Towards the end of 2022, the name ChatGPT was on everyone’s lips. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence app which can perform tasks that usually only humans can do (Morduchowizcz & Suanabar, 2023). This includes essays, computer code and drawings. So what does this mean for education?

Ryan (2023) points out that the NSW and QLD education departments have already banned ChatGPT in classrooms. I must admit, when I first heard about ChatGPT I had a lot of questions about the impact it would have at school. Will teachers have to change assessment tasks? How do we stop students from using it? How do we know if students have used it for their assignment? My questions all revolved around keeping things as they were and not making any changes. There has been an unending stream of technology advances for many, many years. Education settings have had to adapt every time there is a development, from television to whiteboards to the internet. As teachers we have to accept that students are going to use these tools and it is up to us to model and support them using it in a responsible manner.

So, where does this leave us? Teachers are already using ChatGPT to offload tasks such as writing emails, creating rubrics and coming up with lesson ideas. The article by Ryan (2023) gives an array of ideas for time-saving tips for teachers using ChatGPT. This is all well and good for teachers, but what about the students. In his blog article, 19 ways to use ChatGPT in your classroom, Ferlazzo (2023) has posted a multitude of ideas for harnessing AI with students. So far, ChatGPT sounds like a wonder-tool to save time for teachers and students alike.

However, it’s not all smiles and rainbows. Users of ChatGPT need to have skills to ensure that what is being produced is quality work. What we put into ChatGPT effects what comes out at the other end (Ryan, 2023). Griffith University’s Dr Chris Bigum states that “To use it well, you need three complementary skills and knowledge: a basic understanding of what it is and how it works; good promoting skills and the ability to judge the quality and accuracy of what it produces” (Ryan, 2023, p. 4). These are skills that need to be taught in the classroom to ensure that students have the skills to harness this technology appropriately.

At the end of the day, AI is not going away and it seems to be a ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ mentality. There is a time and place for ChatGPT and teachers need to model and teach these behaviours for students to be successful.

References

Ferlazzo, L. (2023, January 18). 19 ways to use ChatGPT in your classroom. Education week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-19-ways-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-classroom/2023/01

Morduchowizcz, A., & Suasnabar, J. M. (2023, January 30). ChatGPT and education: Opportunity, challenge, or threat? Enfoque Educacion. https://blogs.iadb.org/educacion/en/chatgpt-education/

Ryan, M. (2023, February 21). Here’s how teachers can model responsible use of ChatGPT. Education HQ. https://educationhq.com/news/heres-how-teachers-can-model-responsible-use-of-chatgpt-141449/