Schools struggle to ‘ChatGPT-proof’ exams and assignments

ChatGPT disrupted the global education system as teachers struggled to prevent students from cheating with this AI program. Some professors have reverted to handwritten essays and paper exams, but it may not be enough. Schools have different ways of regulating AI chatbot use. As a result, college teacher Darren Keast said the upcoming semester is “chaotic.”

Artificial intelligence systems are changing every facet of daily life, so there will inevitably be growing pains. Specifically, the education sector must contend with the reality that AI will become a part of student lives. They must share essential skills like grammar and communication, but pupils must learn without relying on computer programs.

How can our schools adapt to the AI revolution? First, we must discuss how professors try to make their subjects “ChatGPT-proof.” Later, I will explain how others have improved teaching with this tool.

Why do schools struggle with ChatGPT?

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The Washington Post released an article discussing teachers struggling to adapt to ChatGPT. Darren Keast, a City College of San Francisco professor, said the next semester will be “chaotic.”

WaPo says other teachers have the same sentiment because of the lack of consistency in regulating ChatGPT and similar tools. Some teachers will allow AI, but others will ban this technology.

Some schools will have revised their dishonest policies to cover AI usage, but others will not consider it. Also, AI detection tools aren’t reliable.

They can easily mistake manmade work for AI-generated ones, and vice-versa. In other words, students may submit AI-generated assignments, and teachers would be none the wiser.

On the other hand, professors may wrongfully accuse pupils of cheating with AI. For example, Business Insider reported about a Texas A&M College professor who failed his students after ChatGPT’s AI detection program flagged their work.

He warned his class, “I copy and paste your responses in, and ChatGPT will tell me if the program generated the content.” Unfortunately, the detector mistakenly marked their content as AI-generated.

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OpenAI has an AI Classifier tool, but it warned users it isn’t reliable. Later, the company shut it down due to its shoddy performance. If ChatGPT’s creators can’t discern AI-made content from manmade ones, how can teachers do it?

Anna Mills, a writing teacher at the College of Marin, says these changes left professors desperate for guidance. They know students will use ChatGPT in the next school year.

Younger generations must learn English and other subjects without relying on artificial intelligence. However, they live in a world that increasingly depends on it. Nowadays, most companies look for applicants with ChatGPT proficiency, paying them significantly higher than others without.

How are professors adapting to AI?

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Yahoo Finance says some teachers will revert to handwritten and oral exams for “ChatGPT-proof” assignments. They know the old testing methods are useless against AI tools.

Bill Hart-Davidson, associate dean at Michigan State University, agrees. “Asking students questions like, ‘Tell me three sentences what is the Krebs cycle in chemistry?’ That’s not going to work anymore because ChatGPT will spit out a perfectly fine answer to that question,” he explained.

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Christopher Bartel, a philosophy professor at Appalachian State University, declared, “I’m planning on going medieval on the students and going all the way back to oral exams.”

“They can AI generate text all day long in their notes if they want, but if they have to be able to speak it, that’s a different thing,” he added. However, these ChatGPT-proof methods might be impractical for some subjects.

For example, asking only text questions in a mathematics class is difficult. Oral exams suit subjects like Philosophy, but that is impractical for teaching calculus or geometry.

Are there AI teaching techniques?

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Education must prepare students for the real world, which is undergoing an AI revolution. Outside the campus, many parts of their lives use artificial intelligence.

They must learn how to use this technology because it is now the new global standard. In response, other professors applied AI to their teaching methods. Here are some examples:

• English teachers can use ChatGPT to teach synonyms and antonyms. For example, you can demonstrate 10 words similar to “glee” by letting the bot generate them. As a result, you can expand your students’ vocabulary.
• Encourage creativity during Reading classes by asking students to imagine short story descriptions. Then, they can watch ChatGPT turn their descriptions into full-length stories. This activity shows students how to express their ideas and create stories.
• Science teachers can turn ChatGPT into an assistant. For example, you can ask the program to explain photosynthesis. Then, you may ask students to submit questions so the bot can expound on specific terms. Eventually, it expands the entire class’s understanding of the subject.
• History teachers can make ChatGPT roleplay a historical figure so students can ask them questions. For example, tell ChatGPT to pretend it is George Washington. Then, your students may ask facts about the US president, such as, “Did you truly chop down cherry trees?”
• Math teachers may use the AI program to check homework questions in front of students. The bot will explain wrong answers and suggest solutions so students can understand mathematics further.

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Conclusion

Teachers are making “ChatGPT-proof” tests by using handwritten and oral exams. They believe these methods could ensure pupils learn subjects without relying on AI programs.

However, artificial intelligence is becoming an essential part of daily life. More products and services use AI, so you cannot avoid this technology forever.

Instead, schools must prepare students by teaching them how to use AI programs. Learn more about the latest digital tips and trends at Inquirer Tech.