In November of 2022, an artificial intelligence language model was developed and released for public use. Known as ChatGPT, this tool has grown largely in popularity since its development, and with millions of users, more and more possibilities are unlocked. Many similar models exist with varying degrees of popularity.
The most popular AI model by far is ChatGPT. Using the website, a user can input a prompt or question, and the website will write a response in any format the user requests. The website uses pattern recognition to consult a variety of resources and come up with a response that it thinks fits the prompt.
In the 2023-2024 DePaul Prep student handbook, a section was added regarding the use of AI and plagiarism. Many syllabi also featured an updated section on the use of AI for cheating. Junior Terry Fabianski says that he “knows a lot of people use it to do homework,” so is there a true problem with cheating?
English department chair Liz Galvez says the department noticed an increased amount of students using tools like ChatGPT to plagiarize. Galvez says that these violations started to pop up in the spring of 2023: “It did happen in a few different English classes, and because I’m the chair, I was looped into all those situations.”
So, how do these tools really work in a classroom? Raymond Maseman, AP Computer Science Principles teacher at DePaul Prep, says that a lot of things currently used in the classroom, by teachers and students alike, are actually a form of artificial intelligence. Examples of this are autograding systems, and even search engines. However, “ChatGPT really showed up in the media, and people aren’t really aware of other programs that exist,” he says.
When programs such as ChatGPT first gained widespread media attention, there were worries about what it might be capable of, and arguments were made for both the positives and the negatives of the tool.
According to Paul Sheldon, AP Language and Composition teacher, these models have plenty of limitations that students may not be aware of. Sheldon says that because of the way that ChatGPT works, it uses “whatever it finds in a large pool of language” to come up with information, so it has very little value as a research tool. “I would put it at the same level as Wikipedia, or even Wikipedia minus,” he says.
Artificial Intelligence language models are far from perfect. When given a prompt, they produce “extremely generic answers to the question,” says Maseman. This occurs because language models are programmed to “find all the times words are used together, and then put them together in those same ways.”
Simply put, language models are created to find patterns and replicate them, not create original content. While this may be fine for solving math problems or writing code, where it fails is in writing.
Despite the common association between AI and cheating it can be used in the classroom in a positive light as well. For instance, in the coding program used in Maseman’s AP Computer Science Principles class, CodeHS, “AI will generate hints for students who are stuck on their code,” Maseman says. Using AI language models can often give a good baseline or inspiration to solve a problem, but often fails in the details.
On the more creative side, Sheldon feels that AI language generators can be used as a tool for brainstorming new ideas. “If a teacher allows the use of tools to brainstorm, this might be one of those tools,” he says. Additionally, for contexts outside academics, it can help writers word their thoughts.
However, many brainstorming situations need students to come up with their own original thoughts, and using a tool like ChatGPT may leave students ill-prepared. For example, on the AP Lang exam, “the ultimate goal is using no tools at all to support an argument,” Sheldon says. Using any kind of tool would be a detriment to a student’s ability to succeed, so he cautions students against using it.
Overall, Maseman feels that new AI technology is “not something to freak out about,” he says. As technology advances, its potential uses and capabilities change. New technologies are intended to improve the world and advance what was previously possible, and “just like calculators and other developments for education, resisting is kind of silly,” said Sheldon. It is here to stay, but it must be used with proper knowledge of its limitations.
