ChatGPT VS. Schoolwork: Friend Or Foe?

Based on an interview with Mélissa Canseliet, an expert in cyberpsychology

The school year has begun, and now more than ever, we’re faced with the question of how artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as ChatGPT will impact students’ work.

ChatGPT, an advanced and publicly available form of artificial intelligence, is able to write entire essays, summarize books, and draft oral presentations. But does this instant access to information mean that young people will no longer need to reflect or work hard?

In New York, public schools have decided to ban ChatGPT on all devices and school networks. Jenna Lyle, a spokesperson for New York City’s Department of Education, insists that “While the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success.”¹

The downsides of these technologies seem obvious, but is the outlook really so bleak? What opportunities can AI create? Mélissa Canseliet, an expert in cyberpsychology and founder of Humanet, breaks down the situation.

IS PLAGIARIZING CONTENT ONLINE TO COMPLETE HOMEWORK A NEW PHENOMENON?

Students have been leveraging online content to complete their homework for as long as the Internet has been around. From pre-written essays to book summaries, there’s no shortage of ways to cheat. Schools have had to adapt accordingly by acquiring software to detect plagiarized content in their students’ homework. So, what makes AI different?

With its ability to generate sophisticated content and give it a personalized style, ChatGPT offers today’s students a number of unprecedented tools. In Québec, some teachers have set up the Facebook group called “ChatGPT and AI in education” to flush out cheating, and ChatGPT has even created a tool to help teachers spot plagiarism. But despite these attempts to control student use of AI tools, it’s easy to imagine that AI users will simply become better at taking advantage of flaws in the system, especially since these new technologies are constantly improving and giving users the means to do exactly that.

CAN USING CHATGPT FOR SCHOOL WORK LEAD TO ACADEMIC DISENGAGEMENT?

Academic engagement refers to a person’s motivation. According to Mélissa Canseliet, “Motivation is an impetus which derives from the perceived reward you get from making an effort. The greater the perceived reward, the greater the motivation and the more likely you are to make an effort.” It’s also important to note that adolescent brains are especially quick to react to rewards.

In fact, the different parts of an adolescent’s brain develop at different rates. For example, the limbic system (responsible for processing emotions and feelings of gratification) develops before the prefrontal cortex (responsible for judgment and planning) is fully developed, even though the prefrontal cortex controls the limbic system.²

Knowing this, it’s easy to understand why young people are drawn to using AI to do their homework, since it’s an easy way to get a reward—in this case, the all-important good grades. But will using AI chip away at their academic engagement over time? How can someone continue to be stimulated when they know the game is rigged? When working hard loses its meaning and rewards are no longer a direct result of the effort you put in, your ability to reason, or your ability to create something unique?

Faced with this new reality, continuing to teach and assess schoolwork with the current system seems doomed to fail, which is in line with New York City’s position and with Québec teachers’ calls for AI regulation.

But isn’t there an opportunity here to use these technologies to develop other skills in young people? Our world is changing, and the know-how we once needed seems destined to change along with it.

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DOES CHATGPT OPEN UP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN SCHOOL?

According to Mélissa Canseliet, “In the realm of education, there’s an opportunity to make the most of deeply human skills that AI cannot yet replicate. Working on these skills would help teens tune into the cognitive functions they are in the process of developing. We can also focus on critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and communication, all of which are developing quickly in adolescence. These would give them a framework for understanding what they’re going through.

What’s more, with technical knowledge becoming more and more automated, soft skills* are going to become increasingly important in the workplace. By putting more emphasis on these skills in school, we would create a clear bridge between academic learning and what’s valued in a professional environment. These shifts would ensure that schoolwork remains meaningful and increase young people’s engagement.”

So, how do we make the shift?

Changing established teaching methods is a major undertaking that requires reflection and effort; but it can also represent a real opportunity to help future generations prepare for what lies ahead.

With this in mind, various organizations have built a foundational list of qualities that people will need to succeed in the 21^st century. According to the P21 Framework,³ which offers the most comprehensive framework to date, there are 12 essential skills divided into three categories:

👉 Learning and innovation skills (the 4Cs ): critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.
👉 Information, media, and technology skills: the ability to sort through information and effectively use media and technology.
👉 Life and career skills: flexibility, initiative, social skills, productivity, and leadership.

Faced with the rise of artificial intelligence, these inherently human skills are difficult to computerize, at least for the foreseeable future.

HOW CAN WE EFFECTIVELY USE CHATGPT IN HIGH SCHOOL TEACHING?

If we react to ChatGPT by simply reorganizing skills assessment to in-person formats, we’d miss out on all the opportunities AI has to offer.

Instead, why not start nurturing students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to express themselves by asking them about this new tool?

What do they think about ChatGPT? What has their personal experience been like?
What has the tool helped them with, and what were its limitations when it comes to problem-solving?
How do these new technologies impact their outlook on life, their way of managing their workload, or their personal or academic development?

It could also be interesting to review how homework is assigned and assessed. Rather than limiting oral presentations to a mass of information that student’s simply organize and reformulate into a class presentation, why not get them to animate a discussion on their chosen theme?  Their grade could be largely based on their ability to convince classmates to take part in the conversation by coming up with an appealing topic that invites a sharing of ideas, then leading the discussion with their peers in an interesting and constructive way.

It is feasible to believe that while AI may not make future generations lazier, it will undoubtedly make them less motivated if the education system doesn’t make some serious changes. By giving soft skills the respect they deserve, we can help keep young people engaged in school and develop a generation that knows how to meet the specific challenges of our ever-changing world.

*Soft skills: this concept refers to behavioural, relational, and transferable skills. Unlike hard skills, which are related to technical and academic skills, soft skills have more to do with personality and social skills. As such, they speak directly to inherently human qualities.

Sources

¹https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/new-york-city-public-schools-ban-chatgpt-devices-networks-rcna64446
²https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain?subtitle=fr
³https://www.competencesdu21emesiecle.com/decouvrir/qu-est-ce-que-les-competences-du-21eme-siecle/