Learning to write with a new tool Helping our Students Master the Information Age

By Mouwafac Sidaoui, Ph.D., Vice President for

Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Business

To prepare students for success in the information age, we need more than traditional rote learning. The abundance of accessible information necessitates a shift in educational practices towards equipping students with the skills for effectively utilizing the knowledge they acquire. ChatGPT can help them do so.

As with any technology, the use of ChatGPT in higher education raises critical ethical considerations. Forbes magazine reports that 43% of college students have had experience using AI tools like ChatGPT, 51% believe that using ChatGPT to complete assignments is cheating, and about 20% of college students have used AI tools to complete assignments.

Educators play a crucial role in guiding students to use ChatGPT responsibly and to supplement it with other learning methods to ensure a well-rounded education. We need to educate our students about the limitations and biases of ChatGPT, as well as the potential pitfalls of relying solely on AI-driven tools for learning. We owe it to our students to help them develop digital literacy skills to evaluate information critically, identify credible sources, and understand the ethical implications of using AI tools.

As educators, we need to keep in mind that ChatGPT has already had an impact in the job market. Menlo College is already ahead of the game, offering courses such as The Art of Thinking Like a Data Scientist, Digital Transformation, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, and Technoethics and Responsibility. We are deeply committed to keeping ahead of technology, enabling our students to develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a digital world.