Week Nine: Artificial Intelligence in Education
The topic of artificial intelligence in education seems to something that is completely unavoidable at this point. For people who read my inquiry post regarding the financial accessibility of VR in classrooms you will have probably noticed the disclaimer at the beginning explaining that it was written and created by utilizing AI technologies. In particular, sections of the post were written with prompts given to ChatGPT, and the sources used in the post were found in a similar fashion. If it is possible for me to write an entire entry utilizing AI, then I carry some significant concerns regarding the originality of student work in classrooms. As educators, should we be encouraging the use of AI as a powerful tool, or instructing students to avoid it to ensure deeper learning? How are educators able to detect the use of AI in student work, and how should we respond to students using AI under a number of circumstances?
To explore these questions further, I thought it would be interesting to include one of the prompts I gave ChatGPT:
Me: “Provide me with articles discussing how to make VR financially accessible in classrooms.”
ChatGPT: “Here are some articles discussing strategies to make Virtual Reality (VR) financially accessible in classrooms
Making VR Affordable and Accessible in Special Education Classrooms: This article provides a roadmap for educators to harness the power of VR without breaking the bank, offering strategies to create transformative learning experiences that are both affordable and accessible. (Project VOISS)
With the Right Investments, AR and VR Can Reduce Education Gaps: This piece discusses how augmented and virtual reality can be valuable educational tools, and how proper investments in research, teacher training, content, and devices can ensure all students benefit from these technologies. (ITIF)
How to Use AR and VR in the Classroom: This article explores the rise of immersive technologies in education, offering educators powerful tools to enhance traditional learning methods and cultivate essential skills in students. (The Financial Express)
VR in Education: Examples for Classroom Use: This piece discusses the costs associated with using VR in education and how these are coming down, making VR more accessible and comparable to other educational tools like iPads. (Fectar)
The Startup Bringing Virtual Reality into Australian Classrooms: This article highlights how an Australian startup is integrating VR into classrooms to enhance interactive education, providing insights into cost-effective implementation. (The Guardian)
These resources offer valuable insights into making VR an affordable and effective educational tool.”
The reason I chose to include this prompt in my reflection is to highlight the sheer level of detail I was able to gain from ChatGPT from a single sentence as the prompt. This makes me question how much learning or reflection is being done when the AI tool is essentially doing all of that work for the student. It’s even taking on the process of actually finding all of these articles for the student, which is troublesome because I question how ChatGPT decided on these articles in particular and how academically relevant they are in comparison to more peer reviewed articles.
However, I also see significant benefits to AI that can’t be ignored. For example, the amount of time it saves for students to actually think about and reflect on material rather than working on formatting or simply searching for relevant articles could be invaluable for learning. I can also see how AI would be an incredible tool for accessibility.
For these reasons, I don’t think that educators should completely write off the presence of AI usage in classrooms, but I do think it’s important to educate students on the ethical use of such tools, and encourage them to include their own voice and convey their own ideas instead of using AI to do all of the learning on their behalf. AI is a tool, and therefore it is important that we learn how to utilize that tool responsibility, and take accountability for our learning.
