November 30 2022 marked a turning point in education around the world. A day of collective significance that passed unnoticed - but not for long. Even just a few weeks later social media begun to light up about this new AI (Artificial intelligence) released by OpenAI known as ChatGPT, I was hearing remarkable stories about its capability to produce human-like responses to prompts and essay writing ability.
During the summer break I made my first attempts to see what it could do. It was eye-opening. In some cases, remarkable. Whole unit and lesson plans (things that for some reason new teachers are supposed to do) were produced in seconds, assessments created in a fraction of the time. I realised quickly that we were dealing with a generational change in the way teachers work and students should be assessed.
I also realised that there would be opposition and claims that students using this were 'cheating'. I believe that our current paradigm of assessment is ripe for disruption. In core subjects in high school we rely on timed, written tests of skills with little scope for allowing any creativity, extended problem solving, or communication of ideas. Basically no deep thinking thanks. If one element of the reason young people go to school is to prepare them for life ahead - we are doing a poor job. It is exactly these skills they need to thrive and make a difference in the world, yet these skills are marginalised by our assessment practices.
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I mention this only to background my hope that the ways we assess student knowledge can develop and mature, given the current landscape that has been indelibly affected by AI. If we want students to develop these skills, AI tools such as ChatGPT and others allows them to include research and their prompts as a part of the process to producing their own creative work. It is worth noting that a myriad of AI tools now exist that produce music, images, text, songs, lyrics, videos and more.
Image credit Dr Philippa Hardman
Imagine a student using this AI to refine his writing and make suggestions for improvement, or contrast two different styles of language, or remix work as a sea shanty! The list is as long as your imagination. It is exactly that which educators will need as they navigate, hopefully with enthusiasm and positivity, this latest big disruption. Years ago I remember hearing that tech alone doesn't make a great teacher but a great teacher using tech can be transformative - no more so than now. Those who block and decry and say students are 'cheating' are on the wrong side of history. Adriano Di Prato wrote:
"Educators have the opportunity to be on the right side of history. Harnessing the value of tools like ChatGPT, to unlock powerful new learning capabilities and all learner possibility, has the potential to prepare students to navigate a world in which artificial intelligence becomes the curve and our inherent human skills the important threads of a bold ecosystem for schooling, society, and all future human endeavour."
The barricade has fallen. Our students today will be walking into a world where these tools exist and are prevalent. I hope that teachers will now offer students a suite of possible ways to demonstrate their understanding, all of which are enabled by technology tools and the accelerating power of our devices and almost ubiquitous high-speed internet access. 5 years ago some of these were just a bit too hard but not today. In all of these cases below, AI tools can accelerate and support the production of a final product, without removing the rich learning experience.
In the end, technology is here not to replace humans but extend their reach and their capabilities. Jef Raskin said it well:
“What is technology for? We make technology because it takes the parts of us that are most human and it extends them. That's what a paintbrush is. That's what a cello is. That's what language is. These are technologies that extend some part of us. Technology is not about making us superhuman. It's about making us extra-human.” - Jef Raskin
I hope that people will see and use this new technology in innovative ways to create better learning and hence a better future for our world. Isn't that what school is for?