5.3 Academic Integrity and AI
The challenges of Academic Integrity
As an IB World School, Academic Integrity is the backbone of everything we do; student being honest and transparent in their learning is key to their education journey. Now in 2023, the excitement and novelty of ChatGPT is raising some significant questions about the ethical impact on academic integrity. So how should we navigate and ensure academic integrity in our CP courses?
Fast-paced change
It seems that the rate by which AI is changing is hard to keep track of. Whilst it seems we only started having these conversations at the end of 2022, months on it has changed exponentially already. This page promotes discussion on the topic but also endeavours to keep updates on the landscape as far as is possible. One might consider how much has changed? We are still in the business of academic integrity, explicit skill development, student agency and critical thinking. Selling the importance of that has never felt so meaningful.
UPDATE: Guardian Article 20 May 2023: School leaders announce launch of body to protect students from the risks of artificial intelligence
In a letter to the Times UK, a group of school leaders led by Sir Anthony Seldon, the head of Epsom College says:
“Schools are bewildered by the very fast rate of change in AI and seek secure guidance on the best way forward, but whose advice can we trust? We have no confidence that the large digital companies will be capable of regulating themselves in the interests of students, staff and schools and in the past the government has not shown itself capable or willing to do so.”
Artificial Intelligence v Academic Integrity?
At the end of February 2023, the IB published its stance on the use of ChatGPT in assessment. Yes it is allowed but it must be attributed like any other source in the bibliography.
'Schoolchildren are allowed to quote from content created by ChatGPT in their essays, the International Baccalaureate has said.[1]
The IB's stance on the use of ChatGPT
“The clear line between using ChatGPT and providing original work is exactly the same as using ideas taken from other people or the internet. As with any quote or material adapted from another source, it must be credited in the body of the text and appropriately referenced in the bibliography,” he said.
Are new developments in the use of Artificial Intelligence a complete compromise of the essence of Academic Integrity? It is important to look at the implications of ChatGPT from multiple angles.
What are the implications of ChatGPT?
If we are to assume (and quite fairly) that ChatGPT is here to stay then we can already anticipate the issues it raises for students' work. Quite simply, we are worried that students will use ChatGPT and aim to pass off the work as their own. It's very tempting - so easy and reassuring in the face of a late night and a stressed teenager. We sympathise.
Well let's forge the way for how this should be used. We thought we would go to the source and ask ChatGPT itself what it advised for how teachers should advise students on how to use ChatGPT? It is crucial to identify on this site, ChatGPT in a different colour font so it has been placed in purple.
How should teachers guide students to use CHAT GPT?
As an AI language model, CHAT GPT can be a useful tool for students to enhance their writing skills, improve their knowledge on various topics and seek answers to their questions. Here are some ways teachers can guide their students to use CHAT GPT effectively:
Introduce CHAT GPT: Teachers can start by introducing CHAT GPT to their students and explaining how it works. Students should be made aware of the capabilities and limitations of the AI model, so that they can use it responsibly.
Demonstrate how to use CHAT GPT: Teachers can demonstrate how to use CHAT GPT by asking it questions or giving it prompts, and showing the output that it generates. This can help students understand how to phrase their questions and prompts effectively to get the best results.
Encourage critical thinking: While CHAT GPT can provide quick answers to students' questions, it is important for teachers to remind students that the AI model may not always provide accurate or complete information. Teachers should encourage students to think critically and evaluate the information they receive from CHAT GPT.
Use CHAT GPT as a writing aid: CHAT GPT can be a useful tool for students who struggle with writing. Teachers can guide their students to use CHAT GPT to generate ideas, outlines, or even entire paragraphs, and then encourage them to edit and refine the output to make it their own.
Foster creativity: Teachers can encourage students to use CHAT GPT to explore their interests and discover new ideas. By using the AI model to generate prompts or writing prompts, students can tap into their creativity and develop their writing skills.
Emphasize responsible use: It is important for teachers to emphasize responsible use of CHAT GPT. Students should be aware of ethical considerations such as plagiarism, and should be encouraged to use CHAT GPT as a tool to enhance their learning rather than a shortcut to avoid the work.
By guiding students to use CHAT GPT effectively and responsibly, teachers can help them develop their writing skills, deepen their understanding of various topics and improve their ability to think critically.
Essential discussion
Well thank you ChatGPT but this might all might be literally easier generated than done. As a discussion amongst teaching, consider the practicalities of this list. What order would you put them in from most concerning to least. How would you plan for responsible use?
Let's get this out into the open.
It will come as no surprise that this can be turned into a learning opportunity with students for the reflective project. There is no better idea than meeting the challenge of an ethical dilemma head on with a collaborative discussion.
Generate a list of issues
Consider the following themes and generate a list of how they connect to the ethics surrounding ChatGPT. Don't be afraid to let the thinking get messy - use a board, a wall - post-its, pens and drawings.
Plagiarism Bias Privacy Responsibility Accessibility
Source material: ChatGPT[2]
As an AI language model, ChatGPT has the potential to transform education in many positive ways, but it also raises ethical concerns that need to be addressed. Here are some of the ethical implications of ChatGPT for education:
Plagiarism: One of the biggest ethical concerns with ChatGPT is the potential for students to use it to generate content that is not their own. Teachers need to ensure that students understand the importance of academic integrity and that they use ChatGPT as a tool for learning rather than a shortcut to avoid the work.
Bias: ChatGPT is trained on large datasets, and there is a risk that it could perpetuate biases that exist in the data. Teachers should be aware of the potential for bias and should encourage students to critically evaluate the information they receive from ChatGPT.
Privacy: When students use ChatGPT, their data is being collected and stored by the service provider. Teachers need to ensure that students understand how their data is being used and that appropriate measures are in place to protect their privacy.
Responsibility: As AI technology continues to evolve, it is important for teachers to help students understand the role and responsibility they have in using and developing these technologies. Students should be encouraged to think critically about the impact of ChatGPT on society and to consider the ethical implications of its use.
Accessibility: ChatGPT requires access to a computer and an internet connection, which may not be available to all students. Teachers need to be aware of the potential for ChatGPT to widen the digital divide and should work to ensure that all students have equal access to technology and resources.
In conclusion, while ChatGPT has the potential to transform education, it is important for teachers to be aware of the ethical implications of its use. By addressing these concerns, teachers can help students use ChatGPT in a responsible and ethical manner.
Now analyse and evaluate the source
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the advice given against each issue identified with the ethical implications of ChatGPT?
- What would be one solution you can provide for each issue?
Getting multiple perspectives
Look at the following viewpoints about Chat GPT and weigh up the impact of each. Which do you think are most convincing, encouraging or concerning?
Treat it like a toy not a tool: ' First and foremost, ChatGPT lacks the ability to truly understand the complexity of human language and conversation. It is simply trained to generate words based on a given input, but it does not have the ability to truly comprehend the meaning behind those words. This means that any responses it generates are likely to be shallow and lacking in depth and insight'[3].
Ian Bogost, 'ChatGPT is dumber than you think', 7th December 2023
[An] advantage of ChatGPT is its possibility to greatly benefit the medical industry. It can help summarise extensive medical records based on patients’ family history, lab results, and symptoms, helping with a more efficient diagnosis. Besides, in the education industry, ChatGPT’s conversational capabilities can allow students to actively engage with their curriculum which can help them improve their retention with interactive learning modules, quizzes, etc. These AI chatbots can also share immediate feedback on the content/ answers and provide instant assistance to the students[4].
Ruchir Shukla, 'What are the long-term pros and cons on OpenAI's ChatGPT?'
Journalism
' ... Felix Simon, a communications scholar at the Oxford Internet Institute, has interviewed more than 150 journalists and news publishers for a forthcoming study of AI in newsrooms. He says there is potential in making it much easier for journalists to transcribe interviews or quickly read datasets, but first-order problems such as accuracy, overcoming bias and the provenance of data are still overwhelmingly dependent on human judgment. “About 90% of the uses of AI [in journalism] are for comparatively tedious tasks, like personalisation or creating intelligent paywalls,” says Charlie Beckett, who directs a journalism and AI programme at the LSE. Bloomberg News has been automating large parts of its financial results coverage for years, he says. However, the idea of using programs such as ChatGPT to create content is extremely worrying. “For newsrooms that consider it unethical to publish lies, it’s hard to implement the use of a ChatGPT without lots of accompanying human editing and factchecking,” says Beckett'. [5]
Emily Bell is director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism
The IB's stand on the use of ChatGPT: '
'Schoolchildren are allowed to quote from content created by ChatGPT in their essays, the International Baccalaureate has said. The IB, which offers an alternative qualification to A-levels and Highers, said students could use the chatbot but must be clear when they were quoting its responses. ChatGPT has become a sensation since its public release in November, with its ability to produce plausible responses to text prompts, including requests to write essays. While the prospect of ChatGPT-based cheating has alarmed teachers and the academic profession, Matt Glanville, the IB’s head of assessment principles and practice, said the chatbot should be embraced as “an extraordinary opportunity”.
Footnotes
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/27/chatgpt-allowed-international-baccalaureate-essays-chatbot
- ^ ChatGPT!
- ^ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/chatgpt-openai-artificial-intelligence-writing-ethics/672386/
- ^ https://www.indiatimes.com/technology/news/long-term-pros-and-cons-of-openais-chatgpt-592904.html
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/03/fake-news-chatgpt-truth-journalism-disinformation