Get familiar with ChatGPT and other Generative AI. Instructors and students might
benefit from learning how to effectively use them. in the teaching and learning process. Doing so includes training on how to use the
system, how to formulate effective questions, and how to interpret responses.
Before using ChatGPT and other Generative AI, it is important to clearly define the
learning outcomes, assessments, instructional content, and activities for the course.
This will help ensure that these tools are used in a way that is aligned with the
overall learning outcomes for the course.
Communicate to students what ChatGPT and other Generative AI are and their limitations.
They are not perfect and may make mistakes or provide incomplete information. It is
important to be clear with students about its limitations.
Students may need guidance on how to use these tools effectively, including how to
phrase questions, how to interpret responses, and how to evaluate the quality of the
information provided. It may be helpful to provide examples of effective and ineffective
uses of ChatGPT and other Generative AI.
These tools can be used in conjunction with other instructional technologies, such
as recorded video lectures and interactive simulations. This can help create a more
engaging and interactive learning experience for students.
Incorporate ChatGPT and other Generative AI as part of a larger instructional strategy. They can be a valuable tool to support learning, users should not rely on it as the
sole means of instruction. It is important to integrate ChatGPT into a broader instructional
strategy that includes other forms of teaching practices, learning activities, and
assessments.
It is important to continuously evaluate and refine Generative AI use to ensure that
it is meeting the learning objectives and to identify areas for improvement. This
can involve analyzing student performance data and soliciting feedback from students
and other instructors.
Emphasize the importance of academic integrity. Foster a culture of academic integrity by encouraging students to take responsibility
for their own academic work, promoting honesty and integrity, and discouraging cheating
and plagiarism.
Monitor student use of ChatGPT and other Generative AI. To ensure that ChatGPT is being used effectively, encourage students to monitor their
use of the tool. Identify any issues or concerns. This can be done through periodic
check-ins, analyzing chat logs, or asking students to reflect on their own use of
ChatGPT.
Monitor and evaluate Generative AI performance. Instructors should regularly monitor and evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of
ChatGPT in responding to student’s questions and concerns. This will help ensure that
ChatGPT is providing accurate and helpful responses to students.
Authentic assessment: Use authentic assessments that reflect real-world scenarios and require students
to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in practical applications. For example,
you could ask students to design and carry out a scientific experiment or analyze
a real-world case study.
Higher-order thinking: Design assessments that require higher-order thinking skills, such as critical thinking,
problem-solving, and creativity. These types of assessments are less likely to be
replicated by ChatGPT and require students to apply their knowledge and skills in
novel ways.
Collaborative learning: Design assessments that require collaboration between students. Generative AI may
be able to assist with individual tasks, but it cannot replace the benefits of working
in teams and engaging in collaborative learning. For example, you could ask students
to work together on a group project or participate in a debate or discussion.
Feedback: Provide timely and constructive feedback to students on their performance. This can
help students identify areas of strength and weakness and improve their learning outcomes.
Generative AI can provide automated feedback, but it cannot replace the value of personalized
feedback from a human.
By using multiple assessments (i.e., traditional tests, essays, projects, presentations,
and performance-based assessments), instructors can ensure that students are evaluated
on a range of skills and knowledge, making it more difficult for Generative AI to
replicate the assessments.
Get Creative With Your Assignments
Here are 10 ideas for creative assignments adapted for a classroom with chatGPT. Don’t
stop with these — get creative. You can mitigate the risk of students using chatGPT
to cheat, and at the same time improve their knowledge and skills for appropriately
using new AI technologies inside and outside the classroom.
1. Prompt Competition
- Identify a major question or challenge in your field or discipline that chatGPT could
write about. Preferably a question with no clear single right answer.
- Have students collaborate (in pairs or small teams) on developing 5 to 10 criteria
for assessing chatGPT responses to the major question. For example, chatGPT’s output
references more than one theoretical perspective.
- Ask students to individually write a prompt for chatGPT to answer the major question.
- Have students use their criteria to judge the responses of other students (in the
pair or small team), and rate the chatGPT prompts/responses from best to worst.
2. Reflect and Improve
- Ask students to individually identify a major question or challenge in your field
or discipline that chatGPT could write about.
- Have students use chatGPT to write a response to their question or challenge.
- Ask students to reflect on chatGPT’s output (e.g., what is correct, incorrect, what
they don’t know if it is correct or incorrect, what should they look up elsewhere
to verify, what should they ask chatGPT next).
- Using Track Changes in MS Word or Suggesting in Google Docs, have students improve the output of chatGPT (e.g., correcting errors
or misinformation, expanding on shallow content).
- Have students submit their prompt and the improved chatGPT response with their added
content highlighted.
3. Re-vision
- Ask students to individually identify a major question or challenge in your field
or discipline that chatGPT could write about.
- Have students use chatGPT to write a response to their question or challenge.
- Have students revise (write again) chatGPT’s output from a different angel. For instance,
take a different perspective, apply a critical lens, expand on a particular concept,
or correct aspects of the output that could cause their peers to misunderstand or
misinterpret.
4. Dual Assignments
- Give students a choice between two versions of the same assignment. One version for
those that want to use chatGPT and one for those who don’t.
- For those who choose to use chatGPT, they have to submit their prompt(s) and the chatGPT
output. Using Track Changes in MS Word or Suggesting in Google Docs, have students add depth, clarify misinformation, offer alternative
perspectives, and make other improvements to the chatGPT output.
- For those who choose to complete the assignment without chatGPT, they should complete
the assignment and sign a statement that chatGPT was not used.
- Grade both assignments on how well students illustrate their depth of knowledge through
either (a) their changes to chatGPT’s output, or (b) their original writing.
5. Mind Maps
- Since chatGPT can’t natively make visual representations of content (see note below),
have students create mind maps (aka, associative maps, spider map, process maps) to
illustrate the connections between ideas, concepts, approaches, or theories in your
field or discipline.
- The more details or levels that students add to their mind minds, the easier it will
be for them to demonstrate their newly acquired knowledge and skills.
6. Debates
- Have students debate a major question or challenge in your field or discipline. Even
short debates can deepen learning and get students to look at topics from varied perspectives.
- You can choose if students are allowed to use chatGPT in their preparation for the
debate’s opening statements.
- Debates can be done in different formats, and the length of times for speeches can vary depending on how much time and how
many students are in your course.
7. Videos or Podcasts
- Rather than written essays, have students make videos or audio recordings as the medium
for sharing their knowledge.
- Using a video-based tool (such as VoiceThread, FlipGrid, or Zoom) can make the process
easier for students.
- Students can also record audio podcasts on their phone or computer if visuals are
not required for the content of the assignment.
8. Explain Your Thinking
- Give the assignment as usual, but in addition require that students use Using Track Changes in MS Word or Suggesting in Google Docs to explain at least 8 to 10 steps of their thinking as comments added
to the text.
- Students can describe, for instance, the steps in their logic, their problem solving
or writing process, or the development of their theoretical path.
- Students could also document their thinking with audio recordings or videos.
9. 2x2 Matrix
- Have students create a 2x2 matrix relating two concepts covered in the course. For
instance, what are shared and different defining characteristics of concepts or processes.
- A simpler version of this assignment is to have students develop Venn Diagrams for
comparing important concepts or processes.
10. Next Time
- Ask students to use chatGPT to answer an essay question about a major question or
challenge in your field or discipline.
- Have students reflect on their learning about the topic based on using chatGPT, and
to write down 5 things they learned about the topic from chatGPT.
- Have students design a new assignment that doesn’t allow for the use of chatGPT but
that would allow them (or other students) to demonstrate their learning. For example,
they might suggest a group project, or mind map assignment.
Reference
Watkins, R. (2022, December 18). Update Your Course Syllabus for ChatGPT [web log]. Retrieved January 31, 2023