Schools must adopt an ethical use of AI in their teaching methods
Citing a 2023 study by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has been finetuning its curriculum requirements to meet quickly evolving changes in job markets. The study has shown the top fastest growing jobs in the region were AI and machine learning specialties; data analysts and scientists; sustainability specialists; robotics engineer, among others.
At the rate AI trend is gaining ground, classrooms worldwide will offer AI education sooner or later as artificial intelligence is in every device. AI skills have become more important than ever for students to secure their future and course through our digital world. Preparing students for the age of AI by learning the following tips may well be the way to go:
1. Foster critical thinking. US-based K-12 education provider Carnegie Learning says teachers should show students that AI can answer their questions. However, these machines may also commit errors and follow narrow biases. Promote critical thinking in AI education by requiring pupils to ask ChatGPT for multiple points of view on subjects. Students’ use of ChatGPT must also limited and sources verified as well.
2. ChatGPT as a tool, not a replacement. Students must consider AI as a tool, not a substitute for their thinking. Guide students to use ChatGPT to start research or brainstorming, not to write on their behalf. Let’s say you’re discussing climate change. Ask students to use AI as part of their research and then ask them to form unique solutions.
3. Explore bias in AI. Computer teachers could show students the flaws of AI, specifically its harmful ideas and biases. ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other AI bots train on human databases. Because humans have biases, these datasets likely reflect their views and preferences.
4. Confirm information accuracy. ChatGPT’s initial public version could only use information from 2021, limiting its research capabilities. Nowadays, it can look up data on the Internet. However, AI bots are still prone to using dubious sources. For example, a 2023 Stanford study found that ChatGPT went from answering simple math problems correctly 98% of the time to only 2%.
5. Explain how you used AI. Students may use ChatGPT but they must explain why and how they did so. Reading teachers may ask pupils to note whenever they use it for proofreading, outlining, or brainstorming. Also, they may ask students to reflect on the benefits and issues of using AI chatbots for a specific assignment.
6. Define cheating in AI education. It can be difficult to identify cheating and plagiarism when using AI bots as they can create content for people. Nevertheless, teachers must establish ground rules, such as: “Even if you prompted it with your idea, copying and pasting a ChatGPT answer is still plagiarism.”
7. Respect data privacy and consent. Teach students that any information they share with ChatGPT is no longer private. OpenAI and other AI firms collect user data and analyze their responses to enhance services. Consequently, sharing personal information can compromise cybersecurity.
