Many have mused on how Chatgpt could change the world, not least schools. Plenty fear the worst. The college essay has been pronounced dead. Chatgpt is causing an educational “crisis”, claims Inside Higher Ed. Maybe so; but Chatgpt could also be a teacher’s friend.
It is easier to see the threat. Users can ask Chatgpt to compare Milton Friedman with Paul Samuelson, and it will create a five-point summary that contrasts their views. Ask it to create a rap about Friedman, and it delivers lines like: “He was an economist with a unique vision / Spittin’ truth about free markets with precision”. This sophistication and creativity worries lots of teachers and schools. New York City public schools, America’s largest school district, banned Chatgpt in January, only to reverse the decision in May. Some universities abroad have banned its use.
“Initially…everybody was thinking that the sky was falling,” says Jonathan Torres, an assistant professor of English at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. He also trains teachers at Quinnipiac, and argues that ai can push them to become better. For example, before Chatgpt came along, an economics teacher might ask pupils to write an essay describing Keynesianism. With Chatgpt as an option, the teacher might ask the students to assess and revise the chatbot’s response to the same question—a more difficult task. ais have other practical uses for teachers. They can help write lesson plans and worksheets at different reading levels and even in different languages. They can also cut down the time spent on duties, such as writing recommendation letters, that devour time that could be spent teaching.