How to Use ChatGPT in a Classroom

When the artificial intelligence chatbot we now know as simply ChatGPT was launched back on November 30, 2022, there was a huge and quite instant buzz about it. Many saw it as a game-changing technology, possibly even a serious challenge to the hegemony of companies like Google. People went in droves to be amazed by the detailed answers that it could provide to seemingly any question.

ChatGpt can be used for a wide range of time saving and added value tasks withing education, from worksheet and task generation, lesson and topic planning and resources all the way to rubric and standard assessment planning and implementation.

At the same time, the part about ChatGPT being able to answer any question was also a cause of concern for many teachers who feared their students might use ChatGPT as a way to cheat their way through written assignments.

Since then, however, educators everywhere have shown that far from being an adversary to teachers, ChatGPT can actually be an invaluable classroom resource. In this article and the others we have surrounding ChatGPT. we’re looking at some of the many effective ways one can use ChatGPT in the classroom.

How to Use ChatGPT in a Classroom

Use ChatGPT to Generate Materials

Teachers may sometimes spend huge amounts of time using Google or other search engines to try and find reading materials for their students that are suitable for their current reading level.

Gauging that level precisely is hard work, even when one has many years of experience under their belt. This is an area in which ChatGPT can be of enormous help.

One way teachers can use it is by asking ChatGPT to generate articles on topics that match both the students’ current reading levels and their interests.

In this way, the teacher kills two birds with one stone as they create content that is both level-appropriate and engaging for students to read. The more they read and engage, the faster they are able to advance their level.

What’s more, you can also find existing articles that you can then ask ChatGPT to adjust to make them more suitable for either a higher or lower level which is an incredible time saver.

Use ChatGPT to Get Suggestions

Another good way to use ChatGPT is by getting the software to make suggestions about activities and other content for your lesson plans. One of the most impacting ways people have used the tool is as a way to get over things like writers’ block or a lack of ideas.

The prompts from ChatGPT will either be good in themselves, or can prompt you to think of new ideas based on those suggestions.

ChatGPT is actually capable of generating a whole lesson plan for you if it knows the target grade level and relevant standards.

Once again, if you feel uncomfortable using the generated plan directly, you can always use it as a foundation for a new and original plan with ideas adapted from it to better suit your class situation.

Take ChatGPT-Generated Materials and Use Them in Class

Many teachers are taking a hard line against ChatGPT and similar AI tools and telling students not to use them ever. This may ultimately just have a counterproductive effect, so it’s better to try and find ways in which to integrate the software and use what it generates in different ways.

Let’s say you’re worried that if you assign an essay to your students, they’ll just go and have ChatGPT generate one for them that they then submit. This is a real possibility, but there are ways around it.

First, assign the essay topic to your students, but this time you’ll encourage them to go and use ChatGPT to generate essays and then bring them in.

This is where things get more different. Rather than collecting these cheat essays, you’ll use them as a starting point for the students ultimately writing the essay for real, perhaps under timed and supervised test conditions — this way they can’t cheat.

But where do the ChatGPT-generated essays come in?

Each student will have something generated by ChatGPT, and you can ask them to analyze, critique, and conduct further research to both expand on and improve what’s there.

ChatGPT essays often analyze quite well on a surface level, but don’t necessarily go as deep as needed.

Have students compare their ChatGPT content to an excellent example essay on the topic you’re discussing and help them see where they need to get.

This is just one example of many ways that teachers can use ChatGPT as a starting point for new kinds of lessons that embrace and integrate ChatGPT rather than simply shunning it.

Make ChatGPT the Subject of Class

Following on from the previous point, it’s a good idea for teachers to consider how best to teach their students about what ChatGPT can do, but more importantly what it can’t do.

Many educators are frustrated not because ChatGPT can instantly generate content for students, but rather because students think that the “essays” or other content generated is perfect and ready for submission.

Let’s take another approach to the tool. Instead of trying to avoid ChatGPT or demonize it in some way, how about making the software the subject for a unit or module in your class? Get students to see its power and, more crucially, its limitations.

You can also teach them how to check whether content is written normally or generated by AI. There are tools on programs like Google Docs, for example, that can help with this.

You not only teach useful analytical skills, but remind students that they can’t cheat the system using these amazing tools. Channel their energy into finding ways to use this stuff for good.

Using ChatGPT for Personalized Learning

ChatGPT can play a significant role in personalized learning, a concept that emphasizes tailoring educational experiences to meet individual student needs. This can be accomplished by generating content in tune with a student’s proficiency level, learning style, and interests.

For example, if a student enjoys learning about space, a teacher could request ChatGPT to generate materials on space at a reading level suitable for that student.

Similarly, if a student learns best through stories, ChatGPT could generate story-like explanations of complex concepts. This high level of customization enhances student engagement and facilitates deeper understanding, making learning more enjoyable and effective.

ChatGPT as a Learning Companion

Beyond classroom hours, ChatGPT can serve as a valuable learning companion for students. By posing questions to the AI, students can deepen their understanding of various topics and receive instant, detailed answers.

This can be especially beneficial for homework assistance or when a teacher isn’t immediately available.

ChatGPT can provide new perspectives, diversify thinking, and challenge assumptions, thereby fostering critical thinking skills. Teachers can guide students on how to effectively use ChatGPT, encouraging its use for exploration and clarification rather than shortcutting learning processes.

ChatGPT for Teachers’ Professional Development

Beyond its application in the classroom, ChatGPT can serve as a powerful tool for teachers’ professional development. By using ChatGPT, educators can stay updated on the latest advancements in AI and integrate them into their teaching practices.

They can also utilize ChatGPT for generating ideas for lesson plans, teaching strategies, or classroom activities. Teachers can use ChatGPT to simulate student responses, helping them to anticipate and prepare for potential student questions or misconceptions.

This can enable teachers to enhance their teaching efficacy, benefiting not just themselves but also their students.

Further ChatGpt in Education links

• How to use ChatGPT in an English Classroom
• 100 ChatGPT prompts for English Teachers
• 19 ways to use ChatGPT in a Classroom
• Ethics and ChatGPT in Education
• Chat GPT as a Learning Companion
• The future of AI in Education
• Can ChatGPT replace teachers

Should Teachers Be Afraid of ChatGPT

When the Internet started to proliferate very widely, educators everywhere were forced to confront it as a very real and powerful tool, but also a potential source of trouble.

The Internet put all the world’s information at students’ fingertips, but it also put them in contact with unscrupulous individuals and organizations that helped them cheat on their homework.

ChatGPT is part of this online evolution, and should be embraced for its strengths, while its limitations and problems are carefully understood and handled.

In the end, teachers really have nothing to fear. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

ChatGPT and related AI technology might well be the most powerful and useful advancement in education technology for decades.

The Ethical Implications of Using ChatGPT

Integrating artificial intelligence into classrooms, including tools like ChatGPT, brings ethical considerations to the forefront. One concern is students’ over-reliance on AI, potentially stunting the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Privacy is another significant concern. While AI can personalize education, it requires extensive data about students, raising questions about data collection, storage, and use.

Additionally, the issue of AI-written assignments blurs the line between student work and AI-generated content.

Balancing these ethical concerns with the benefits of AI is crucial to ensure that technology enhances rather than hinders the educational experience and we go into much more detail in our article on the Ethical implications of ChatGPT in education (linked)

Future of AI in Education

AI, including tools like ChatGPT, is set to play an increasingly integral role in the future of education. Advancements in AI could enable more accurate personalization, real-time adaptive learning environments, and comprehensive learning support systems.

The rise of AI could also revolutionize assessment, offering instant, personalized feedback and promoting a shift from summative to formative assessment. However, such advancements will likely bring new challenges, including ensuring equity in access to AI tools and managing the ethical implications of AI usage in education.

Comparisons with Other AI in Education

ChatGPT is one among many AI tools utilized in educational settings, each having its own unique strengths and drawbacks. While some AI tools, like Quizlet, focus on facilitating memorization through flashcards and games, others, like Khan Academy, provide personalized learning paths in specific subjects.

ChatGPT stands out in its capability to generate original, contextually relevant content across a multitude of subjects. It can simulate interactive, human-like conversations, making it a versatile tool not just for content creation but also for inquiry-based learning.

However, like all AI, ChatGPT has limitations, including an inability to understand nuanced human emotions or to deeply grasp complex concepts.

Conclusion

The initial excitement and then trepidation over ChatGPT has faded somewhat in recent months, and teachers are starting to understand ways to incorporate it into lessons, and spot AI generated materials as well!

We have some ideas on how to use this AI language model here that we hope are helpful and are a little more higher order thinking than can you make me a worksheet prompts that we, and others, have released before.

we are doing full sections of the implication of ChatGpt in education and if you want to research more then you can check out the links throughout the article and in the lists above.

References

• https://www.makeuseof.com/how-students-use-chatgpt-in-school/
• https://games4esl.com/chatgpt-in-the-classroom/
• https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/chatgpt-learning-tool
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gDjTJeqZ-Q
• https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-19-ways-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-classroom/2023/01