When it comes to artificial intelligence, new technology has been bringing about changes to everyday life, including education. One of the newest applications, ChatGPT, has exploded in popularity, reaching more than 100 million users since its’ release.
At Temple University, students and professors are learning to adapt to this new technology, which has created new questions for professors. This past semester, many teachers have added a new section in their syllabus, outlining rules for how students should – or should not – use artificial intelligence in their coursework.
At the center of these guidelines is the University’s Center for Advancement of Teaching (CAT). The CAT serves as the educational development center for faculty on campus. The Center analyzes evidence-based educational practices for professors to add to their classrooms, promoting success for students. The Associate Vice Provost and Senior Director at CAT, Stephanie Fiore, spoke about the center’s goal for approaching artificial intelligence and ChatGPT in the classroom. “It might be different from one course to another, and we want to make sure students are also navigating this new landscape, it’s not just faculty navigating this”, elaborating on how important it was for faculty to carefully approach this technology, in a way that would clarify questions and expectations for students.
At the center of these new guidelines is ChatGPT, software driven by artificial intelligence, that is capable of human-like conversation with users. The chatbot was released in November 2022 by OpenAI, an American artificial intelligence research company.
Stephen MacNeil, a professor in Temple’s Computer and Information Science Department spoke about the changes this new technology will bring to education. “There’s a lot of practices in education that some educators have been putting off, so I think moving away from high-stakes assessment towards more formative feedback, centering around student learning outcomes. With these AI models, and with plagiarism being so easy now, I think it’s finally forcing us to adapt.”
Throughout the university, there have been conflicting reactions about whether AI should be used in the classroom.
Ky Merritt, a junior at Temple, spoke about how differently some of his professors have approached the technology, creating possible confusion. “Some of them say, ‘use AI, it’s a valuable source, just make sure you cite it,’ and I’ve had others who basically say, ‘I don’t wanna hear about it at all, I don’t wanna see it, or there’s gonna be a problem.’ ”
Despite these new technological advancements, students and professors alike are learning to adapt to these new changes.
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