Banning Artificial Intelligence in Education Is Counterproductive

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize the way we learn, work, and create. Everyone is talking about ChatGPT these days. “ChatGPT has gained over 1 million registered users in just 5 days, it became the fastest-growing tech platform ever.” (Harris, 2022). Putting things into perspective, Instagram took over two months to reach a million users (Wikipedia Contributors, 2023).

With ChatGPT, we can chat with the computer to get answers or create original content. As opposed to researching a topic for weeks and writing a blog post after curating all the information, the platform has the potential to allow me to be a more productive and effective learner and content creator. After experimenting with ChatGPT, I quickly realized how powerful this tool can be in promoting personalized learning and student self-regulation. Parallel to this, I also believe we must explicitly teach critical and creative thinking skills, and emphasize academic integrity in the world of artificial intelligence. If you are interested in learning more about ChatGPT, check out The Daily’s podcast, “Did Artificial Intelligence Just Get Too Smart?”. It is no longer a matter of plagiarism, but rather of academic integrity and ethical conduct when original content is generated with artificial intelligence. We need to help students develop their learner identity and promote their sense of pride in their work more than ever, as educators.

What are the advantages and capabilities of AI? What impact will AI have on teaching and learning? What unique challenges does this present for teaching and learning? Is it a good idea to introduce these AI tools to students? In what ways can we ensure academic integrity? How can teachers reimagine how they assess their students? Educators are asking a lot of questions, and schools are probably beginning to revise their academic integrity policies. Some schools have started banning ChatGPT and other AI tools. However, in my opinion, banning AI tools is a knee-jerk reaction and counterproductive. It’s the trend. ChatGPT can be banned, but over time (if it hasn’t already) so many AI tools will be developed that schools will eventually lose track of them. I think back to mid-1999 when Google was first introduced, and it quickly became the world’s leading search engine. Although schools purchased expensive databases, I suspect teachers and teachers still heavily rely on Google searches.

As artificial intelligence tools continue to develop and become better, I am interested in exploring how teachers and schools can promote self-regulation and personalized learning in the classroom by teaching students how to use AI tools responsibly. How can AI help students in leveraging their learning? “A book worth banning is a book worth reading.” In the same way, AI tools can be used to reinforce learning and provide information to students when used correctly and responsibly. Searching for information on Google is something that everyone knows how to do, but the results one gets can be so different depending on how one asks the question. ChatGPT is amazing, but to use it in sophisticated way, one must ask good questions or give effective prompts, and have a good foundation of quality knowledge to fact-check the answers. In this blog post, I am exploring how we might increase learning POWER using AI tools. Currently, there are polarized arguments about the use of AI in education. I am sharing my opinions and have no intention of getting into debates. In my opinion, it’s not about controlling technology, but about unlocking learning.

Personalize learning

Students learn content at a different pace and require different levels of scaffolding. A personalized teaching approach has been promoted to help students to master academic content.

“Personalized learning refers to instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for
the needs of each learner. Learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and its sequencing) all
may vary based on learner needs. In addition, learning activities are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Examples of personalized teaching include students using adaptive software to develop an understanding of the content and concepts. Teachers design project-based learning and create a variety of assessment tasks for students to demonstrate their understanding taking their interests and capabilities into account. Students’ prior knowledge, interests, and skills are considered in the design of units of work and lessons.

Personalized learning engages students in learning more fully as it allows them to learn in ways that are relevant to them. Teacher feedback plays a critical role in personalized learning. As part of the feedback process, teachers assess student progress and provide strategies and resources to help them improve. However, teachers often find it difficult to have one-on-one conferences in a timely manner, especially when the class size is larger. 

Personalized instruction can be provided to students using ChatGPT. With ChatGPT, students can engage in virtual conversations with an AI assistant to receive personalized guidance. Students who know how to ask effective questions can clarify their understanding of the task and get feedback on their progress with ChatGPT. It is especially useful if the instructions for the assignment are unclear and no examples are provided to help students see what they are expected to do.

In addition, this tool can assist students in chunking a task. With ChatGPT’s assistance, students can easily break down the given task into smaller, attainable components. For example, I asked ChatGPT to create an action plan for completing a research project over two weeks. Wow! Detailed steps are outlined in an action plan. In turn, this can help them develop a sense of autonomy and confidence in completing the task. Furthermore, AI tools, such as You.com, TutorAI, or Perplexity can provide recommendations for new learning materials or activities based on the student’s interests or level of knowledge and help them with a concept or task they are having difficulty understanding. You can find several AI tools to try on Stephen Taylor’s website.

Observe & Optimize

AI tools can recommend materials and provide examples to help students understand complex content and concepts. In addition, it can structure learning in sequential order to help students develop knowledge and skills, such as TutorAI . To optimize the learning experience and track progress, students can also learn how to create formative assessments and seek feedback via AI assistance. As an example, ChatGPT can create quizzes and answer keys for students at specific grade levels on specific topics. Of course, students might not always know if the quiz content is appropriate. My opinion is that they should be encouraged to discuss it with their teachers if they are unsure about the quiz content. It’s a good reminder that AI is a fancy ‘calculator’ and requires sophisticated skills to use effectively. It’s not about teaching students how to use AI. Instead, the emphasis is on how we maximize the tool to assist learning, observe the learning progress, and identify any areas of difficulties. Critical thinking skills and metacognition are needed for learners to evaluate how this content is relevant to them and how it can help them learn.

In the absence of actionable and timely feedback from teachers, this tool is useful and potentially more reliable for students who are motivated and seek ways to improve their performance. It can increase their self-efficacy and motivation to learn. I emphasize this as a diagnostic tool. It is important that teachers establish guidelines and discuss with students when and how AI tools can be used to support their learning. It is definitely not a tool that students use to achieve perfect scores. The implication is also that teachers need to design more open-ended assignments that require higher-order thinking and go beyond test-taking and essay writing.

Furthermore, I believe AI tools are helpful for students to develop self-reflection and become more aware of their strengths and weakness with guidance. Through AI assistance, students have an opportunity to become better informed of their learning gaps and needs which will motivate them to learn and improve. Instead of banning AI in classrooms, teachers can guide students on how best to utilize AI tools to leverage learning rather than relying on it entirely. Students need to be taught how to reflect critically and analyze feedback received for improvement when using AI. The visible thinking routines “I used to think…Now I think…My thinking has changed because…”, Connect-Extend-Challenge or the Triangle, Square, Circle thinking protocol can be used to help students observe the changes in their thinking. See my previous blog post, 6 Reflection sticky notes, for more ideas.

Artificial intelligence is not the only solution to every problem or situation. We need to guide students to see the need and relevance of developing curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Our one-on-one conferences with students can focus on understanding their approach to problem-solving and how they use AI to enhance their learning. It will be important for teachers to develop coaching questions that help students elaborate on their learning process and promote metacognition, as in the use of protocol like the IBDP’s viva voce. This can help to build a deeper understanding of their personalised learning and to develop meaningful conversations. 

Here are some examples of coaching questions I got from ChatGPT:

Wonder & Curiosity

The launch of iPads and iPhones many years ago was a significant milestone in technology. In schools, technology is being used more and more for teaching and learning, and parents are using smartphones to entertain their children. “Will technology kill curiosity?” This question has frequently been debated and explored by educators, experts, and parents. As we enter the world of AI, I feel a sense of déjà vu.

With my Chinese cultural background, I’d like to promote the use of AI tools with my students by using the Ying and Yang approach. AI tools can provide students with new learning opportunities that encourage creativity and imagination, as well as help them develop new skills. By guiding our students to explore the potential and possibilities of AI and equipping them with the necessary skills, we can empower them to use AI tools to create great things with curiosity and responsibility. John Spencer gave several examples of how we can guide our students to use AI wisely in his blog post, No, Artificial Intelligence Won’t Destroy High School English (Or Any Other Subject.) By challenging students to think critically about how they use AI, they learn how to identify when and how they can best apply it to their learning. In any case where students use AI tools, we should constantly and continuously encourage them to ask “why” and “what if” questions to expand their thinking and come up with innovative solutions. .

Several approaches to learning skills within the MYP framework can be explicitly taught to help students explore and interact with AI tools.

In the communication category:

• Collaborate with peers and experts using a variety of digital environments and media
• Share ideas with multiple audiences using a variety of digital environments and media

In the research category:

• Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on their appropriateness to specific tasks
• Understand and use technology systems
• Locate, organize, analyse, evaluate, synthesize and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media (including digital and social media and online networks)

“Did a Fourth Grader Write This? Or the New Chatbot?” by New York Times would be an interesting lesson to introduce the idea of using AI with students. It illustrates the point that John Spencer mentioned in his blog post: “AI can’t replace your voice.”

However, to help our students remain curious, it is paramount that we make an effort to support them in developing self-regulation and self-awareness when interacting with AI tools. John Spencer asked the big question, “What can AI replace if the robots can do it faster and better?” It’s a conversation that we can have with our students (and also teachers). AI can be a double-edged sword. I believe it is only when we create opportunities for students to use it and discuss the benefits and limitations that they will be able to understand the impact of AI, both negatively and positively.

The best creators are going to know how to use AI in a way that still allows them to keep their humanity.

John Spencer (2022)

Establish learner identity

When helping students develop self-regulation, I always believe it is important to guide students to explore their strengths and development areas in order to develop their learner identity. Through AI tools, students can generate great essays, artwork, videos and more. However, this is not about what students can create. It is important to guide students to look beyond the task at hand. Can we help them to realize that writing is thinking? Do they see their artwork as a means of expressing themselves? What is their sense of pride in their own work?

As well as reviewing and revising the school’s academic integrity policy in order to provide more guidance to students on using AI tools, it is also necessary to focus on developing students’ learner identity. We can accomplish this by helping students identify what helps and what hinders their learning; recognize their strengths and weakness; set their personal learning goals; and take responsibility for their learning. The use of AI should be part of the learning process and students can use it to bridge their learning gaps. Through guided conversations, we can help students discover that knowing is not the same as understanding. The essay they generate via an AI tool may be beautiful, but if they fail to explain the content and describe the learning process, it is pointless. On the contrary, if students can elaborate on how the AI tool supported them in the learning process or how they use information obtained via the AI tool to improve their learning, I believe we are helping them form their learner identity.

During the coaching conversation, students are prompted to reflect on their learning attributes and develop confidence and motivation to learn. They become aware of the resources, skills and strategies they need for their growth. By utilizing AI assistance, students are able to find a direction for completing their work when feeling stuck which can reduce frustration and increase engagement. Our feedback help students see how they are proactive learners but not relying solely on AI tools. We can create student-centered learning by forming collaborative partnerships between teachers, AI, and students. For example, AI might offer task-level and process-level feedback while the teacher can go further to provide self-regulation level and self-level feedback to promote metacognition in students. This way, we can help students develop their learning identity and encourage them to become more independent learners.

Professor John Hattie and Helen Timperley identified four levels of feedback:

• Task-level: How well tasks are understood/performed?
• Process-level: The main process needed to understand/perform tasks
• Self-regulation level: Self-monitoring, directing, and regulating of actions
• Self-level: Personal evaluation and affect (usually positive about the learner)

Here is an example of how ChatGPT provided feedback to a student’s work based on the Design criterion A: Inquiring and Analyzing focusing on strand Ai: explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem .

Relationship building

I believe both students and teachers can benefit from the assistance of AI. However, this is just my opinion. I know some teachers believe they are the experts and they shouldn’t even consider using AI tools to plan lessons. My experience with AI tools has helped me be more efficient in my work and more productive in planning my lessons. I have never thought of myself as the source of expertise, either. Instead of spending days designing lessons to guide students in exploring the content and concepts of the unit or spending hours and hours crafting statements of inquiry for units, I now have more time to provide feedback to students and get to know each of my students on a more intimate level. Regularly checking in and communicating feedback will both help me stay up-to-date with student progress and forge relationships with the students.

As I talk about building relationships, I am also referring to creating trust and psychological safety. When guiding students on how to interact with AI tools, we discuss the value and ethics of using AI. We establish guidelines for using AI tools with students. We are responsible to help students understand why they are learning, how they are learning and finally get to the what of learning. When students see the value of learning and realize learning is not transactional, AI becomes a tool to help them progress and learn. When interactive and experiential learning is limited and assessments are high stakes, AI will be used by students to achieve good grades without considering personal growth.

By guiding students in the use of AI tools and discussing the ethics of using AI tools, I also believe we are communicating an important message to students that we trust them as responsible learners and we support their learning by leveraging AI power. It is only when we gain students’ trust, then we can empower them to take responsibility for their learning and guide them to make informed choices. It is our responsibility as educators to provide students with access to appropriate resources, including AI tools, to enable them to become independent learners who can make autonomous decisions regarding their learning.

Finally, I thought it might be interesting to share the results of an informal poll conducted by The Stanford Daily on the social media app Fizz. Is this data telling us anything?

• 4,497 respondents (though the number may be inflated) participated in the poll. Around 17% of Stanford student respondents reported using chatGPT to assist with their fall quarter assignments and exams
• Of those 17%, a majority reported using the AI only for brainstorming and outlining
• Only about 5% reported having submitted written material directly from chatGPT with little to no edits.

The information mentioned above is directly quoted from the article Scores of Stanford students used ChatGPT on final exams published by The Stanford Daily.

Conclusion

The use of AI tools with students is a complex and complicated topic. Each time we introduce new technology to students, we consider carefully how the technology can benefit the students and enhance their learning experience. It’s not about technology, it’s about learning! Maybe we can shift our perspective and look at AI as a way to assist students in thinking outside the box and creating innovative solutions instead of anticipating students using AI tools to cheat. As opposed to banning AI from students, we can identify how to best utilize it to encourage active learning and curiosity. By establishing learning identity and setting expectations when students interact with AI tools, we support their development of self-regulation skills. For better or worse, there is no turning back. I like to believe AI can be an invaluable tool for increasing student engagement and learning outcomes when we guide them on how to use AI tools responsibly and ethically. AI will not replace humans, but those who use AI tools well will replace those who cannot! It is important for students to develop analytical, critical thinking and reflection skills through interactions with AI in order to stay creative and innovative.

In this poster, I used P.O.W.E.R as an acronym to summarize my thought about how we can leverage AI to increasing learning.  

References

• Harris, R. (2022, December 23). ChatGPT gains 1 million users within 5 days| App Developer Magazine. App Developer Magazine. https://appdevelopermagazine.com/Chatgpt-gains-1-million-users-within-5-days/
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2023, January 12). ChatGPT. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChatGPT
• Future Ready Learning. U.S. Department of Education, Jan. 2016.
• Does Technology Inhibit or Enhance Our Curiosity? (2013). FutureLearn. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/developing-curiosity/0/steps/156566
• Spencer, John. “No, Artificial Intelligence Won’t Destroy High School English (or Any Other Subject).” John Spencer, 12 Dec. 2022, spencerauthor.com/englishai/. Accessed 25 Jan. 2023.
• John Hattie & Helen Timperley: Visible Learning and Feedback – VISIBLE LEARNING. (2013, February 8). VISIBLE LEARNING. https://visible-larning.org/2013/02/john-hattie-helen-timperley-visible-learning-and-feedback/
• Mark Allen Cu, & Hochman, S. (2023, January 23). Scores of Stanford students used ChatGPT on final exams, survey suggests. The Stanford Daily; The Stanford Daily. https://stanforddaily.com/2023/01/22/scores-of-stanford-students-used-chatgpt-on-final-exams-survey-suggests/