpose of the writing project.

Q: Should students be encouraged to use ChatGPT to produce first drafts?

A: Yes, some faculty members believe that students can use ChatGPT to produce first drafts, but then review and revise them to ensure accuracy, voice, audience, and integration to the purpose of the writing project.

Q: What are some potential risks associated with the use of AI writing tools?

A: Some potential risks include the possibility of students relying too heavily on the tool, rather than developing their own writing skills, and the potential for AI-generated content to be used to spread misinformation or propaganda.

Q: How can faculty members assess student learning in the age of AI?

A: Faculty members may need to reassess their approach to assessment and consider new methods that take into account the role of AI in the learning process. This may involve assessing students directly, rather than relying on proxy measures, and encouraging students to use AI tools in a way that promotes critical thinking and creativity.

Key points:

Media Literacy in the Age of AI

Media literacy has emerged as a critical skillset in today’s digital landscape. As individuals increasingly consume content from many platforms, understanding how to discern credible information from misinformation has become paramount.

Understanding AI and its role in media

Artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the media landscape, influencing how information is created, disseminated, and consumed. From algorithm-driven recommendations to AI-generated news articles, students must have the media literacy to recognize AI’s pervasive role in shaping their media experiences.

The impact of AI on information dissemination

AI shapes content creation and plays a vital role in how information is distributed. Platform algorithms like social media determine what news reaches users’ feeds, often prioritizing engagement over factual accuracy. These algorithms can lead to the viral spread of misinformation, leaving students vulnerable to consuming content that lacks credibility.

The effects of social media on students

Social media platforms serve as both a hub for engagement and a source of distraction for students. They offer avenues for sharing ideas, discovering new content, and collaborating with peers. However, these addictive platforms lead to excessive screen time and decreased attention spans, challenging students’ abilities to focus.

Engagement vs. distraction: Finding balance

Finding the right balance between engagement and distraction in the age of social media is fundamental for students’ success. Educators can model effective strategies for managing social media use in educational contexts.

Leveraging edtech tools for enhanced media literacy

Edtech tools are crucial in advancing media literacy skills among students in today’s AI-driven landscape. Numerous applications and platforms can facilitate engaged learning and critical thinking, helping students consume information and analyze, evaluate, and create content responsibly.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence and social media significantly influence information dissemination, and media literacy skills are vital for any online participant. By integrating innovative edtech tools into the classroom, educators equip students with the skills to navigate, assess, and contribute meaningfully to the media landscape.

FAQs

Q: What is media literacy, and why is it important?
A: Media literacy is the ability to critically evaluate and create media content. It is important because it helps individuals discern credible information from misinformation and understand how to create and share content responsibly.

Q: How does AI influence information dissemination?
A: AI shapes content creation and plays a vital role in how information is distributed. Algorithms like social media prioritize engagement over factual accuracy, which can lead to the viral spread of misinformation.

Q: What are some strategies for managing social media use in educational contexts?
A: Educators can set boundaries on usage during class time, promote focused activities that enhance learning, and encourage students to engage in digital detoxes during high-intensity study periods.

Q: What are some edtech tools that can facilitate engaged learning and critical thinking?
A: Tools like Canva, Adobe Spark, and WeVideo allow students to create visually engaging content. Fact-checking tools like Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact empower students to verify information. Discussion forums like Padlet or Flipgrid encourage collaborative discussions, and digital simulations and games like iCivics or Google’s Be Internet Awesome teach media literacy concepts.

The Nightmare on EdTech Street

If your web filter requires a frightening amount of effort to manage, you’re not alone. Most web filters were designed for a simpler time — before cloud computing, AI, cyber stalkers, and the forces of technology changed the educational landscape forever.

You may fondly recall happier days, when school web filtering was simply about blocking inappropriate content. But those days have vanished. Today’s K-12 requirements demand a solution capable of much more. Yet you find yourself chained to an unforgiving filter that:

• Terrorizes you with endless false positives
• Haunts you with inflexible block/allow policies
• Curses you with tedious tasks and workarounds
• Is more complicated than a Cenobite’s puzzle box

The Nightmare Continues

The horror story continues when these rigid and lumbering web filters encounter modern challenges.

Imagine the screams when a teacher requests access to YouTube for their class plan, but your filter is limited to all-or-nothing blocking.

Or the terror of discovering you can’t handle iOS devices just as your district rolls out a new iPad program.

These aren’t fantastical ghost stories told around the campfire; they’re daily realities for many K-12 IT administrators.

Managing Your School Web Filter Shouldn’t Be Scary

Fortunately, there’s hope in this all-too-common tale of terror. A modern cloud-based filtering solution like Securly Filter will help you exorcise the demons that haunt you once and for all.

Much more than a content blocker, Securly Filter is the hub of a comprehensive safety, wellness, and engagement ecosystem. Like the Casper of school web filters, you can rely on Securly Filter to be the friendly helping hand you need:

• Automatically scans and categorizes new websites faster than a witch on a jet-powered broomstick
• Supports all devices — no IT sacrifices required
• Provides flexible YouTube controls that are shockingly un-frightening to manage
• Lets you introduce AI safely without spooking your administrators or teachers
• Reveals previously elusive edtech usage analytics and insights
• Pairs perfectly with other Securly solutions, like fava beans and a nice Chianti

Treat Yourself to a Better, Friendlier School Web Filter

Why suffer through another school year of filtering frights when there’s a better option? Explore what’s possible with a flexible cloud-based school web filter that does more than just block content.

Conclusion

Managing your school web filter doesn’t have to be a terrifying experience. With Securly Filter, you can rest easy knowing your students are safe and secure online, and your IT team is empowered to focus on what matters most: education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What makes Securly Filter different from other school web filters?
A: Securly Filter is a modern cloud-based solution that offers a comprehensive safety, wellness, and engagement ecosystem, with features like AI-powered scanning, flexible YouTube controls, and device support.

Q: Is Securly Filter difficult to manage?
A: No, Securly Filter is designed to be easy to manage, with a user-friendly interface and automated scanning and categorization.

Q: Can I use Securly Filter with my existing devices and infrastructure?
A: Yes, Securly Filter supports all devices and can be easily integrated with your existing infrastructure.

Q: What kind of support does Securly Filter offer?
A: Securly Filter offers 24/7 technical support and a comprehensive knowledge base to help you get the most out of your solution.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg once advised tech founders to “move fast and break things.” But in moving fast, some argue that he “broke” those young people whose social media exposure has led to depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, poor body image and loss of privacy or sleep during a vulnerable life stage.

Now, Big Tech is moving fast again with the release of sophisticated AI chat bots, not all of which have been adequately vetted before their public release.

OpenAI launched an artificial intelligence arms race in late 2022 with the release of ChatGPT—a sophisticated AI chat bot that interacts with users in a conversational way, but also lies and reproduces systemic societal biases. The bot became an instant global sensation, even as it raised concerns about cheating and how college writing might change.

In response, Google moved up the release of its rival chat bot, Bard, to Feb. 6, despite employee leaks that the tool was not ready. The company’s stock sank after a series of product missteps. Then, a day later, and in an apparent effort not to be left out of the AI–chat bot party, Microsoft launched its AI-powered Bing search engine. Early users quickly found that the eerily human-sounding bot produced unhinged, manipulative, rude, threatening, and false responses, which prompted the company to implement changes—and AI ethicists to express reservations.

Rushed decisions, especially in technology, can lead to what’s called “path dependence,” a phenomenon in which early decisions constrain later events or decisions, according to Mark Hagerott, a historian of technology and chancellor of the North Dakota University system who earlier served as deputy director of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Center for Cyber Security Studies. The QWERTY keyboard, by some accounts (not everyone agrees), may have been designed in the late 1800s to minimize jamming of high-use typewriter letter keys. But the design persists even on today’s cellphone keyboards, despite the suboptimal arrangement of the letters.

“Being deliberate doesn’t mean we’re going to stop these things, because they’re almost a force of nature,” Hagerott said about the presence of AI tools in higher ed. “But if we’re engaged early, we can try to get more positive effects than negative effects.”

AI Policies Take Shape—and Require Updates

When Emily Pitts Donahoe, associate director of instructional support at the University of Mississippi’s Center for Teaching and Learning, began teaching this semester, she understood that she needed to address her students’ questions and excitement surrounding ChatGPT. In her mind, the university’s academic integrity policy covered instances in which students, for example, copied or misrepresented work as their own. That freed her to craft a policy that began from a place of openness and curiosity.

Donahoe opted to co-create a course policy on generative AI writing tools with her students. She and the students engaged in an exercise in which they all submitted suggested guidelines for a class policy, after which they upvoted each other’s suggestions. Donahoe then distilled the top votes into a document titled “Academic integrity guidelines for use and attribution of AI.”

An Often-Missing Ingredient AI Chat Bot Policy

Bing AI is “much more powerful than ChatGPT” and “often unsettling,” Mollick wrote in a tweet thread about his engagement with the bot before Microsoft imposed restrictions.

“I say that as someone who knows that there is no actual personality or entity behind a [large language model],” Mollick wrote. “But, even knowing that it was basically auto-completing a dialog based on my prompts, it felt like you were dealing with a real person. I never attempted to ‘jailbreak’ the chat bot or make it act in any particular way, but I still got answers that felt extremely personal, and interactions that made the bot feel intentional.”

Conclusion

As AI chat bots continue to infiltrate higher education, it is crucial that colleges and universities develop policies that address not only academic integrity and creative classroom uses but also the potential mental health risks associated with students’ emotional relationships to these tools. By acknowledging the limitations and biases of AI chat bots, educators can help students develop critical thinking skills and navigate the complex landscape of AI-infused learning.

FAQs

Q: What are the concerns surrounding AI chat bots in higher education?
A: Concerns include academic integrity, accuracy, bias, and potential mental health risks associated with students’ emotional relationships to these tools.

Q: What are some potential solutions to these concerns?
A: Solutions include developing policies that address academic integrity, accuracy, and bias, as well as providing students with AI literacy training to help them navigate their emotional responses to these tools.

Q: How can educators help students develop critical thinking skills in an AI-infused learning environment?
A: Educators can help students develop critical thinking skills by acknowledging the limitations and biases of AI chat bots, encouraging students to question and evaluate the information they receive, and promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Q: What is path dependence, and how does it relate to AI chat bots in higher education?
A: Path dependence refers to the phenomenon in which early decisions constrain later events or decisions. In the context of AI chat bots, path dependence can lead to the persistence of suboptimal design choices, such as the QWERTY keyboard layout, despite the availability of better alternatives.