ChatGPT and Higher Education: Crisis or Opportunity?

ChatGPT is an AI/ML-powered text generator that uses Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF). The GPT part of it stands for "Generative Pre-trained Transformer." Version 3, which was trained on a vast corpus of text and content up until 2021, was released on November 2022. Version 4 is expected later this year, and it will be far more accurate and useful!

In ChatGPT’s own words:

“ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI, designed to understand natural language and generate human-like responses to a wide range of questions and prompts. It was trained on a vast amount of text data using deep learning techniques, and can be used for a variety of applications such as chatbots, language translation, and question-answering systems.”

The space of generative AI tools and technologies is quickly filling up. For example, Bard/LaMDA (Google), OPT (Meta), Amazon's recently-announced model, and even Alibaba and Baidu are joining the ChatGPT rush! In this discussion, while the focus is on ChatGPT, most of the points are applicable to other similar generative AI tools.

What Can ChatGPT Do?

ChatGPT can do a lot of useful things, many of which are not clear to us now but will continue to be identified as we explore it more. ChatGPT can create human-like text, essays, software code and scripts, solve math problems, and more. It can write malware, create data encryption tools, and write code for the dark web. It can generate marketing content, social media content, and blog posts. It can write jokes and poems if given enough details! It learns from past conversations and allows users to provide corrections. Some news organizations are already publishing content created by ChatGPT, and many professionals are using it in their work!

ChatGPT Limitations

The accuracy of what ChatGPT offers depends on the data it was trained on and the underlying model's capacity to properly stitch those pieces together. ChatGPT generates coherent answers, that are sometimes wrong, limited, inaccurate, or biased. This may be due to the fact that there is no “source of truth” in its training. Thus, users must be careful not to confuse coherence with truth or accuracy! ChatGPT can occasionally “hallucinate” by intermixing facts with fabrications and making things up! It can get math problems wrong. It is extremely verbose and uses certain phrases excessively. Finally, it does not like to be asked opinion-based questions!

Prompt Engineering

To realize the full benefits of ChatGPT, proper prompting is a must, as ChatGPT’s performance heavily depends on how well a prompt is constructed by the user. This is referred to as “prompt engineering,” which aims at designing the most appropriate prompt given a generative model and a goal. It describes the ability to craft prompts in a way that leads to useful responses. With optimal prompting, ChatGPT can perform some tasks amazingly well and can produce output that matches what the user is looking for.

ChatGPT as a Cheating Tool?

Many people, especially in higher education, are concerned that students will use ChatGPT to cheat on papers, essays, tests, and quizzes. They are absolutely correct! Academic integrity is being jeopardized by ChatGPT.

But should we panic? I do not think so.

Cheating is neither new nor unique. Even before ChatGPT, published statistics showed that more than 60% of university students admitted to cheating in some form! Cheaters will, of course, use the latest technology to try to get away with it, and ChatGPT does indeed make it easier (and free!) for students to cheat.

Many years ago, the Internet made it very easy to find content to plagiarize, buy content, and hire people to write content, or even take exams on one’s behalf! The next great cheating tool is being born right now!

Disruptive technologies are innovations that break with established patterns and fundamentally change the way we operate. They have always initially been viewed as a threat! ChatGPT is disruptive, but we have seen this cycle of technology adoption before, e.g., TVs, calculators, the Internet, e-commerce, ride-sharing apps, etc. Eventually, ChatGPT could become as ubiquitous as calculators and Uber!

Interestingly, AI-generated text may be easier to detect than content purchased from “service providers,” even without using detection tools!

A New Era for Education

What does all of that mean for higher education? Individuals and institutions everywhere have mixed feelings and opinions about ChatGPT: concerns mixed with excitement!

However, most agree on two things: (1) higher education is going to change, and (2) this change has been due for a long time! (The same probably applies to education as a whole and not just higher education.)

ChatGPT simply advanced and accelerated the already-existing case for the need for change in higher education. Education can no longer focus on how much information one can absorb and retain. Instead, the focus should be on how to find information (i.e., how to search and ask the right questions or use the right prompts!) and what to do with the information and how to apply it to solve problems. ChatGPT is a call to action for academia to shift away from one-way knowledge transfer and toward active development of competencies, experiences, and technical agility.

Education is going to change. It is time. ChatGPT made that clear. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand. We should view ChatGPT as a very effective equalizer that will democratize knowledge acquisition!

Yes, it is very likely that ChatGPT will replace many standard classroom practices, allowing educators and students to spend more time on engaging and authentic tasks. If ChatGPT can get us away from “teaching to the test,” then AI and ChatGPT have done us a great favor! Is it really worth doing an assignment or project if it can be easily completed by ChatGPT?

We need to engage in a fundamental rethinking and redesign of education and assessment.

Do We Have a Choice?

The AI/ChatGPT train is moving fast. Still, we can jump and lead. It will not stop because we lack interest or motivation. If educators do not lead in the use of ChatGPT, students will use it anyway, but in the wrong ways and for the wrong reasons. They will miss out on valuable learning opportunities!

Also, it is not wise to limit the discussion to how ChatGPT can be used to generate text, as this would ignore its other possibilities. ChatGPT can not only produce text but also computer code, tables, lists, Excel formulas, etc. While any AI-generated output requires checking/editing, at least for now, the net result is significant time savings and increased efficiencies and productivity.

Faculty can redesign their classes to utilize the time saved by engaging students in more fruitful discussions and applications of key thematic ideas, and making connections to real-world problems and opportunities.

Upon graduation, students will enter a world where they are required to use AI/ChatGPT to be competitive, more productive, and more innovative. They are stepping into a world that requires lifelong learning skills. We must empower our students and give them an edge in the future they will face. We cannot ignore ChatGPT or just be obsessed with how to “shield” against it!

Using AI technologies and tools is a critical skill for students and their futures. We must lead and teach our students how to use them correctly, both technically and ethically.

Professionals in different industries are working to identify ways to use and benefit from ChatGPT in their work. We simply cannot afford to have our graduates hit the market without being fully prepared. We owe it to our students. We simply do not have a choice.

Detecting ChatGPT Content

The current anti-plagiarism software tools used today are useless when it comes to ChatGPT-generated content! Several GPT detectors are becoming available including OpenAI own’s tool, GPTZero, Content At Scale, Hugging Face, CrossPlag, Writer AI Content Detector, Draft & Goal, etc. Turnitin is also adding GPT detection capabilities, etc.

Academic institutions need to explore and select an appropriate GPT/AI detection tool. It does help a lot if the selected tool can be integrated with the Learning Management System (LMS) used by the institution.

But can we totally rely on ChatGPT detectors? As AI/GPT technologies evolve, the detectors will also evolve, as will the technology to bypass AI/GPT detectors, and the efficacy rate of the detectors is expected to drop! There are already tools that help students paraphrase ChatGPT content and bypass ChatGPT detectors! Students are familiar with those tools and have been using them to rewrite plagiarized Google Search content to circumvent Turnitin and other anti-plagiarism tools! Even Google Translate can be used for that!

Still, we need AI/GPT detection tools. They can act as a deterrent in some cases, at least. Institutions that select to use an AI/GPT detection tool must formulate appropriate policies. ChatGPT detectors, unlike traditional anti-plagiarism detectors, will not produce definitive evidence of cheating. As a result, a policy for dealing with AI-plagiarized work that is flagged by automated AI/GPT detectors is a must. Existing policies, which cover cheating detected by traditional anti-plagiarism tools, are not adequate for the new realities.

Privacy Concerns

The use of ChatGPT and other AI/GPT tools involves the collection and use of data, including users’ personal data. Faculty and students alike should be discouraged from sharing personal information with ChatGPT. This has ethical and legal implications. A lot of awareness must be done.

Interestingly, and referring to OpenAI’s Privacy Policy, we note that OpenAI may access any information fed into or created by its technology, use log-in data, track users, etc., while not necessarily honoring the “Do Not Track” setting on users’ browsers.

Use Cases in Higher Education

ChatGPT can be used in a variety of useful and legit ways; please check the reading list at the end of the article. This includes, but is not limited to, the following use cases.

Students can use ChatGPT:

• To check their readiness by asking ChatGPT to generate their own quizzes.
• As a study partner.
• As a debate opponent.
• To explain concepts and ask for practice exam questions.
• To emulate conversations to improve their language skills.
• To provide feedback on their own essays.
• To generate ideas for essay topics.

Faculty can:

• Ask students to use ChatGPT to write on a topic, and then ask them to add claims, evidence, or analysis.
• Ask students to enter their ideas in ChatGPT, and then ask it to convert them to academic writing style. Students can then be asked to compare and learn.
• Ask students to compare ChatGPT-produced content against reliable sources of information.
• Ask students to use ChatGPT to generate short essays, then critique what ChatGPT has written and discuss in class.
• Ask students to use ChatGPT to produce different versions of text on the same topic, then compare and evaluate the different versions.
• Ask students to develop an argument and ask ChatGPT to refute it. Students can then use the rebuttal to strengthen the argument.
• Use ChatGPT to provide educational content for their courses: e.g., examples, test questions, etc.
• Use ChatGPT in language courses: e.g., suggest questions for a text in another language, etc.
• Use ChatGPT to write a lesson plan for a certain course learning outcome, generate assessment questions, etc.
• Feed their assignments into ChatGPT. If it gives a model response, faculty can revise the assignment!

Recommendations for Higher Education Institutions

While every academic institution is different, the following are some ideas for moving forward:

• Form an institution-wide ChatGPT task force to guide and oversee all ChatGPT initiatives.
• Form college-level task forces to identify ways where ChatGPT could enhance the curriculum, identify and develop ways to incorporate ChatGPT into teaching and learning and report to the central task force.
• Provide mandatory, hands-on ChatGPT training to all academics and academic administrators.
• Require each academic program to develop a new course that is specifically designed for working with ChatGPT and other AI/GPT text generators.
• Explore and deploy a GPT detector, ideally integrated with the LMS.
• Update the relevant policies and procedures to include the misuse of AI tools and specify what counts as AI misuse and how to handle such cases. Make sure to cover cheating flagged by AI/GPT detection tools.
• Revise all syllabi by adding statements indicating whether and how AI/GPT tools can be used. This can be different from one course to another.
• Have open discussions with students about academic honesty, integrity, and ethics as they relate to ChatGPT and AI tools.
• Offer hands-on training courses to students on the use of ChatGPT and similar AI tools, regardless of whether their courses allow them or not.

The following are some recommendations related specifically to assessments. The goal here is to minimize the possibility and impact of ChatGPT-based cheating on assignments.

• Faculty can increase the weight of the “process” compared to the “product.” If a perfect product (e.g., an essay) is the only way to receive a high grade, students are more likely to cheat. Instead, give more weight to the process: active learning and participation throughout the course.
• Faculty can adopt various approaches to get students to develop and showcase their knowledge or learning: debates, etc.
• Faculty can consider making assignments more specific since ChatGPT usually provides generalized responses. For example, having assignments that require students to write about recent news or incidents, or about a discussion that took place in class or in online class forums.

Concluding Remark

ChatGPT and other AI tools are here to stay. We need to see this as an opportunity. Let us not be obsessed with trying to block them. We will not succeed. It is time for higher education to change.

What do you think?

To read more about ChatGPT in the context of education:

ChatGPT: What the Revolutionary Chatbot Is Good At (and What It’s Not)

Eight ways to engage with AI writers in higher education

Webinar to Examine the Use of ChatGPT in Higher Education

ChatGPT Is a Plague Upon Education

What does ChatGPT mean for higher education?

ChatGPT is infiltrating higher education. Some academics say it's time to embrace it.

Higher Ed Reactions to ChatGPT Run the Gamut

What Is ChatGPT and How Is It Used in Education?

Coping With ChatGPT

ChatGPT, Friend or Foe in the Classroom?

Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence Tools

Classroom Policies for AI Generative Tools

Four lessons from ChatGPT: Challenges and opportunities for educators

19 Ways to Use ChatGPT in Your Classroom

ChatGPT and AI Text Generators: Should Academia Adapt or Resist?