It’s been two years since the academic world was turned upside down after ChatGPT became accessible to everyone and turned into a nemesis of Academic Integrity. However, I believe AI can be used ethically for learning and helping with assignments in a number of ways.
Ask your professor
Some professors take a traditional stance on technology use, which we should respect and take into account. So, it’s important to ask them what their view on AI is and whether they allow to use its assistance during studies for their subjects. It’s always crucial to know your professor’s stance on something before you use it — and ChatGPT is no exception.
How can you use AI in order to prepare for midterms and finals?
AI can be incredibly useful as a means of finding information. You might think, “I can just Google it!”, and while that’s true, AI often finds information that would take you minutes or even hours to find. On the other hand, AI will be able to identify and present to you this information in mere seconds. For example, as a Computer Science major, I might need to write a small program in C++, a language I’ve never used before. Searching online tutorials or articles would take about 10 to 15 minutes, but asking ChatGPT to explain C++ by comparing it to a language I know cuts that time in half. This applies to any subject, from Mathematics to Biology to Music. The efficient use of AI throughout the term will save you hours of valuable time, which, for us students, is extremely precious.
Using ChatGPT in your assignments
ChatGPT is a valid resource, but like anything— it is important to cite whatever information it provides you with. Otherwise, it could lead to violations of the academic integrity code and cause professors to question how much of the work is really yours.
There are a lot of ways one could use AI for help with assignments, and while it is impossible to list them all, I will tell you about the ones I use. One of my favourites is to ask AI for new ideas after I complete the draft of the assignments. It is very helpful to find fresh ideas for your topic. On top of finding information, AI can also paraphrase it to help you understand difficult topics. If a textbook definition is not clear and it is too late at night, use of AI is more preferable to calling your professor. Furthermore, AI can assist with improving the quality of your writing - this tip is mostly relevant to students whose first language is not English. AI can help you to improve readability of your text, find grammatical errors in it and even find better ways to phrase sentences. Apart from this, ChatGPT can provide Reference Help. It can generate references in APA, MLA or others after prompting it with source details (year, author, title, etc.). However, ALWAYS double-check AI-generated citations and ensure they match your professor’s requirements.
Tips for accurate prompts
A prompt is an input (usually a question) you give to AI to generate a response. There is a whole science about how to effectively write prompts for communication with an AI called Prompt Engineering. However, to start using ChatGPT, here are a couple tips on how to write prompts effectively:
Be clear and specific. The machine needs precise details to provide a quality response. While it is excessive to write pages of detailed nuances, specifying details for AI will make the use of it easier. For example, instead of asking it to “Tell me about Louis Riel”, it’s better to prompt “Provide a summary of Louis Riel’s role in the Red River Rebellion and his influence on Canadian history”.
Provide a context to the ChatGPT in which you need the information. For instance: “Tell me how the Red River Rebellion influenced Manitoba from a sociological perspective” will generate a different, more appropriate response for your sociology assignment. AI will give you a couple conclusions from the point of Sociology or maybe it will mention minor details that did not matter too much from a Historical perspective but might be of good help in your Sociology studies.
Break complex prompts into steps. Instead of writing a complex prompt it is significantly more effective to break it down to multiple simple tasks. AI perceives them much more clearly and generates more accurate responses. For example: “First, tell me about Louis Riel’s early life and education. Then, explain his role in the Red River Rebellion and how it led to his execution”.
Avoid Over-Reliance on AI
While AI is an incredible tool, it is important to avoid becoming too dependent on it. AI can make mistakes. Sometimes it can even give you wrong information, if the question is complex or it misunderstood your prompt. Beware of its shortcomings and don’t turn off your brain. AI might be awesome, but the strongest computer since the beginning of time is still a human brain, and this is not going to change for a long time. Moreover, using ChatGPT for assistance might hinder your creativity and make you miss opportunities for ideas that you would be likely to find when working on your own. After finishing your essay or assignment, it is a good idea to take a break, come back to it with a fresh mind, and look at your work at last without AI assistance.
Have opinions on AI? Contact eic.thequill@gmail.com to make your voice heard!