Quick Responses to ChatGPT
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Quick Responses to ChatGPT

In case you missed it, there's a new kid in your class this term. They have access to (most) of the Internet's vast trove of information, and are a pretty darn good writer. Ask them just about anything (what is utilitarianism?; write an essay about the purpose of business in the style of Milton Friedman; what should I have for dinner? I've got an avocado in the fridge and I'm allergic to limes) and they will come up with a decent response. For a short essay response, you probably couldn't tell their responses from your other students, and they aren't plagiarizing, so you won't identify their work using a tool like Turnitin.

Yeah, you guessed it—this kid is ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence tool, and higher education is buzzing about the impact it will have on what we teach and how we teach it. Suffice to say AI is coming to our classrooms, and there's no playbook developed yet for how to deal with it. 

A few quick ideas for how you might respond as we start the new term: 

  1. Update your syllabus. If you do nothing else, please do this! Be clear what is permissible in your class and what is not. For example, "I expect you to generate your own work in this class. When you submit any kind of work (including projects, exams, quizzes, or discussions), you are asserting that you have generated and written the text unless you indicate otherwise by the use of quotation marks and proper attribution for the source. Submitting content that has been generated by someone other than you, or was created or assisted by a computer application or tool, is cheating and constitutes a violation of the Student Conduct Code." 
  2. Use in-class time for assessments. Have students hand write answers to questions in class for formative or summative assessments.  **Keep in mind that some students may have accommodations in place that allow them the use of a computer, or may struggle with handwriting, so don't make this your sole means of assessment. 
  3. Individualize and personalize your assignments. The assignment "define sustainable business" is easily completed by the ChatGPT tool. "Compare the three definitions of sustainable business discussed in the readings this week and explain which one fits with the ethical perspective you discussed in Week 1" is not. Connect your assignments to case studies, class discussions, or hypothetical scenarios you create. Ask students to connect course material to experiences they have had at work or in their personal lives. 
  4. Give fewer assignments, but incorporate feedback. Try assigning an essay or project and then give students specific feedback to incorporate into a second draft. Even if the first draft was artificially enhanced, students will learn more through the interaction with your feedback and how it impacts their work on subsequent drafts.   
  5. Make it meaningful. When students feel they are being asked to generate busy work, or prepare rote responses to questions that can easily be found on the Internet, they are more likely to respond by using tools like ChatGPT. Think about how your assignments tie back to your learning goals and employ critical thinking and analysis. What are you asking your students to do that a computer cannot? 

This is just a starting point! You've probably got lots of other ideas, and I expect this is just the beginning of the conversation about the impact of AI on higher education—and the workforce in general. I look forward to sharing more information with you as I learn it, and engaging in a thoughtful discussion about how we might reimagine our learning objectives in light of the new and constantly changing world our students are inhabiting.  

Karthik Vijay

Business Administration | Sustainability | Attended WOHESC 2023

1y

Thanks for sharing your response on how to use AI to better the classroom. Personally, it seems like this can do a lot of good if used properly. Such as trying to solve a larger problem like tackling climate change and even getting us closer to curing cancer. A tool like this can improve the time it takes to solve more challenging problems in our world.

Lisa L. Templeton

Vice Provost, Division of Educational Ventures

1y

Great ideas, Inara! Thanks for sharing!

Annmarie Kelly-Harbaugh

Speaker. Storyteller. Host: Wild Precious Life. Author: Here Be Dragons: A Parent's Guide...

1y

"What are you asking your students to do that a computer cannot?" Such a great question as we embark upon a new semester. Thanks for these tips, Inara. 

Suzanne Dove

Innovation leader in business education | inclusive communities, sustainable growth

1y

These ideas are excellent, Inara! Thank you. It’s such a fascinating catalyst for reflecting on teaching and learning and how we can invest in supporting faculty to adapt to AI in the classroom. Could also have students ask ChatGPT a question and then students work together to improve the AI’s response. Or have students find examples of reliable sources that support the AI response vs examples of other sources that disagree.

Get to know how ChatGPT works! I’ve started “chatting” with it and plan to incorporate it into my classroom, as well as having open and ongoing conversations with students abojy how to use it.

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