by Dr. Shanthi Thomas
ChatGPT and education! Do you think this is an unholy alliance? What role does artificial intelligence have with such a noble pursuit as education?
Without doubt, education becomes relevant only when it is tailored to the individual student. Does every student learn at the same pace in the same way? No. Can any school or teacher cater to each individual student in an optimal manner? No. This is where ChatGPT becomes relevant. It can assess a student’s current level of knowledge of a subject and understand where there are gaps. It can then provide new input in a manner understandable by the student, in the style that is suitable to the student. What more could you ask?
In a typical school, all students learn from the same textbook. What is truly remarkable about ChatGPT is that it can adapt learning material to the individual student. It does this by identifying patterns in the student’s learning behaviour and challenges. If a student prefers visual learning, ChatGPT can provide more diagrams, videos and infographics to explain difficult concepts.
Are you rich? Do you have personal tutors? Then you are privileged. A student from a financially disadvantaged background cannot afford personal tutors. Right? Well, that is going to change. ChatGPT democratizes education. It provides the same personalised support to a poor student as it does to a rich student. As long as technology is available, the financially disadvantaged sections of society will be able to access the personalised education that the more privileged have.
The teaching assistant of the future is AI. No doubt about that. A teacher addressing the needs of about 30 students in a classroom will just be a forgotten nightmare in the future. With ChatGPT, teachers will just have a supervisory role for students. The role of teachers will be limited to making sure that all students have access to the technology and that certain portions of knowledge are covered within a certain span of time. In short, teachers will become guides and supervisors.
An age-old problem in education the world over is outdated curricula. Textbooks simply do not keep pace with the rate at which knowledge is expanding. In the modern world, knowledge is created every second. This is where the magic of ChatGPT comes into play. There is nothing that stops AI from incorporating the latest developments in any field in the curricula. It can incorporate not just new knowledge but also newer methodologies of presentation of knowledge to the individual student.
Grading assignments and giving feedback to students! Can you imagine a more time-consuming task than that? It is no surprise that teachers dread that. But ChatGPT brings beautiful solutions to this problem. It automates the grading process for objective assessments. It can also analyze students’ responses to open-ended questions and suggest detailed feedback based on the accuracy and depth of the content. This means that ChatGPT is not just a mindless robot! It can analyze and think!
Many rural areas of the world simply do not have enough teachers. There is also high attrition rate among educators. ChatGPT can be a life saver in this matter. With its assistance, you simply do not need more teachers; you can accommodate a large number of students with the guidance of just one teacher if ChatGPT is present to cater to each individual student.
There are many areas of the world which do not have enough or adequate school buildings. But with the advent of ChatGPT, who needs a school building? Students do not have to be physically present in a school building to learn. They just need an internet connection, a laptop and ChatGPT, which will be remotely guided by a teacher! This will revolutionize education! There is no doubt about that.
When we look at the future of education with stars in our eyes, we should not lose sight of the challenges. First of all, with the advent of AI and education going online, the privacy of the individual student may be at risk. Such ethical considerations will have to be taken care of. Also, educators need to be trained to harness the power of ChatGPT. If not properly handled, it has the potential of turning into a Frankenstein monster! However, with the right approach and training, ChatGPT and education will be the next big alliance in the saga of mankind.
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