Education Matters: AI and Education By Our Town Gwinnett Staff
When ChatGPT came onto the scene, it and similar generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms immediately began sparking heated debates among educators, students, and parents about its potential to disrupt education. A recent study from the global learning platform Quizlet found that high school and college teachers, and students aged 14-22, who have used ChatGPT or a similar AI technology agree that it is an effective study tool, with students, in particular, responding that it helps them to understand the material better and study faster and more efficiently. Generative AI is on the minds of students and teachers as they work together to teach and learn. With this technology top of mind, here are some things to consider this school year. Students study smarter, not harder, with AI Those who claim the use of AI in the classroom hinders students’ academic potential can think again. Students who spend three or more hours a night studying on an average weeknight during the school year gave credit to ChatGPT and similar AI technologies’ ability to streamline studying by generating helpful resources like study guides. Other popular uses among students included conducting research and summarizing or synthesizing information. Twenty-six percent of students in this group also said that teachers had encouraged them to use AI-generated technology like ChatGPT while they study. In contrast, students who reported less than two hours of studying on an average weeknight during the school year were less likely to have a teacher recommend using this technology. UC Berkeley student Sam Clement gives AI-generated learning a thumbs up, saying, “It feels like an extension of my brain or a supple-
November 2023 Our Town Gwinnett
mentary boost to my own thinking abilities. Platforms like ChatGPT make studying engaging by allowing me to probe concepts over and over until I understand. It can feel like unlimited office hours, something invaluable to busy college students.” Students also reported that AI-generated technology has positively impacted their mental health, with 73% claiming it helps reduce stress and anxiety, and 57% claiming it decreases their workload. Teachers give it an “A” High school and college teachers that have used ChatGPT and similar AI technologies for school cite the top four uses as research, generating lesson plans, summarizing or synthesizing information, and generating classroom materials like tests and assignments. Nearly half of the teachers agreed that the vast capabilities of AI have made their workload more manageable. Maureen Lamb, Dean of Educational Technology and Innovative Continued on page 19
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