UoN

The development of AI tools such as ChatGPT have resulted in universities expressing concern for AI’s abilities to aid students in passing off their assignments to the chatbot to compose. The University of Nottingham (UoN) has addressed the issues regarding the use of ChatGPT, publishing a report which outlines all of its findings, and updating quality and standards policies to cover misuse of ChatGPT.

Chair of the Quality and Standards Committee, Professor Kim Edwards, oversees all academic procedures and is responsible for ‘maintaining academic standards across the university.’ When asked about how the university is dealing with artificial intelligence related misconduct, Professor Edwards has explicitly stated that the university treats any case of this manner seriously and she outlines that the “potential outcomes of academic misconduct can include a reduction of marks, suspension or termination of studies, and withdrawal of a degree or qualification already awarded.”

UoN acknowledges the impact of AI on all aspects of study. Responding to this concern, the university assures students that it plans on minimising the level of alterations AI will have when it comes to the actual nature of their studies.

Professor Edwards says: “Whilst it is likely that tools such as ChatGPT might change the nature of some university assessments in the future, the core activities of your studies will not substantially change.”

The university generally condemns the use of AI to assist with students’ studies, specifically with completing assignments. However, it has outlined in their ChatGPT guideline that there are in fact some positives of seeking help from ChatGPT for the following:

- Immediate answers to short questions search and find out for myself the long way is what makes me better as a student and as a professional in the long run!”

Across campus to the culture, media and visual arts department, a third-year International Media and Communications student says that she thinks that relying on AI would make her ‘lazy’ : “I’d rather have my original arguments marked, even if they are incorrect, instead of an answer that can be given word for word to everyone.”

This student goes on to explain that she does ‘’see the positives of using ChatGPT as a search engine because it can be used as a personal search engine.” She mentions the cost of university tuition fees and acknowledges that she would see the teaching we pay for as a waste if we passed on basic information to a chat bot:

- Sourcing technical difficulties

- Identifying search keywords

- Generating prompts and formulating questions

- Basic coding (following guidance from tutors)

- Structuring research (but not argument)

Since ChatGPT’s release last November, students are becoming more familiar with different ways that AI can be used to decrease their workload. There have been many cases of students providing ChatGPT with basic data such as their assignment questions, lecturer notes or equations and receiving a completed academic essay in return.

Impact surveyed 20 students which revealed 60% do not use ChatGPT, with only 1/6th of non-users considering using it.

Impact then followed up on this sample to understand the reasons why the majority of students are not using ChatGPT.