chat gpt uni assignment

May 30, 2024

Introducing ChatGPT Edu

An affordable offering for universities to responsibly bring AI to campus.

We're announcing ChatGPT Edu, a version of ChatGPT built for universities to responsibly deploy AI to students, faculty, researchers, and campus operations. Powered by GPT-4o, ChatGPT Edu can reason across text and vision and use advanced tools such as data analysis. This new offering includes enterprise-level security and controls and is affordable for educational institutions. 

We built ChatGPT Edu because we saw the success universities like the University of Oxford, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (opens in a new window) , University of Texas at Austin, Arizona State University (opens in a new window) , and Columbia University in the City of New York were having with ChatGPT Enterprise.

How campuses use ChatGPT today

ChatGPT can help with various tasks across campus, such as providing personalized tutoring for students and reviewing their resumes, helping researchers write grant applications, and assisting faculty with grading and feedback. Our university partners have found innovative ways to make AI accessible to students, faculty, researchers, and campus operations. A few examples include:

Professor Nabila El-Bassel at Columbia University is leading an initiative to integrate AI into community-based strategies to reduce overdose fatalities (opens in a new window) . Her team built a GPT that analyzes and synthesizes large datasets to inform interventions, reducing weeks of research work into seconds.

Undergraduates and MBA students in Professor Ethan Mollick’s courses at Wharton completed their final reflection assignments through discussions with a GPT trained on course materials, reporting that ChatGPT got them to think more deeply about what they’ve learned.

Christiane Reves, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, is developing a custom Language Buddies GPT for students (opens in a new window) to engage in German conversations suited to their language level while receiving tailored feedback. The GPT will help students build communication skills and save faculty time on assessments.

Bringing AI into the new school year

To build on these applications, we designed ChatGPT Edu as an accessible option for universities to bring AI to their campuses at scale. 

ChatGPT Edu includes:

Access to GPT-4o, our flagship model, excelling in text interpretation, coding, and mathematics

Advanced capabilities such as data analytics, web browsing, and document summarization

The ability to build GPTs, custom versions of ChatGPT, and share them within university workspaces

Significantly higher message limits than the free version of ChatGPT

Improved language capabilities across quality and speed, with over 50 languages supported

Robust security, data privacy, and administrative controls such as group permissions, SSO, SCIM 1 , and GPT management

Conversations and data are not used to train OpenAI models

ChatGPT Edu is designed for schools that want to deploy AI more broadly to students and their campus communities. Contact our team to learn more.

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• Artificial Intelligence

Designing Assignments in the ChatGPT Era

By  Susan D’Agostino

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Is an ice cream sandwich a sandwich? How about a sushi roll, chicken wrap or sloppy joe? These were some of the prompts included in a classification and model-building assignment in the fall 2022 Knowledge-Based AI course that David Joyner taught at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

But when Joyner, executive director of online education and the online master of science in computer science and senior research associate, was scheduled to teach the course again in the spring 2023 semester, he reconsidered the assignment in the presence of ChatGPT —the OpenAI chat bot that burst onto the global stage in late 2022 and sent shock waves across academe. The bot interacts with users in a conversational way, including by answering questions, admitting its mistakes, challenging falsehoods and rejecting inappropriate requests.

“I’d used the questions for five years because they were fun questions,” Joyner said. “But ChatGPT’s answer was so precise that I’m pretty sure it was learning from my own best students,” whom he suspected had posted their work online. Joyner replaced several of the sandwich options with avocado toast, shawarma, pigs in a blanket, Klondike bar and Monte Cristo. He also updated the academic misconduct statement on his syllabus to “basically say that copying from ChatGPT isn’t different from copying from other people.” Such efforts, Joyner acknowledges, may be a temporary fix.

As faculty members ponder academe’s new ChatGPT-infused reality, many are scrambling to redesign assignments. Some seek to craft assignments that guide students in surpassing what AI can do. Others see that as a fool’s errand—one that lends too much agency to the software.

Either way, in creating assignments now, many seek to exploit ChatGPT’s weaknesses. But answers to questions concerning how to design and scale assessments, as well as how to help students learn to mitigate the tool’s inherent risks are, at best, works in progress.

“I was all ready to not stress about the open AI shit in terms of student papers, because my assignments are always hyper specific to our readings and require the integration of news articles to defend claims etc. … BUT THEN I TRIED IT …” Danna Goldthwaite Young, professor of communication at the University of Delaware, wrote this week in introducing a thread on Twitter.

Students Should Surpass AI—or Not

When Boris Steipe, associate professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto, first asked ChatGPT questions from his bioinformatics course, it produced detailed, high-level answers that he deemed as good as his own. He still encourages his students to use the chat bot. But he also created The Sentient Syllabus Project , an initiative driven by three principles: AI should not be able to pass a course, AI contributions must be attributed and true, and the use of AI should be open and documented.

“When I say AI cannot pass the course, it means we have to surpass the AI,” Steipe said. “But we also must realize that we cannot do that without the AI. We surpass the AI by standing on its shoulders.”

Steipe, for example, encourages students to engage in a Socratic debate with ChatGPT as a way of thinking through a question and articulating an argument.

“You will get the plain vanilla answer—what everybody thinks—from ChatGPT,” Steipe said, adding that the tool is a knowledgeable, infinitely patient and nonjudgmental debate partner. “That’s where you need to start to think. That’s where you need to ask, ‘How is it possibly incomplete?’”

But not every faculty member is convinced that students should begin with ChatGPT’s outputs.

“Even when the outputs are decent, they’re shortcutting the students’ process of thinking through the issue,” said Anna Mills , English instructor at the College of Marin. “They might be taking the student in a different direction than they would have gone if they were following the germ of their own thought.”

Some faculty members also challenge the suggestion that students should compete with AI, as such framing appears to assign the software agency or intelligence.

“I do not see value in framing AI as anything other than a tool,” Marc Watkins, lecturer in composition and rhetoric at the University of Mississippi, wrote in an email. Watkins, his department colleagues and his students are experimenting with ChatGPT to better understand its limitations and benefits. “Our students are not John Henry, and AI is not a steam-powered drilling machine that will replace them. We don’t need to exhaust ourselves trying to surpass technology.”

Still, others question the suggestion that AI-proofing a course is difficult.

“Creating a course that AI cannot pass? Shouldn’t take very long at all,” Robert Cummings, associate professor of writing and rhetoric at the University of Mississippi, wrote in an email. “Most AI writing generators are, at this stage, laughably inaccurate … Testing AI interactions with components of a course might make more sense.”

But Steipe is pondering a possible future in which descendants of today’s AI-writing tools raise existential questions.

“This is not just about upholding academic quality,” Steipe said. “This is channeling our survival instincts. If we can’t do that, we are losing our justification for a contribution to society. That’s the level we have to achieve.”

How Faculty Can Exploit ChatGPT’s (Current) Weaknesses

In the future, faculty members may get formal advice about how to craft assignments in a ChatGPT world, according to James Hendler, director of the Future of Computing Institute and professor of computer, web and cognitive sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

In the meantime, faculty are innovating on their own.

In computer science, for example, many professors have observed that AI writing tools can write codes that work, though not necessarily of the kind that humans find easy to edit, Hendler said. That observation can be exploited to create assignments that distinguish between content and creative content.

“We try to teach our students how to write code that other people will understand, with comments, mnemonic variable names and breaking code up into meaningful pieces,” Hendler said. “That’s not what’s happening with these systems yet.”

Also, since ChatGPT’s ability to craft logical arguments can underwhelm, assignments that require critical thinking can work well in the presence of ChatGPT.

“It’s not very good at introspecting,” Steipe said. “It just generates. You often find non sequiturs or arguments that don’t hold water. When you point it out to the to the AI, it says, ‘Oh, I got something wrong. I apologize for the confusion.’”

Several faculty members contacted for this article mentioned that lessons learned from the earlier emergence of Wikipedia hint at a path forward. That is, both the online encyclopedia and OpenAI’s chat bot offer coherent prose that is prone to errors. They adapted assignments to mix use of the tech tools with fact-checking.

Moving forward, professors can expect students to use ChatGPT to produce first drafts that warrant review for accuracy, voice, audience and integration to the purpose of the writing project, Cummings wrote. As the tools improve, students will need to develop more nuanced skills in these areas, he added.

An Unsolved Problem

Big tech plans to mainstream AI writing tools in its products. For example, Microsoft, which recently invested in ChatGPT , will integrate the tool into its popular office software and sell access to the tool to other businesses. That has applied pressure to Google and Meta to speed up their AI-approval processes.

“My classes now require AI, and if I didn’t require AI use, it wouldn’t matter, everyone is using AI anyway,” Ethan Mollick, associate professor of management and academic director of the Wharton Interactive at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote on his blog that translates academic research into useful insights.

But big tech’s speed in delivering AI products to market has not always been accomplished with care. Social media platforms, for example, were once naïvely celebrated for bringing together those with shared interests, not realizing at the time that the platforms also brought together supporters of terror, extremism and hate.

Meta’s release of a ChatGPT-like chat bot several months before OpenAI’s product received a tepid response, which Meta’s chief artificial intelligence scientist, Yan LeCun, blamed on Meta being “ overly careful about content moderation ,” according to The Washington Post . (LeCun spoke with Inside Higher Ed about challenges in computer science in September.) Faculty members may need to help students learn to mitigate and address inherent, real-world harm new tech tools may pose.

“The gloves are off,” Steipe said of the huge monetary driver of the emergence of sophisticated chat bots. In higher education, this may mean that the ways in which professors assess students may change. “We’ve heavily been basing assessment on proxy measures, and that may no longer work.”

Professors may assess their students directly, but that level of personal interaction generally does not scale. Still, some are encouraged to find themselves on the same side, so to speak, as their students.

“Our students want to learn and are not in a rush to cede their voices to an algorithm,” Watkins wrote.

Such alignment, when present, may offer comfort to the heady disruption academics have experienced since ChatGPT’s release, especially as bigger questions—beyond how to assign grades—loom.

“The difference between the AI and the human mind is sentience,” Steipe said. “If we want to teach as an academy in the future that is going to be dominated by digital ‘thought,’ we have to understand the added value of sentience—not just what sentience is and what it does, but how we justify that it is important and important in the way that we’re going to get paid for it.”

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Designing Assignments and Activities with ChatGPT and Generative AI in Mind

Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, can help engage students in learning and creativity. Essentially, generative AI tools create content on their own without human intervention. They can be useful for writing text, generating ideas, creating images, writing and editing code, and more.

By designing assignments that incorporate generative AI technology, instructors can provide students with opportunities to explore, create, and problem-solve. However, as an instructor, you may also want to create assignments that challenge students to demonstrate their own knowledge and skills without relying heavily on AI-generated content. In this article, we will review different assignment ideas and strategies to create prompts and assignment ideas in different disciplines.

If you are interested in more general information about AI Tools and using them in your academic work, visit the Using ChatGPT and AI for Efficient Teaching and Work article. These tools will be shared in the Designing Assignments workshop.

Table of Contents

Syllabus statements and student input, is ai use cheating.

• AI Detection
• Design Assignments to Limit AI Use
• Design Assignments to Work with AI
• Registration
• Recording from August, 2023
• Workshop Slides

Intelligent.com conducted a poll of more than 1,000 current college students in May 2023 regarding their use of ChatGPT for coursework. 30% of students used ChatGPT for coursework during the 2022/2023 academic year, and of that group, 46% utilized it frequently. The Digital Education Council just did a survey finding that 86% of students state they use AI in their studies and 54% use it at least weekly. Generative AI is rapidly advancing and becoming more prevalent in education, work, and our daily lives. As an educator, it’s a good idea to help students be aware of the ethical considerations surrounding the use of generative AI.

• Consider adding an acceptable use statement in your syllabus. Here are some guidelines and examples.
• How do you think generative AI can be applied to the course assignments in this class?
• Can you share any specific examples of generative AI being used in educational settings?
• How can we ensure that AI tools are used in a way that promotes skill development in our course?
• After reviewing the assignment directions and grading information, what would be some helpful uses of AI tools that will still allow you to learn the content and demonstrate your learning?
• Based on various surveys and instructor experiences, not all students believe it is ethical to use AI on assignments. Be sure to include a discussion/policy about how AI can or cannot be used in group work.

There is no standard for determining if AI use by students qualifies as plagiarism or cheating . There is also no consistent standard for citing or crediting work using an AI tool. It may be useful to check with your professional organizations and journals and share any of their policies with students. Currently, AI is part of retail and other business careers, education in personalized learning, systems that make recommendations, human resources decisions, healthcare, agriculture, gaming, marketing, finance, and more .

Organization and publication examples:

• RTDNA Journalism Association
• NIH Grants Peer Review Policy
• IEEE Journal Submission Policy

Citation Style Guidance:

• APA: How to Cite ChatGPT
• MLA: How Do I Cite Generative AI in MLA Style?
• Chicago Style Manual

It may be useful to reflect on how you define plagiarism and cheating and then help guide students to think about it. Review this image from Matt Miller @DitchThatTextbook to help guide your thinking.

No True Detection of AI is Possible

There is no “fool-proof” way to detect AI use in student projects, and there have been many stories published about false positives and negatives using various AI detectors.

At NC State University, we provide access to Turnitin, but we do not pay for access to the AI detector due to false positives being reported at universities across the country. Please review the academic integrity guidance and policies from the Office of Student Conduct.

AI detection and workaround programs are regularly created and released. Here are some common tools and videos that guide students and content creators on how to avoid AI detection.

• Writer AI Content Detector  ( Disclaimer )
• Scribbr AI Detector
• ContentDetector.AI
• Sapling AI Detector
• AI Content Detector Writer  
• AI Writing CheckWriter’s AI Content Detector
• GPTZero X (detects text complexity and “burstiness” limited free option)
• $$ Winston AI’s Detection Tool (free trial)
• $$ Copyleaks (monthly fee – free trial)$$ Originality.AI (free trial)
• Video from Andy Stapleton: The Easiest Way to Bypass AI Content Detection
• Video: Bypass ALL AI Detectors in 2024

There are also some red flags you can look for in reviewing student work. It’s helpful (albeit difficult in large classes) if you know your students writing and can determine if an assignment does not fit their typical way or level of writing. What to look for:

• A factual error or made-up citation
• Missing required assignment data sources or article text
• “Too perfect” in terms of grammar and usage
• Overly formal, detached, or impersonal style/tone
• Predictable formations – -like a five-paragraph essay from middle school language arts
• The writing too directly and repetitively parallels the assignment directions

Note: Students who are good at prompt writing and provide context, follow-up questions, a voice for the AI, etc., may not produce writing that exhibits these flaws. You may also want to consider having a conversation with a student about their work and topic if you have concerns. ChatGPT-4o (a paid option) is significantly better at avoiding these style issues.

Designing Assignments to Limit AI Usage

There are ways to design assignments that can make generative AI use more difficult for students. However, as tools become more sophisticated, assignment revisions may not be enough to truly prevent students from using AI; however, these strategies are a good start.

Ask ChatGPT

Ask ChatGPT or another AI generator to provide assignment examples in your field that would be difficult for it to complete. Include context, specific learning outcomes, and more to get a more specific list of suggestions. Here are examples from ChatGPT , Perplexity and Google Gemini . Prompt Example:

• You are a professor for an introductory course in {subject area} at the college level. You are trying to design assignments that would be tricky for students to use AI to complete. What are some assignment ideas and topics within the field that would be difficult for you or another Generative AI tool to complete successfully?
• You are a professor for a college statistics course. Students are expected to recognize and be able to explain the central role of variability in the field of statistics. They also must be able to find variability when interpreting data. What are some course assignments that students can complete to show they have met these objectives and that are difficult for ChatGPT to complete? Explain how the assignment will help students demonstrate their understanding and what makes it complicated for a generative AI tool like ChatGPT. See the results here!

You can also copy work into an AI Generator and ask it “Did you write this?” to get some interesting responses.

Google Version History

Require that students submit written work using Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc., and use version history to validate that the writing and input occurred over time vs. in large chunks suggesting that students may have copied and pasted from another source like ChatGPT. Students have also used time stamps in Google Docs version history to exonerate themselves from false positives picked up by AI detectors.

Incorporate Student Discussion and Collaboration

In-person student discussions referencing past class activities, readings done outside of class, previous lectures, and so on can be integrated into your course. Examples:

• Ask students in a chemistry course to compare and contrast two models they read about for homework or that you shared in a recorded lecture. Ask students to come up with examples in class (or on a discussion board) with a partner based on the reading assignment.
• Use Perusall and set the auto-grading (ai-assisted) feature to highly weight active engagement time and getting responses. Manually grade and let students know that credit comes from their in-text conversations with each other.

Reflective Assignments

AI tools are not truly reflective and aren’t likely (even fictionally) to make good connections between course content and personal experience or learnings. Examples:

• Write a reflection on a time when you struggled with a {subject area} concept. What was the concept? How did you eventually understand it? What advice would you give to other students who are struggling with the same concept?
• Compare and contrast two different ways of solving a problem {in your content area}. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method? When would you use one method over the other?

Real-World & Localized Connections in Assignments

Some AI tools are not connected to the internet and will not have an understanding of local references or the most recent sources. Others may not be able to draw connections that make sense to humans who understand those “smaller” contexts. For example, we asked ChatGPT 4o to write a story for a blog about Raleigh restaurants and include favorites of NC State Students and how social media marketing campaigns have influenced the success of these restaurants. In the response, ChatGPT included only one restaurant on Hillsborough Street and one within walking distance of campus.

A Localized Prompt example:

• Analyze the impact of a recent policy change {content-specific} or ask students to choose a policy change that has been implemented in the last year. Research the policy change and its implications for the economy. Write a report that includes the expected impact, strengths and weaknesses of the change, and recommendations for how the policy change could be improved.

Take Assignments through a Process

Asking students to complete an assignment with a process including steps like brainstorming, mapping, drafting, peer review, an interview, and a final product can make it difficult for them to find successful ways to use AI. It may be able to help students with sections of the assignment but not the entire product or process. You can also ask students process-oriented questions along the way. You can also include ambiguous questions or those that require positions on controversial topics. Examples:

• Compare your answers to your team’s answers. Discuss any differences.
• Explain the process you followed to arrive at your conclusion.
• Analyze the ethical implications of each step in the process and propose alternatives if necessary.
• Explain the long-term consequences of implementing this process and how they might evolve over time.
• Discuss the role of creativity and innovation in…
• Identify potential biases, assumptions, and problems that could arise and suggest methods to mitigate them.

Retrieval Practice Activities

Retrieval practice activities allow students to practice recalling information from class activities, lectures, readings, and so on. If specific to course content, AI would not be helpful in these activities (particularly if completed in person). More on retrieval practice .

Multi-Step with a Creative Component

Create projects in which students demonstrate their learning. Essentially find ways to ask them to take what they’ve learned, organize it, and make something with it. Video is also still difficult for AI tools to create (or at least for free or inexpensive AI tools) Examples:

• Short story writing in which students must use content information, specific vocabulary, and maybe even primary sources to craft a story.
• Ask students to create a comic strip based on a concept, vocabulary, a reading, etc.
• Students creating a public service announcement video to demonstrate learning

Use Visuals in Assessments or Questions Starters

It is more difficult to use a generative AI tool to analyze and respond to images and videos. Consider adding these modalities into your questioning strategies.

Hybrid/Blended Instruction or Flipping

You may also want to consider using hybrid/blended or flipped formats for your course to limit AI use. In this model, students would learn content outside of class time and then use class time to apply or be assessed on what they learned.

Assessment Hack/Trick

Instructors have shared the “Trojan Horse” method to “catch” students who copy-paste assignment directions into AI generators and then copy/paste responses into their essays or other assignment submissions. To the authors of this article, working to be the “AI Police” and catch students feels outside of the role of an instructor, but this article explains the method.

Designing Assignments to Work with AI

AI tools are likely to be used by students in future careers and likely in their coursework, so one approach is to incorporate the tools directly and intentionally into assignments and activities.

“Am I going to teach students to write or to write with AI tools like ChatGPT? Derek Bruff

Consider these assignment reflection questions from Derek Bruff’s article “Assignment Makeovers in the AI Age.”

• Why does this assignment make sense for this course?
• What are the specific learning objectives for this assignment?
• How might students use AI tools while working on this assignment?
• How might AI undercut the goals of this assignment? How could you mitigate this?
• How might AI enhance the assignment? Where would students need help figuring that out?
• Focus on the process. How could you make the assignment more meaningful for students or support them more in the work?

Consider these ideas for assignments that can work with AI tools:

• Ask an AI to write an essay/write code/draw an image/create a script/design an experiment/draft a press release/propose a new business/analyze data
• Evaluate the results. Make a list of errors or how this result could have been better.
• Adjust your prompt to improve the output.
• Which result is best and why? What was your strategy to improve the prompt?
• Take the best output and make it even better with human editing. (Track changes)
• Describe for an employer what value you added to this process.
• Use AI to generate multiple explanations for a concept and ask students to critique the AI-generated explanations. Ask them to cite/use specific course readings, notes from lectures, etc., in their critiques.
• Save time in reviewing student writing by asking them or requiring them first to get an AI review of their work, then reflect on the review, make edits, and then submit their final work.
• Include an AI tool in a “Think-Pair-Share” activity in class. Students pair with another person in class and then with an AI tool.
• Ask students to predict what responses they will get from AI to specific course content questions, problem sets, etc.
• Provide several responses from AI and ask students to make a better or different product using those drafts/responses. They might make a mind map from a narrative created by AI and then find three additional sources to support or expand on different sections of the mind map.
• Assign a peer teaching project in which students will teach a concept or review a concept for their peers. Encourage students to get help from AI with the content and in designing a short activity that can be done as part of the peer teaching. Make students responsible for answering questions from peers and instructors. Use any gaps to adjust your own teaching.
• Ask students to debate an AI tool — students on one side and ChatGPT on the other.
• Ask students to find evidence for an AI-created “main points” of an article. First, copy and paste an article into ChatGPT (or a link to an article into Bing or Bard) and ask the tool to summarize the key points of the article. Then provide that to students and ask them to find quotes or details that expand on each point.

NC State Office of Faculty Excellence: Navigating the Landscape of Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Join the NC State AI in Teaching and Learning Community

Background Articles and Popularity/Use of Generative AI

• What Students Want When It Comes To AI ( article based on the same survey ) 
• 56% of College Students Have Used AI on Assignments or Exams | BestColleges  
• Generative AI: What Is It, Tools, Models, Applications and Use Cases
• What is the future of Generative AI? | McKinsey
• What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? | IBM    
• Generative AI: How It Works and Recent Transformative Developments  
• Navigating Generative AI as an Older Worker  
• Pros and Cons of AI in Higher Education | BestColleges  
• Educause Review: Artificial Intelligence
• Impact Research: K-12 Teachers & Students ChatGPT Use
• An introduction to prompting generative AI like ChatGPT for teaching and learning  
• Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning (PDF)  

Education AI Tool Articles/Lists

• 5 free AI tools for school that students, teachers, and parents can use, too | ZDNET
• Academic Success Tip: Infusing AI into Curricular Offerings
• Explore insights from the AI in Education Report | Microsoft Education Blog
• 40 AI Tools for the Classroom
• A Framework for AI Literacy
• Bloom’s Taxonomy Revisited with AI Capabilities

Practical Teaching Tips and Ideas! Key Educators to Follow, Read and Watch

• Writing Instructors –> Tim Laquintano, Carly Schnitzler, and Annette Vee — TextGenEd: An Introduction to Teaching With Text Generation Technologies (Assignment examples for AI Literacy, Creative Explorations, Ethical Considerations, and more – access at the bottom of the article)
• Writing Instructors –> Anna Mills (Curator). AI Text Generators and Teaching Writing: Starting Points For Inquiry
• One Useful Thing
• Assigning AI: Seven Ways of Using AI in Class and The Homework Apocalypse  
• Ethan Mollick & Lilach Mollich – Using AI to Implement Effective Teaching Strategies in Classrooms: Five Strategies, Including Prompts
• Lance Cummings: Cyborgs Writing
• Andy Stapleton: Andy Stapleton – YouTube
• Agile Learning
• Assignment Makeovers in the AI Age: Essay Edition
• Assignment Makeovers in the AI Age: Reading Response Edition
• Teaching Naked AI Handouts
• Teaching Naked AI Assignments and Assessments
• Teaching with AI (book)
• Ditch That Textbook: AI Resources
• As a History Professor, This Is How I Use AI in Class
• Jeffrey Young — EdSurge Instructors Rush to Do ‘Assignment Makeovers’ to Respond to ChatGPT” 
• Tyler Cowen & Alexander Tabarook How to Learn & Teach Economics with Large Language Models, Including GPT
• Sam Lau & Philip Guo Teaching Programming in the Age of ChatGPT – O’Reilly  
• Rethinking your Problem Sets in the World of Generative AI – MIT

Citation, Ethics and Detectors

• Should I Cite the AI Tool that I Used? – Moxie
• The Best AI Detection Tools to Catch Cheating and Plagiarism | BestColleges
• AI Writing Detection: Red Flags
• Torrey Trust — Essential Considerations for Addressing the Possibility of AI-Driven Cheating, Part 1 | Faculty Focus  

ChatGPT in Higher Education: Facts and Ideas to Consider

Introduction

It is safe to say that by now, you have seen many articles/posts, opinions, and stories about ChatGPT—and the larger AI-Language Learning Models (LLMs)—in relation to higher education and teaching/learning in particular. These writings included several perspectives ranging from raising concerns to celebrating new opportunities and a mix of the former and the latter. Also, these writings continue to evolve and grow rapidly in number as new AI-powered LLMs continue to emerge and evolve (e.g., Google’s new AI LLMs: Bard ).

The intent of this piece is not to add another article sharing tips or concerns about ChatGPT. That being said, this article (1) summarizes the major concerns about ChatGPT and (2) the ideas about its positive implications based on what it is published to date.

Concerns about ChatGPT

Faculty, scholars, and higher education leaders have raised several concerns about ChatGPT. These concerns stem from possible ways it can be used.

• Using ChatGPT to cheat by asking it to write essays/answer open-ended questions in exams/discussion forums and homework assignments (December 19th, 2022 NPR Story ) (December 6th, 2022 Atlantic Story ) (January 16 New York Times Story ).
• Using ChatGPT to author scholarly works which conflict with the ethical standards of scientific inquiry. Several high-impact/profile journals have already formulated principles to guide authors on how to use LLMs AI tools and why it is not allowed to credit such tool as an author—any attribution of authorship carries with it accountability for the scholarly work, and no AI tool can take such responsibility (January 24th, 2023 Nature Editorial ).
• ChatGPT can threaten the privacy of students/faculty (and any other user). Its privacy policy states that data can be shared with third-party vendors, law enforcement, affiliates, and other users. Also, while one can delete their ChatGPT account, the prompts they entered into ChatGPT cannot be deleted. This setup threatens sensitive or controversial topics as this data cannot be removed (January 2023 Publication by Dr. Torrey Trust ).
• ChatGPT is not always trustworthy, as it can fabricate quotes and references. In an experiment conducted by Dr. Daniel Hickey at Indiana University Bloomington, Instructional Systems Technology department, “ ChatGPT was able to write a marginally acceptable literature review paper, but fabricated some quotes and references. With more work such as including paper abstracts in the prompts, GPT is scarily good at referencing research literature, perhaps as well as a first-year graduate student.” (January 6th, 2023, Article by Dr. Daniel Hickey )

Excitement about ChatGPT

At the other end of the spectrum, there have been several ideas that express interest and excitement about ChatGPT in higher education. These ideas stem from how they can be used ethically and in a controlled manner.

• Using ChatGPT to speed up the writing of drafts for several outlets (reports, abstracts, emails, conference proposals, press releases, recommendation letters, etc.) ChatGPT can produce elaborated writing that must be edited to remove any possible inconsistencies or inaccuracies (December 7th, 2022 Social Science Space story )
• Using ChatGPT in the process of brainstorming ideas for curriculum design, lesson planning, and learning activities. The tool can provide some novel ideas or remind educators of some instructional techniques and strategies that they had heard about in the past (January 23rd, 2023, Article by Dr. David Wiley ).
• Using ChatGPT to provide students tutoring/scaffolds. The tool can act like a virtual tutor who does not simply give the answer to the student but rather scaffold them to reach the correct answers by themselves. (Sal Khan, founder/CEO of Khan Academy, Spring 2023 TED Talk )
• Teaching with ChatGPT to train students on using AI tools and models, provide opportunities to exercise critical thinking skills, and improve their technological literacy (January 12th New York Times story ).

Concluding Thoughts

There are major concerns about ChatGPT and the larger AI-powered Language Learning Models (LLMs) phenomenon. These concerns are legitimate and are opposed by notable ideas about the positive implications of AI-powered LLMs in higher education classrooms. As we aspire to make evidence-based educational and learning design decisions, one should carefully review the research that has been done on AI in relation to higher education up to this point and engage with the gaps as opportunities to expand knowledge and find new opportunities and risks.

Our University’s newly formed advisory committee on the applications of generative AI is a good example of how higher education institutions ought to recommend the use, evaluation, and development of emergent AI tools and services. Additionally, discussions about generative AI and its implications on education happening in public venues are necessary to strengthen the public-facing mission of the University, where input from educators, students, and members of the community is welcome.

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Tackling ChatGPT Head On: A Student Assignment

It is hard to not see a reference to ChatGPT in musings and reflections on higher education today. The A.I. software that can write essays, responding to most prompts with ease, is worrying many faculty who fear students will use this technology to cheat.  Students can, and probably will, use this software.  What they use it for is the question. Faculty can play a big role in what students use ChatGPT for and how students use ChatGPT.

Here at Oregon State University the Office of Academic Affairs has pulled together a group of key members of the faculty who with staff from the Center for Teaching and Learning, Academic Technologies and UIT, and Ecampus, will provide pedagogical guidance in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, two recent posts provide a quick story so far. OSU’s Dr. Inara Scott (College of Business) wrote a blog with some initial recommendations for faculty and compliments a recent Chronicle of Higher Education piece which provides some key sources for further information including webinars.

Hi everyone. I’ve developed a ChatGPT assignment that meets my pedagogical goals, and I thought I’d share my assignment with others if they’d like to use it. As with all my assignments, all the materials are open-access, so feel free to use whatever you’d like!

My goals for the assignment were the following:

1) Require students to become familiar with ChatGPT.

2) Require students to experience that ChatGPT can be erratically accurate.

3) Require students to become familiar with a ChatGPT detector.

4) Require students to commit to informing me if they use ChatGPT for their work in my course.

I required students to become familiar with ChatGPT, my first goal, for both equity (I don’t want some students to be aware of it but not others) and because my course is upper-division and titled “Psychological Effects of the Internet” (although I plan to use a version of this assignment in all my courses, including Basic Stats and Research Methods).

I achieved this first goal by excerpting two recent popular press articles and a collection of recent Tweets about ChatGPT showing both its power and its pitfalls. For the Tweets, I tried to spotlight at least one celebrity (Flavor Flav!).

Also, because my ChatGPT assignment occurs in my course’s first unit, during which students have been learning about previous technological moral panics (some centuries old, e.g., printed novels, recorded music in movie theaters, hand calculators, even ballpoint pens), students in my course were assigned two additional brief articles about moral panics over technology.

Students were then assigned two recent Tweets (well, one Tweet and one Mastodon post) written by educators recommending that the best way to avoid a moral panic about ChatGPT is to teach students how to use it critically (aka: apply critical thinking), which is what I aspired to do.  Therefore, for my second goal, that of requiring students to experience that ChatGPT can be erratically accurate, I constructed six questions about my university (University of Wisconsin-Madison). I had pre-tested these questions to feel confident that ChatGPT’s answers would be somewhat correct but also incorrect.  I required students to use their critical thinking to evaluate the responses ChatGPT provided, and so far, that is working out well. Not every ChatGPT response is 100% inaccurate, and even if some would be 100% accurate, students need to use critical thinking to distinguish the accuracies from the inaccuracies.

For my second goal, that of requiring students to become familiar with a ChatGPT detector, I again did that for equity (I again didn’t want some students to be aware of it but not others). Students were required to copy/paste the text of one of their own previous assignments into the ChatGPT detector and to copy/paste the text of a ChatGPT-generated assignment into the detector.

So far, the ChatGPT detector activity is working well, with the detector typically considering the students’ assignments as “99.9% Real” and the ChatGPT-generated assignment as “99.9% Fake.” However, along the way I learned an interesting quirk about the detector.   What I found was if I copied/pasted into the ChatGPT detector the exact same text from a PDF versus a Word document, the ChatGPT detector treated it differently!  The content was verbatim the same. Literally, every single word was the same. But copying from the PDF caused funky line breaks (as I think we’ve all experienced when copying/pasting from a PDF). And those funky line breaks somehow caused the detector to think the content was “Real” rather than “Fake” (aka: ChatGPT created).

Copying/pasting from a Word doc (or I’d guess a Google doc, Pages file, or anything without hard line breaks) seemed to do the trick; the detector identified the ChatGPT-created text as “Fake.”

I tested this multiple times and even asked someone else to test it. Every time, the funky line breaks caused the detector to claim the text was Real; the normal line breaks caused the detector to accurately claim the text was Fake.

I was stumped by this and consulted a colleague who does a lot of machine learning (like the ChatGPT AI bot is — and who has *almost* been as obsessed about ChatGPT as I have) was equally stumped about this.  I think the bottom line is that the detector isn’t 100% foolproof, and that’s good for instructors to know if they’re planning to use it for grading purposes.

Lastly, I required students to commit to the following statement: “I know that in this course I can use ChatGPT, but I must always apply critical thinking to anything ChatGPT tells me AND I must always make a Gradebook Comment (not a Discussion Board post, but a Gradebook Comment) telling the instructor and TAs whenever I have used ChatGPT and how I have used it.”

The entire assignment is attached in a PDF with links . As I mentioned before, please feel free to use whatever parts you’d like to use.

Over the past two weeks, I have learned a lot about ChatGPT. If anyone would like to engage with me more about this topic, please feel free to email me at [email protected] . Thank you so much!

Thank YOU, Dr. Gernsbacher.

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Should I Use ChatGPT to Write My Essays?

Everything high school and college students need to know about using — and not using — ChatGPT for writing essays.

Jessica A. Kent

ChatGPT is one of the most buzzworthy technologies today.

In addition to other generative artificial intelligence (AI) models, it is expected to change the world. In academia, students and professors are preparing for the ways that ChatGPT will shape education, and especially how it will impact a fundamental element of any course: the academic essay.

Students can use ChatGPT to generate full essays based on a few simple prompts. But can AI actually produce high quality work, or is the technology just not there yet to deliver on its promise? Students may also be asking themselves if they should use AI to write their essays for them and what they might be losing out on if they did.

AI is here to stay, and it can either be a help or a hindrance depending on how you use it. Read on to become better informed about what ChatGPT can and can’t do, how to use it responsibly to support your academic assignments, and the benefits of writing your own essays.

What is Generative AI?

Artificial intelligence isn’t a twenty-first century invention. Beginning in the 1950s, data scientists started programming computers to solve problems and understand spoken language. AI’s capabilities grew as computer speeds increased and today we use AI for data analysis, finding patterns, and providing insights on the data it collects.

But why the sudden popularity in recent applications like ChatGPT? This new generation of AI goes further than just data analysis. Instead, generative AI creates new content. It does this by analyzing large amounts of data — GPT-3 was trained on 45 terabytes of data, or a quarter of the Library of Congress — and then generating new content based on the patterns it sees in the original data.

It’s like the predictive text feature on your phone; as you start typing a new message, predictive text makes suggestions of what should come next based on data from past conversations. Similarly, ChatGPT creates new text based on past data. With the right prompts, ChatGPT can write marketing content, code, business forecasts, and even entire academic essays on any subject within seconds.

But is generative AI as revolutionary as people think it is, or is it lacking in real intelligence?

The Drawbacks of Generative AI

It seems simple. You’ve been assigned an essay to write for class. You go to ChatGPT and ask it to write a five-paragraph academic essay on the topic you’ve been assigned. You wait a few seconds and it generates the essay for you!

But ChatGPT is still in its early stages of development, and that essay is likely not as accurate or well-written as you’d expect it to be. Be aware of the drawbacks of having ChatGPT complete your assignments.

It’s not intelligence, it’s statistics

One of the misconceptions about AI is that it has a degree of human intelligence. However, its intelligence is actually statistical analysis, as it can only generate “original” content based on the patterns it sees in already existing data and work.

It “hallucinates”

Generative AI models often provide false information — so much so that there’s a term for it: “AI hallucination.” OpenAI even has a warning on its home screen , saying that “ChatGPT may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts.” This may be due to gaps in its data, or because it lacks the ability to verify what it’s generating. 

It doesn’t do research  

If you ask ChatGPT to find and cite sources for you, it will do so, but they could be inaccurate or even made up.

This is because AI doesn’t know how to look for relevant research that can be applied to your thesis. Instead, it generates content based on past content, so if a number of papers cite certain sources, it will generate new content that sounds like it’s a credible source — except it likely may not be.

There are data privacy concerns

When you input your data into a public generative AI model like ChatGPT, where does that data go and who has access to it? 

Prompting ChatGPT with original research should be a cause for concern — especially if you’re inputting study participants’ personal information into the third-party, public application. 

JPMorgan has restricted use of ChatGPT due to privacy concerns, Italy temporarily blocked ChatGPT in March 2023 after a data breach, and Security Intelligence advises that “if [a user’s] notes include sensitive data … it enters the chatbot library. The user no longer has control over the information.”

It is important to be aware of these issues and take steps to ensure that you’re using the technology responsibly and ethically. 

It skirts the plagiarism issue

AI creates content by drawing on a large library of information that’s already been created, but is it plagiarizing? Could there be instances where ChatGPT “borrows” from previous work and places it into your work without citing it? Schools and universities today are wrestling with this question of what’s plagiarism and what’s not when it comes to AI-generated work.

To demonstrate this, one Elon University professor gave his class an assignment: Ask ChatGPT to write an essay for you, and then grade it yourself. 

“Many students expressed shock and dismay upon learning the AI could fabricate bogus information,” he writes, adding that he expected some essays to contain errors, but all of them did. 

His students were disappointed that “major tech companies had pushed out AI technology without ensuring that the general population understands its drawbacks” and were concerned about how many embraced such a flawed tool.

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How to Use AI as a Tool to Support Your Work

As more students are discovering, generative AI models like ChatGPT just aren’t as advanced or intelligent as they may believe. While AI may be a poor option for writing your essay, it can be a great tool to support your work.

Generate ideas for essays

Have ChatGPT help you come up with ideas for essays. For example, input specific prompts, such as, “Please give me five ideas for essays I can write on topics related to WWII,” or “Please give me five ideas for essays I can write comparing characters in twentieth century novels.” Then, use what it provides as a starting point for your original research.

Generate outlines

You can also use ChatGPT to help you create an outline for an essay. Ask it, “Can you create an outline for a five paragraph essay based on the following topic” and it will create an outline with an introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and a suggested thesis statement. Then, you can expand upon the outline with your own research and original thought.

Generate titles for your essays

Titles should draw a reader into your essay, yet they’re often hard to get right. Have ChatGPT help you by prompting it with, “Can you suggest five titles that would be good for a college essay about [topic]?”

The Benefits of Writing Your Essays Yourself

Asking a robot to write your essays for you may seem like an easy way to get ahead in your studies or save some time on assignments. But, outsourcing your work to ChatGPT can negatively impact not just your grades, but your ability to communicate and think critically as well. It’s always the best approach to write your essays yourself.

Create your own ideas

Writing an essay yourself means that you’re developing your own thoughts, opinions, and questions about the subject matter, then testing, proving, and defending those thoughts. 

When you complete school and start your career, projects aren’t simply about getting a good grade or checking a box, but can instead affect the company you’re working for — or even impact society. Being able to think for yourself is necessary to create change and not just cross work off your to-do list.

Building a foundation of original thinking and ideas now will help you carve your unique career path in the future.

Develop your critical thinking and analysis skills

In order to test or examine your opinions or questions about a subject matter, you need to analyze a problem or text, and then use your critical thinking skills to determine the argument you want to make to support your thesis. Critical thinking and analysis skills aren’t just necessary in school — they’re skills you’ll apply throughout your career and your life.

Improve your research skills

Writing your own essays will train you in how to conduct research, including where to find sources, how to determine if they’re credible, and their relevance in supporting or refuting your argument. Knowing how to do research is another key skill required throughout a wide variety of professional fields.

Learn to be a great communicator

Writing an essay involves communicating an idea clearly to your audience, structuring an argument that a reader can follow, and making a conclusion that challenges them to think differently about a subject. Effective and clear communication is necessary in every industry.

Be impacted by what you’re learning about : 

Engaging with the topic, conducting your own research, and developing original arguments allows you to really learn about a subject you may not have encountered before. Maybe a simple essay assignment around a work of literature, historical time period, or scientific study will spark a passion that can lead you to a new major or career.

Resources to Improve Your Essay Writing Skills

While there are many rewards to writing your essays yourself, the act of writing an essay can still be challenging, and the process may come easier for some students than others. But essay writing is a skill that you can hone, and students at Harvard Summer School have access to a number of on-campus and online resources to assist them.

Students can start with the Harvard Summer School Writing Center , where writing tutors can offer you help and guidance on any writing assignment in one-on-one meetings. Tutors can help you strengthen your argument, clarify your ideas, improve the essay’s structure, and lead you through revisions. 

The Harvard libraries are a great place to conduct your research, and its librarians can help you define your essay topic, plan and execute a research strategy, and locate sources. 

Finally, review the “ The Harvard Guide to Using Sources ,” which can guide you on what to cite in your essay and how to do it. Be sure to review the “Tips For Avoiding Plagiarism” on the “ Resources to Support Academic Integrity ” webpage as well to help ensure your success.

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The Future of AI in the Classroom

ChatGPT and other generative AI models are here to stay, so it’s worthwhile to learn how you can leverage the technology responsibly and wisely so that it can be a tool to support your academic pursuits. However, nothing can replace the experience and achievement gained from communicating your own ideas and research in your own academic essays.

About the Author

Jessica A. Kent is a freelance writer based in Boston, Mass. and a Harvard Extension School alum. Her digital marketing content has been featured on Fast Company, Forbes, Nasdaq, and other industry websites; her essays and short stories have been featured in North American Review, Emerson Review, Writer’s Bone, and others.

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• Incorporating ChatGPT into Classes with Writing Assignments: Policies, Syllabus Statements, and Recommendations

AI text generators like ChatGPT are still in their early days. Still, large technology companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are already using large language models to design new writing platforms and writing technologies. In most cases, human users will use AI to augment their writing processes rather than as a replacement for human writers.  The challenge for users will be to make decisions about what AI can do effectively (summary and general description) and what may still depend on human agents (attribution, evaluation, and judgment).

Policy Options for Incorporating ChatGPT in Undergraduate Courses

The Provost’s office offers two recommendations for allowing the use of Chat GPT and other Large Language Models in their three recommended syllabus policy statements .

For instructors who wish to embrace ChatGPT

Artificial intelligence (AI) language models, such as ChatGPT, may be used for any assignment with appropriate citation. Examples of citing AI language models are available at: libguides.umn.edu/chatgpt [or provide an alternative reference appropriate for your class]. Students are responsible for fact-checking statements composed by AI language models.

For instructors who wish to allow limited usage of ChatGPT

Artificial intelligence (AI) language models, such as ChatGPT, may be used for [assignment types A, B & C] with appropriate citation, but not for [assignment types D, E & F]. If you are in doubt as to whether you are using AI language models appropriately in this course, I encourage you to discuss your situation with me. Examples of citing AI language models are available at: libguides.umn.edu/chatgpt [or provide an alternative reference appropriate for your class]. Students are responsible for fact-checking statements composed by AI language models.

Documentation guidelines for ChatGPT

If you allow ChatGPT in your courses, students should document their use. Different stylesheets have different expectations for how ChatGPT-generated language should be documented.

American Psychological Association Style

APA treats text generated by AI tools as personal communication , much like you might treat an email to an author. The in-text citation follows the author-date convention typical of APA.

ChatGPT offers the following description of the APA style:   “The APA style refers to the formatting and citation guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). It is commonly used in academic writing, particularly in the social sciences such as psychology, sociology, education, and other related fields” (OpenAI, 2023).

In the References section of the document, the entry would list ChatGPT as an author.

OpenAi. (2023). ChatGPT (July 20 version). http://chat.openai.com

Modern Language Association Style

MLA treats the user-generated prompt as the title of a document and does not credit ChatGPT (or other AI) as an author . The in-text citation and reference below follow the preferred conventions of MLA, which treats ChatGPT as a source without an author rather than an agent that generates text.

“MLA style, short for Modern Language Association style, is a commonly used citation and formatting style in academic writing, particularly in the fields of literature, arts, humanities, and some social sciences (“What is MLA Style?”).

On the Works Cited page, the entry would have no author listed.

“What is MLA Style” prompt. ChatGPT.  20 July version. Open AI. 26 July, 2023. chat.openai.com/chat .

In each example above, the ChatGPT-generated text is offered as a direct quotation set off by quotation marks. Preliminary agreements regarding AI regulation include efforts to build watermarks and other identifiers to help distinguish AI-generated text from human-generated writing. Indirect quotations, paraphrases, and summaries of AI outputs would be documented similarly.

Recommendations for Instructors

Enter your writing assignments into ChatGPT to see what can be generated from a Large Language Model

ChatGPT can accept queries up to 2000 characters and will attempt to generate a response to most prompts. The text generated will be based on statistical probabilities of matching responses and will follow the language parameters upon which it is trained. Pay careful attention to the elements where generated text is successful and where it is unsuccessful. Users may notice that the form of the in-text citation is correct (author, date) but that the content doesn’t refer to an actual source or author. Similarly, a ChatGPT-generated reference page may organize alphabetically but not follow APA conventions correctly (or consistently) for capitalization and typography.

Helping students recognize the limits of generative AI is vital. While digital detectors have difficulty distinguishing between AI- and Human-written prose, experienced human readers often identify the errors and hallucinations produced by generative AI. Novice readers are less likely to catch these errors and may, unfortunately, be more likely to be persuaded by the authoritative style produced by GPTs.

Teach students strategies for prompt design and effective narrowing

Initial outputs from ChatGPT are often exceedingly conventional and lack relevant details. However, by using a process of prompt refinement, users can generate text that comes closer to serving the purposes and audiences intended with its output. ChatGPT offers six basic strategies for improving results from initial queries. In addition, many technology companies are developing Application Program Interfaces (APIs) to assist ChatGPT with complex tasks like statistical analysis and complex mathematics. Such ‘bolt-on’ technologies can improve the accuracy of responses and limit the generation of “hallucinated” results.

Remind students of alternative or better resources

Students sometimes use ChatGPT as a virtual tutor or librarian to generate ideas or learn strategies for beginning an unfamiliar assignment. Remind students that their instructors and TAs are subject matter experts who may have tested and proven strategies for explaining materials and concepts in many ways. The information, analogies, summaries, and comparisons generated by actual experts rarely contain the kinds of errors and omissions common to LLMs like ChatGPT. Similarly, while ChatGPT can generate keywords to guide literature research, librarians and subject matter experts can help students to use library tools and interfaces, controlled vocabulary searches, Boolean operations, and limiters to generate more effective results with greater accuracy. 

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Teaching with ChatGPT: Assignment Design Tips & Ideas

Generative AI offers opportunities for learning, but instructors should guide students on using it safely, ethically, and within the parameters set by course policy. Continue to uphold assignment and assessment design that reinforces good teaching and learning practices. Use AI for teaching where appropriate and when it adds value.

Oregon State University’s “ Bloom’s Taxonomy Revisited ” provides a framework for assignment and assessment design in the age of AI.

Assignment Strategies with Generative AI in mind

• Use authentic assessment, formative assessment, assessment add-ons like problem-solving logs, exam wrappers, minute papers, “muddiest point” questions. Learn more: Assignments & Assessments
• Engage diverse media.  Replace an essay or short-answer writing assignment with one that requires students to submit an audio file, podcast, video, speech, drawing, diagram, or multimedia project. 
• Create connections to real-world experience that AI will not have. Connect assignments to very recent events or new conversations in the field; to issues specific to the local community; or to discussions that took place in your own classroom. Alternatively, ask your students to find a connection between course concepts/topics and their personal experience or knowledge.
• For example: instead of the traditional essay, which may now be easy to cheat through, assign a multimedia project accompanied by a brief self-reflective essay.
• Assign social annotation . For short reading responses, instead of using open-ended questions in Canvas, try social annotation tools that require students to engage with a text along with their classmates. Try Hypothes.is or Perusall , both of which are supported by the University.
• Set clear course AI policies and expectations for assignments.
• Teach your students to cite generative AI correctly.
• Teach your students to use generative AI safely. ChatGPT acknowledges that they may share account holders’ personal information with third parties, including vendors and service providers — see their Privacy Policy . Teach your students to never share personal and sensitive information with generative AI chatbots.
• Model how to use generative AI as a personalized tutor .
• Idea 1: Critical evaluation of AI outputs.  Ask your students to 1. generate a ChatGPT response to a question of their own choosing, related to the field,  2. examine that response, and 3. write a short analytical essay about ChatGPT’s response’s strengths and weaknesses. *In this basic form, this exercise can be a great critical thinking exercise. It can also be tailored to other specific learning goals. For example, if you are looking to teach assessment and evaluative skills, you can ask your students to also come up with a set of assessment criteria, as opposed to the free-form discussion of the strengths and weaknesses.
• Idea 2: Applying concepts to analyze data. Ask your students to: 1. pick a concept related to the field. 2. ask ChatGPT to describe three applications of that concept. 3. rank those applications from most successful to least successful. 4. Explain your thought process behind the rankings. *This can be a written homework assignment or a classroom discussion activity. 
• Idea 3: Identifying and understanding generative AI. Give your students two short human-written pieces or reading responses on a topic related to the field, and one AI-written piece on the same topic. The human-written pieces can be anything — student works, excerpts from publications, or any relevant online materials. Do not tell your students which one of the three pieces is AI-generated. Ask them to examine all three written pieces and 1. identify the AI-generated piece, 2. reflect on their thought-process: how difficult (or how easy) was it for them to identify the AI generated piece? what made them think it is AI-generated? in what ways does it stand out? *This exercise can also can be done as a discussion activity in the classroom or as a written assignment. Whichever format you choose, make sure that the essays are short enough and manageable to read in that specific format.
• OFE collection of sample assignments using AI (Google Doc, requires a Montclair account). If you have an assignment that uses AI to help student learning, we invite you to share it with colleagues at Montclair. To have your assignment added to our collection, request editing access to this Google doc, or simply email a copy of that assignment to Vera at [email protected].
• University of North Dakota’s AI Assignment Library of peer-reviewed assignment ideas
• For example: Instead of one large submission due on May 5th, try assigning a project outline due April 1st, notes on research articles due Apr 15, first draft due Apr 25, and final draft due May 5th.
• Review your grading criteria and rubrics to make sure you’re setting your students up to adopt strong learning strategies. See Grading for Learning under Plan for Grading .
• For example: Have students write responses in class. If students have 20 minutes to write brief responses to the kinds of questions you might have provided as homework, they will learn a great deal, and as a bonus, your subsequent class discussion will benefit from that engaged individual work.
• Have students respond orally, requiring each student to respond to a different question.
• Have students work in small groups in class to present on topics in class.
• Incorporate brief in-class quizzes, tests and other assessments. The key is to make these short, frequent, and possibly even unannounced. They serve assessment purposes, reward attendance, and provide useful immediate feedback about learning. Small point values for individual assessments allow poor performance to be informative to students rather than disastrous.
• Engage visuals: ask students to respond to images or videos in their assignment. Be sure to include alt-text for accessibility.
• For example: “Refer to two of the theorists discussed in class.”
• Try requiring handwritten responses where scope permits. Students will groan, and you may too as you attempt to read student handwriting again, but not only will this deter the use of ChatGPT, but some research shows that we actually remember better when we write by hand. Varying the way we engage with thinking has value as it plays to different students’ preferences, and stretches all of us to try new ways to help us focus on the task of thinking.
• Employ Simple Active Learning Strategies : In-class and in homework, active learning assignments inspire learning.
• Collaborative Learning : Sometimes called team or group learning, collaborative learning can be designed to accelerate learning.

Montclair’s Digital Accessibility Initiative , ITDS , and DRC offer a variety of resources for faculty to create accessible materials for students. Following Universal Design for Learning principles benefits all students.

Generative AI tools that enhance functions such as text to speech, speech to text, text to image, voiceovers, image descriptions, and PDF paraphrasing can potentially increase the accessibility of assignments and classroom materials for students with disabilities.

• McDermott, B. (2024). AI as an Accessibility Tool: Using Generative AI to Support Universal Design for Learning Approach. In S. Mahmud (Ed.), Academic Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (pp. 162-174). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0240-8.ch009
• TriCollege Libraries (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore)’s “ Generative AI in Higher Education ”. Page has sub-sections on AI assistive technologies and accessibility.
• University of Cincinnati Libraries’ “ AI Tools for Accessibility “

Last Modified: Friday, September 20, 2024 11:45 am

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Using ChatGPT to Write a College Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on June 26, 2023 by Koen Driessen . Revised on December 8, 2023.

A good college essay helps to distinguish your application from those of other candidates. It conveys your experiences, values, and character traits and indicates why you would make a good addition to the university you’re applying to.

Your college essay should be your own work. However, AI tools like ChatGPT may be helpful during the preparation and revision stages of your writing.

You can also use the essay checker , so you don’t have to revise your writing yourself.

You can use these tools to:

• Brainstorm essay ideas
• Develop an outline
• Generate feedback

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Table of contents

Brainstorming ideas, developing an outline, generating feedback, limitations of using chatgpt, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

Your college essay topic should reveal something distinctive about your personality and have a unique angle.

Brainstorming a range of potential ideas is a good place to start. This can help to stimulate creative thinking and prompt self-reflection. It can also help you draw connections between seemingly unrelated experiences or ideas.

You can use ChatGPT to generate questions to help you brainstorm.

Example: Using ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas

• Generate 10 questions to help me brainstorm topics for my college admission essay.
• How has a particular life experience shaped your perspective on a specific issue or topic?
• What challenges or obstacles have you faced, and how have they influenced your personal growth?
• How has your involvement in extracurricular activities impacted your character development and contributed to your identity?
• In what ways have you demonstrated leadership skills and made a positive impact on your community?
• Describe a significant academic achievement or project that showcases your intellectual curiosity and passion.
• How have your cultural background and family values influenced your aspirations and goals for the future?
• Reflect on a time when you had to step outside of your comfort zone to achieve a meaningful outcome. What did you learn from this experience?
• How do you envision using your education to make a difference in the world or contribute to a specific field or industry?
• What do you believe sets you apart from other applicants, and how would your unique perspective enrich the college community?
• Discuss a book, artwork, or scientific discovery that has profoundly impacted your thinking and helped shape your intellectual interests.

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College admission essays don’t follow one predefined structure, so you can approach them creatively and incorporate storytelling techniques.

Two common approaches to structuring your essay are the narrative structure (a chronological narrative that shows your character development over time) and the vignette or montage structure (multiple scenes connected by a common topic or theme).

Regardless of the structure you choose, it’s important to establish a coherent narrative and ensure that your essay flows smoothly.

You can use ChatGPT as a source of inspiration and to generate potential ideas on how to structure your college essay . Do this by prompting the tool to create an outline using your chosen topic. You can make the prompt as specific as you like, mentioning any facts or viewpoints that should be incorporated into the output.

Examples: Using ChatGPT to generate an essay outline

• Provide a very short outline for a college admission essay. The essay will be about my experience working at an animal shelter. The essay will be 500 words long.
• Hook: Share a brief and engaging anecdote about your experience at the animal shelter.
• Thesis statement: Working at an animal shelter has been a transformative experience, teaching me valuable lessons about compassion, resilience, and community impact.
• Describe your first impressions and emotions upon starting work at the shelter.
• Discuss the challenges you encountered, such as the condition of the animals or the emotional toll of their situations.
• Highlight the relationships you formed with the animals and their impact on you.
• Discuss specific instances where you witnessed the transformative power of love and care on the animals’ well-being.
• Explore the collaborative efforts within the shelter community.
• Discuss how working with others led to positive outcomes and inspired you to make a difference.
• Reflect on how working at the shelter has shaped your character and values.
• Discuss the skills and lessons learned that are applicable beyond the shelter environment.
• Connect your experiences to your future goals and aspirations.
• Summarize the main points discussed in the essay.
• Reinforce the transformative nature of your experience and your commitment to making a positive impact in the future.

You can use ChatGPT to help revise your essay before submitting it to ensure that it’s of a high quality. However, ChatGPT cannot provide the same kind of informed feedback as a human, and it’s not able to adequately judge qualities such as vulnerability and authenticity. For this reason, it’s important to also ask for feedback from two to three people who have experience with college essays and who know you well.

Nevertheless, you can use ChatGPT to generate feedback on certain aspects, such as consistency of tone, clarity of structure, and grammar and punctuation. You can also use  Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool to help vary the tone of your writing and Scribbr’s free grammar checker to ensure your text is free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Alternatively, you can seek the advice of a human essay coach or editor. We recommend using Scribbr’s essay editing service .

Example: Using ChatGPT to get feedback

• Provide constructive feedback on how to improve the above essay with regard to appropriateness of tone, clarity of structure, and grammar and punctuation.
• The tone of the essay is generally appropriate, conveying a sense of personal growth and passion. However, consider injecting more enthusiasm and emotion into certain parts of the essay to make it more engaging and captivating.
• The overall structure of the essay is clear and follows a logical progression. However, it would benefit from a stronger introduction that hooks the reader and clearly outlines the main points to be discussed.
• Consider using clear topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph to provide a preview of the main idea or argument that will be presented.
• Pay attention to subject-verb agreement and verb tenses throughout the essay to ensure consistency.
• Proofread the essay to eliminate any repetitive phrases or sentences.
• Check for the correct use of commas and other punctuation marks, ensuring they are used appropriately to enhance clarity and flow.

Additionally, here are a few constructive suggestions for improvement:

• Expand on the ways in which working at the animal shelter influenced your future aspirations and academic/professional pursuits.
• Be mindful of using diverse vocabulary and sentence structures to enhance the overall quality of the essay.

While ChatGPT can help you brainstorm, outline, and revise your essay, having it write your essay for you can negatively impact your application in several ways.

Unoriginal content

ChatGPT responses are based on a wide range of sources and sometimes resemble existing texts. Furthermore, they are not always unique, since other users may receive the same responses to similar prompts.

As the point of a college essay is to showcase your unique experiences and perspective and make you stand out from other candidates, having ChatGPT write your essay is not a good idea.

Formulaic style

ChatGPT outputs don’t reflect your personality, are highly formulaic, and contain many clichés (e.g., outputs often use hackneyed phrases like “burning desire,” “insatiable curiosity,” and “thirst for knowledge”).

Furthermore, ChatGPT outputs often “tell” rather than “show” (i.e., they state a fact instead of illustrating it using examples and vivid imagery).

Lack of personal insight

Human-written text tends to be more unpredictable and contain more creative language choices than AI-generated writing.

While the connections you make in your writing should not be nonsensical, drawing unique and unexpected connections between different experiences can help show character development and display your creativity and critical thinking skills.

ChatGPT can’t do this. Furthermore, it can’t express authentic emotion or vulnerability about specific memories that are, after all, your memories, not ChatGPT’s.

Risk of plagiarism

Passing off AI-generated text as your own work is usually considered plagiarism (or at least academic dishonesty ). AI detectors may be used to detect this offense.

It’s highly unlikely that a university will accept your application if you are caught submitting an AI-generated college essay.

If you want more tips on using AI tools , understanding plagiarism , and citing sources , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations, examples, and formats.

• Citing ChatGPT
• Best grammar checker
• Best paraphrasing tool
• ChatGPT in your studies
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Best plagiarism checker

Citing sources

• Citation styles
• In-text citation
• Citation examples
• Annotated bibliography

No, having ChatGPT write your college essay can negatively impact your application in numerous ways. ChatGPT outputs are unoriginal and lack personal insight.

Furthermore, Passing off AI-generated text as your own work is considered academically dishonest . AI detectors may be used to detect this offense, and it’s highly unlikely that any university will accept you if you are caught submitting an AI-generated admission essay.

However, you can use ChatGPT to help write your college essay during the preparation and revision stages (e.g., for brainstorming ideas and generating feedback).

Yes, you use ChatGPT to help write your college essay by having it generate feedback on certain aspects of your work (consistency of tone, clarity of structure, etc.).

However, ChatGPT is not able to adequately judge qualities like vulnerability and authenticity. For this reason, it’s important to also ask for feedback from people who have experience with college essays and who know you well. Alternatively, you can get advice using Scribbr’s essay editing service .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Driessen, K. (2023, December 08). Using ChatGPT to Write a College Essay | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 27, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/ai-tools/chatgpt-college-essay/

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• DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.23.3.2767
• Corpus ID: 272656781

Evaluating the effectiveness of chat GPT in promoting academic success through assignment solving among graduate students in the University of Louisiana Lafayette

• Akintunde Nelson Oshodi
• Published in World Journal of Advanced… 30 September 2024
• Education, Computer Science

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• Using ChatGPT for Assignments | Tips & Examples

Using ChatGPT for Assignments | Tips & Examples

Published on 13 February 2023 by Jack Caulfield and Tobias Solis. Revised on 15 May 2023.

People are still figuring out the best use cases for ChatGPT , the popular chatbot based on a powerful AI language model. This article provides some ideas for how to use the tool to assist with your academic writing .

ChatGPT can assist you with the following steps when writing a paper, thesis , or dissertation :

• Developing a research question
• Creating an outline
• Generating literature ideas

Paraphrasing text

• Getting feedback

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Table of contents

Developing a research question with chatgpt, creating an outline of your paper with chatgpt, generate literature ideas, getting feedback from chatgpt, limitations of chatgpt, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about using chatgpt for assignments.

You can use ChatGPT to help you formulate a clear and concise research question by generating and improving potential questions.

With the help of ChatGPT, you can develop a large number of possible research questions within a short time. This is a great way to generate ideas and different approaches to a topic.

However, make sure that the generated questions make sense and meet your needs. As you can see from our example, you can keep working with ChatGPT to adapt its suggestions to your needs (or just edit the text directly if you already have a clear idea of what you want).

First input

Develop three possible research questions on the following topic: “The influence of social media on political opinion formation.”

ChatGPT output

• To what extent does exposure to diverse political perspectives on social media affect individuals’ political opinions and behaviours?
• How does the personalised algorithm of social media platforms shape the formation of political opinions among its users?
• What are the underlying factors that determine the effect of social media on political opinion formation, and how can they be measured and analysed?

Second input

Based on the second research question, develop three further research questions on the topic of polarisation in UK politics.

• Build my scientific method, qualitative discourse analysis, into each question
• Include the term “filter bubble” in each question
• How does the filter bubble effect on social media platforms contribute to the polarisation of political attitudes in the UK? A qualitative discourse analysis.
• What is the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating and reinforcing political echo chambers in the UK? A qualitative discourse analysis.
• How does the influence of filter bubbles on social media affect the ability of individuals to engage in productive political discourse across ideological divides in the UK? A qualitative discourse analysis.

Third input

Try to incorporate “qualitative discourse analysis” into the questions themselves, instead of using it as a separate sentence.

• How does a qualitative discourse analysis of filter bubble effect on social media platforms contribute to understanding the polarisation of political attitudes in the UK?
• What is the contribution of a qualitative discourse analysis to understanding the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating and reinforcing political echo chambers in the UK?
• How does a qualitative discourse analysis of the influence of filter bubbles on social media inform our understanding of the ability of individuals to engage in productive political discourse across ideological divides in the UK?

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You can also use ChatGPT to help you draft a research paper outline or thesis outline . To do this, try generating possible headings and subheadings and then improving them. ChatGPT can help to generate a clear and well-structured outline, especially if you keep adjusting the structure with its help.

However, it doesn’t have a deep understanding of your topic. As a result, inappropriate headings may sometimes be generated. It’s important to check that the outline makes sense and covers all the points needed to answer your research question.

You should also ensure that the headings and subheadings follow a logical structure. Scribbr’s Proofreading & Editing service can help you with this.

Create an outline for an academic research paper with the following research question:

“What is the contribution of a qualitative discourse analysis to understanding the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating and reinforcing political echo chambers in the US?”

The paper will be about 8 pages long.

• Background information on filter bubbles and political echo chambers
• Purpose of the study
• Research question
• Thesis statement
• Definition and concept of filter bubbles
• Definition and concept of political echo chambers
• Previous studies on the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating and reinforcing political echo chambers
• Critiques and limitations of previous studies
• Research design
• Participants
• Data collection and analysis
• Validity and reliability
• Findings from qualitative discourse analysis
• Results related to the research question
• Implications of the findings
• Interpretation of the results
• Comparison with previous studies
• Limitations of the study
• Implications for future research
• Summary of the results
• Implications for understanding the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating and reinforcing political echo chambers
• Conclusion and recommendations for future research
• List of references used in the paper
• Data collection materials
• Examples of qualitative data analysis

This seems like too much information to fit into only 8 pages. Can you condense the outline, for example removing the appendices and simplifying the structure?

• Background on filter bubbles and political echo chambers
• Definition of filter bubbles and political echo chambers
• Previous studies on the role of filter bubbles
• Limitations of previous studies
• Implications for understanding the role of filter bubbles
• Final thoughts

ChatGPT can be a useful way to generate ideas regarding what sources you might use in your work. Try asking it for suggestions about where to look and what to consider.

However, we advise against using it to find sources directly. It’s not designed for this and, if asked to do it, often just creates fake sources and presents them as real. Search a database like Google Scholar instead.

What types of sources could I use to write a paper on the following research question?

“What is the contribution of a qualitative discourse analysis to understanding the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating and reinforcing political echo chambers in the UK?”

When writing a paper on the contribution of qualitative discourse analysis to understanding the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating and reinforcing political echo chambers in the UK, you could use the following types of sources:

• Academic journals and articles: These are a good place to start when you’re looking for information on specific topics and they can provide you with in-depth analysis and perspectives on the topic at hand.
• Books and book chapters: These sources can provide comprehensive overviews of a particular topic and can also offer theoretical frameworks and historical perspectives.
• Government reports and studies: Government agencies may have conducted studies on the role of filter bubbles in perpetuating political echo chambers.
• News articles and media reports: These sources can provide insight into the current state of the issue, as well as opinions from various stakeholders.
• Online sources: Websites, blogs, and online forums can provide a range of perspectives on the topic and can also be useful in exploring the experiences of individuals who are affected by filter bubbles and political echo chambers.
• Data and statistics: Relevant data and statistics on the prevalence and impact of filter bubbles and political echo chambers in the UK can be useful in providing evidence to support your arguments.
• Expert interviews and focus groups: Conducting expert interviews or focus groups with individuals who have experience with or knowledge of the topic can provide valuable insights and perspectives that can be used to support your arguments.

You can also try using ChatGPT to paraphrase text. ChatGPT can quickly generate a number of different paraphrases of the same idea. You can keep typing “again” in the chat until you are satisfied with the result.

This kind of paraphrasing can be helpful to, for example, non-native speakers who want to improve the fluency of their text. However, be careful. The paraphrases often:

• Contain grammatical errors
• Include false information

So you should always check the output to make sure it’s correct. If you’re unsure, you can run the text through the Scribbr Grammar Checker and cross-reference the information against other, more credible sources .

An alternative is to use the Scribbr Paraphrasing Tool , which was designed directly for this purpose.

Paraphrase the following text:

“A filter bubble results from a social media algorithm’s attempts to cater to an individual user based on data such as their search history and previous behaviour on the site. It results in the user only being presented with information that confirms their biases.”

Restructure the sentences and use other phrasings for the following parts:

• “results from”
• “only being presented with”

“A filter bubble is created when a social media algorithm customises its content for a particular user based on their data, such as their search history and past actions on the platform. This leads to the user being confined to information that reinforces their pre-existing beliefs.” Note We strongly advise against having ChatGPT write text for you and trying to pass it off as your own work. This is academically dishonest and is widely considered plagiarism . It will usually result in an automatic fail, as well as other potential consequences .

You can also use ChatGPT to get feedback on the argumentation and structure of your paper and suggestions for improvements.

An advantage of this is that you can get feedback from ChatGPT on different text excerpts at any time. However, one downside is that ChatGPT does not have a deep understanding of your research question, so its feedback and suggestions may be shallow or inappropriate.

This kind of feedback cannot replace input from an experienced academic supervisor who’s familiar with your topic. Use ChatGPT feedback as a supplement, not a substitute for human feedback.

If you need in-depth feedback on your writing from someone with academic expertise, try Scribbr’s Proofreading & Editing service .

[Text you want to get feedback on.]

Thank you for submitting your research paper for review. Let me provide you with my constructive criticism:

Clarity of Explanations: Overall, the explanations are clear and concise, but there are a few areas that could benefit from additional clarification. For example, in the first paragraph, you mention “the mental lexicon,” but do not provide a definition or further explanation for what this is. It would also be helpful to provide a definition of “lemma.”

Smoothness of Language: The language in the paper is generally smooth, but there are a few instances where it could be refined. For example, the sentence “The symptoms vary from adding superfluous words and taking pauses to hoarseness of the voice” could be rephrased to “The symptoms of these disorders can range from excessive use of words and pauses to hoarseness.”

Structure of Text: The structure of the text is clear, with each paragraph building on the previous one. However, the transition between the first two paragraphs could be smoother. Perhaps you could add a sentence or two to bridge the gap between the two topics.

Even though ChatGPT is a powerful writing tool, you should keep the following limitations in mind:

No original research

Risk of plagiarism, fake sources, fake “facts”.

ChatGPT was trained using existing texts, and the texts created by the AI are based on this data. It’s not capable of doing its own research, only of synthesizing sources that it was trained on.

Additionally, because the texts that it was trained on only go up to 2021, it’s unfamiliar with more recent world events, cultural trends, and developments in different fields of research. This means it may provide outdated information.

Because ChatGPT was trained using existing text, the AI tends to reuse that content in a way that may be considered plagiarism. The AI may copy text from an online publication in its responses.

Additionally, using ChatGPT to write your assignment for you is considered plagiarism regardless of where it got the content from, because you’re passing off something you didn’t write as your own work.

ChatGPT was trained on a wide variety of sources, but it’s not able to accurately tell you what sources it’s using for any given output. Worse, it has a tendency to make up sources that don’t actually exist when you ask.

In addition, ChatGPT is not designed as a citation generator and cannot add correctly formatted citations to your work. Instead, try a tool designed for this purpose, like the Scribbr Citation Generator .

ChatGPT is not always trustworthy when it comes to giving you factually correct information. While it doesn’t deliberately lie, it also doesn’t have “knowledge” in a traditional sense, and it lacks the ability to verify its claims.

Instead, its responses are based on recognising and reproducing patterns that it has seen in other texts. This means that if it doesn’t “know” something, it tends to guess. And its guesses are presented with full confidence, just like established facts.

So it’s very important that you carefully check any factual claims made by ChatGPT against more credible sources —and don’t cite ChatGPT as a source of factual information for your research.

If you want more tips on using AI tools , understanding plagiarism , and citing sources , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations, examples, and formats.

• Citing ChatGPT
• Best grammar checker
• Best paraphrasing tool
• ChatGPT in your studies
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Best plagiarism checker

Citing sources

• Citation styles
• In-text citation
• Citation examples
• Annotated bibliography

Yes, ChatGPT is able to create code in different programming languages like Python, Java and C++.

There are several ways you can use ChatGPT in your studies , such as if programming is part of your bachelor’s or master’s degree.

You should not trust ChatGPT’s results unconditionally. While you can use ChatGPT during your studies to clarify questions, you should always double-check the answers you receive against other credible sources , as it doesn’t always give correct information. Don’t cite ChatGPT as a source of factual information.

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Caulfield, J. & Solis, T. (2023, May 15). Using ChatGPT for Assignments | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 27 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/using-ai-tools/using-chatgpt-for-assignments/

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Teaching and ChatGPT

• What is ChatGPT?
• Adopting ChatGPT in the Classroom & Example Assignments
• My Student Cheated Using ChatGPT. What do I do?
• How to Cite ChatGPT
• Sample Syllabus Policy Statements
• Additional ChatGPT Resources @ SJSU

Tips From SJSU Librarians

ChatGPT creates fake but realistic looking citations. How can I address this in assignments?

Requiring a hyperlinked DOI   (  http://doi.org/  ) or other link to the article at the end of each citation makes it easy to verify the existence of the works your students have cited.

To Adopt ChatGPT or Not?

While policies and disciplinary norms may evolve, right now the decision to embrace generative AI as a teaching and learning tool in your classroom is entirely up to you!

Here are some things to consider as you think about whether or not to incorporate the AI tool into the classroom.

Some of these were generated with ChatGPT:

ChatGPT says, "Incorporating ChatGPT into education requires careful consideration of its benefits and limitations. It can be a valuable tool when used as a supplement to human instruction, helping students learn more efficiently and access information conveniently. However, it's important to balance its use with active teaching methods that encourage critical thinking, personal connection, and a holistic learning experience."

Be Clear about ChatGPT Expectations & Guidelines

Whether or not you decide to use ChatGPT, it's important to:

• Examples of Classroom Policies
• Sample Syllabus Statements
• Encourage students to disclose when they are working with ChatGPT on an assignment.
• Have an AI use statement available for students to include it in their work if they use it. 
• Provide students with the  Ethical AI Use Checklist .
• Most importantly, state your AI usage expectations for what the students can or can't do in regards to the technology. State whether or not you have an Open ChatGPT Policy.
• Remind students that AI detector tools are getting better at identifying text produced by AI.

Example Assignments

Without using generative ai.

• Assign personalized assignments that require thoughtful reflection on their thoughts about the class material.
• Assign assignments that require critical thinking skills.
• Require analysis that draws on class discussions.
• Require analysis of recent events. As of now ChatGPT doesn't know things after January 2022.
• Assign in class-writing.  (Note: In-class writing, whether digital or handwritten, may have downsides for students with anxiety and disabilities).
• Ask students to submit audio/video reflections.
• Requiring handwritten submissions: Some students may find it difficult and limiting to write out responses.
• Adopting surveillance tools that may be intrusive and unethical.

Sources & Additional Links:

• Designing Assignments in the ChatGPT Era
• FAQ ChatGPT in the Classroom
• 20 Ways To Use ChatGPT in The Classroom
• Critical AI: Writing for the Age of Large Language Models Such as ChatGPT 

Using Generative AI

• Make fact-checking part of the assignment. Instruct students to verify sources and quotations suggested by ChatGPT, since ChatGPT can fabricate these sources. Require students to verify information from multiple sources and think critically about the information they are using.
• Have students compare AI-generated text with their own text.
• Teach students how AI tools work. ChatGPT and other upcoming Language Learning Models(LLMs), do not understand language the way that humans do. They are run by statistical models and algorithms that rely on massive amounts of internet data that they have been trained on. This is why LLMs can often mimic harmful and wrong information, misconceptions, prejudices and bias since those can also be found on the internet.
• Teach students to develop critical awareness of AI tools, how they work and where they fail. Show examples of inaccuracy, bias, logical , and stylistic problems and discuss potential and actual harms that AI may cause.
• Explain why accepting or perpetuating bias is wrong and can pose real-world social, intellectual, and political problems.

Sources & Additional Links: 

• FAQ ChatGPT in the Classroom , 
• Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble

Classroom Examples and Tips from SJSU Professors Who Embrace ChatGPT in their Classrooms(Fall 2023)

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• Last Updated: Aug 16, 2024 10:29 AM
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Is It OK to Use ChatGPT and AI Chatbots at University?

If you are an international student, you may think it is a good idea to use artificial intelligence tools to help with your academic assignments or as instruction in how to learn English grammar. But use caution — there may be a code of ethics against it.

If you spend even five minutes a day on the internet, you have likely heard of ChatGPT, the headline-grabbing, headline-writing software that can supposedly write college papers, essays, and more. 

It is a powerful tool, certainly, but can it replace rigorous academic writing? Even if it can, is it ethical? 

“ChatGPT is appealing to students because it can create text quickly and easily that seems well-written. However, it cannot produce the original ideas and deep analysis that professors expect from students,” said Rachel Yee Quill, formerly the director of teaching and learning for academic affairs at Shorelight. “US university faculty expect students to submit academic work that includes only their own words and ideas along with ideas from sources that are cited properly. Since the text is neither students’ words nor their ideas, using it is considered plagiarism, which is a serious violation of university academic integrity codes.”

So, What Is ChatGPT?

First, a bit of background. ChatGPT (the GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is an advanced conversational model driven by complex artificial intelligence (AI) coding. Basically, it is a Large Language Model (LLM) that works by predicting which words follow other words based on a massive database of language, or a corpus. You can input simple questions or complex prompts — anything from Looking for 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas to Write a story about Elvis Presley’s first concert on Mars . Then you can begin a “conversation” with the chatbot about the topic. Responses can vary widely — from educational to creative to wrong (but we’ll get to that). 

To test it out, we recently asked about the themes of mirrors and reflection in The Great Gatsby , a possible essay assignment in a college literature course. A 352-word response, with multiple paragraphs and four support bullets, was typed out quickly on the screen — in under a minute. 

Could you consider your assignment done and hand this in to your professor? In a word, no.

“Writing essays is challenging, and most students must work hard to create well-crafted academic work,” said Quill. “In addition, many international students fear that their English is not polished enough to get good grades in their courses. Thus, it may be tempting to use — but it is a bad idea.”

“Students need to understand that professors can often tell the difference between authentic writing by their students and the text created by AI bots,” she continued. “Furthermore, professors have noted that ChatGPT text, while well-written, lacks the thoughtful development of ideas that they are looking for. And, if students are caught submitting an [AI-generated] assignment, they will face disciplinary action from the university. They may get an F on the assignment or fail the course. For repeated violations, they may be dismissed from the university.” 

Understand Your University Policies

Your school’s academic policy may go by one of these names: academic integrity, code of conduct, code of ethics, moral code, academic and behavioral code, or code of academic integrity. 

These policies are usually shared with you during orientation and are available on the university website. Many syllabi also include the university’s academic integrity code. Often, students are required to sign and acknowledge all university policies. 

ChatGPT released its beta version in November 2022, prompting universities to quickly revisit and update their policies . Even if a particular AI LLM software is not specifically mentioned by name on your university’s site, existing policies are clear — plagiarizing is unacceptable . 

Auburn University , for example, has a clear ethics policy that states, “Cheating and plagiarism are expressly prohibited.” If you are caught copying work from another person or website, you may receive an F in the course, be suspended, or permanently expelled. 

Similarly, University of the Pacific policies say, in part, that “submitting an assignment, whole or in part, obtained from the internet or other unauthorized resources” goes against their Student Code of Conduct , and is grounds for a failing grade, suspension, or dismissal from the university.

University of South Carolina syllabi also include text specifically about artificial intelligence: “Suspicions of use of artificial intelligence aids will be referred to the Office of Academic Integrity as alleged violations of Cheating, defined as ‘unauthorized assistance in connection with any academic work’ and/or Falsification, which includes ‘Misrepresenting or misleading others with respect to academic work or misrepresenting facts for an academic advantage.’”

“When students enter university, they become part of the academic community, which is based on trust. In the US, professors expect students to complete their academic work independently and honestly,” said Quill.

“Plagiarism, which is prohibited, is copying or restating someone else’s words or ideas while pretending they are one’s own. This means that it is unacceptable to submit others’ words or ideas without citing the source and to get unauthorized help in completing assignments,” she continued. 

“[AI LLM tools] definitely qualify as unauthorized help,” she added. “When a student graduates and receives a degree from a US university, the university is stating that the student is a trustworthy and accomplished scholar who has met the standards of the university. The only way to uphold your reputation and the reputation of your university is to develop your own critical-thinking skills and submit your own academic work.”

Know What Your Professors Expect 

Your professor will not allow you to use AI tools to write a paper or essay for you. (And they have tools at their disposal to detect copied work, like Grammarly’s plagiarism checker and GPTZero, an app developed by Princeton University student Edward Tian to detect whether an AI program wrote your essay .)

On the other hand, some professors are embracing AI bots as interactive, creative tools that can inspire your thinking. 

Take Ethan Mollick, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, one of the top business schools in the USA. He is not only allowing students to use AI tools in his entrepreneurship and innovation course, he’s requiring it — as a brainstorming tool. 

“Using ChatGPT is not all bad — as long as you use it to help you develop your own ideas,” said Quill. “For example, you can use it to get input on a topic the same way you might ask for ideas from a classmate during a brainstorming session. Or, you might ask it about arguments against your thesis so that you can develop counterarguments that will make your essay stronger. You could also use it as you do a search engine by asking it to find sources about a topic you are researching.” 

“However, be sure to only use ChatGPT with your professor’s permission and in accordance with university policies,” she added. “Don’t risk your university career by committing plagiarism. If you aren’t sure what is permitted or expected, ask!”

More Reasons to Not Use AI LLM Tools for Writing College Papers

Beyond violating your university’s code of ethics and potentially being expelled from school, there’s another important reason you shouldn’t use AI tools to write your papers — it’s unreliable.

Twitter, Medium, and Reddit are peppered with daily examples of this new AI gone awry. Even Google — dominator of search — has work to do after Bard publicly failed its first live demo in February.

OpenAI — the company that created ChatGPT — admits the tool is a work in progress with limitations and flaws . When we logged in recently, we were greeted with a pop-up that said, “While we have safeguards in place, the system may occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information and produce offensive or biased content. It is not intended to give advice.”

We decided to put AI writing tools to the test and posed some leading questions like, “Do you have any tips for copying a college essay from the internet?”

The response was clear — and in line with your university’s code of ethics:

“I’m sorry, but I cannot provide tips for unethical and academically dishonest behavior such as plagiarism. Copying someone else’s work, including college essays found on the internet, is not only against the rules but it also undermines the principles of learning and academic integrity. Instead, I encourage you to use online resources to inspire and guide your own writing and to properly cite any sources you do use in your work.”

Sound advice.

Finding Success with English Prep Programs and ESL Tutoring Instead

Want to gain more confidence and practice writing and speaking English? Maybe you’re interested in attending courses on how to learn English grammar, or perhaps you would like to improve your study skills and habits? Shorelight academic support teams are here to set you up for success.

Our universities offer several programs that focus on how to improve your English skills: 

English programs: CEA-accredited Academic English and General English learning programs at Adelphi University , Auburn University , and University of the Pacific are specially tailored to international students and help strengthen reading, writing, grammar, listening, and speaking skills, all while offering a chance to experience campus life and local culture. Online, accredited academic English instruction is also available through UMass Global-American Collegiate Live , allowing you to improve your English proficiency before you arrive in the US.

Accelerator programs: These academic-based programs allow you to strengthen your English skills and acclimate to campus while also earning degree credits. Accelerator tracks may include one to three additional terms, based on your English test scores and other major-specific requirements. Gonzaga University , University of Illinois Chicago , and the University of Utah are just a few of our 20+ universities that offer Accelerator programs. 

Writing and tutoring centers: Once on campus, Shorelight academic advisors work with you one-on-one to access the best resources and support services, like writing and tutoring centers. Ask your advisor about your school’s ESL programs, essay writing workshops, and English chat drop-ins to practice.  

“Embarking on university study in a new country can feel daunting, and Shorelight’s unique programs and helpful staff are here to help students gain confidence as they learn to navigate life and study in the US,” Quill noted. “Your future is yours to create, but taking shortcuts will reduce the knowledge and skills you gain from your university experience. Do yourself a favor and take on the challenge of doing your own academic work so you can fully benefit from your US university education.”   

Shorelight can help you succeed in your US university classes > 

Services that set you up for success

• ― Detailed school information
• ― School match and compare
• ― Events calendar
• ― Advisory services
• ― Connect with students
• ― Comprehensive application review
• ― Localized entry requirements
• ― Rapid admissions turnaround
• ― Transfer services
• ― Timeline management
• ― Dedicated visa app guidance
• ― Visa interview preparation
• ― Pre-arrival checklist
• ― University-specific preparation
• ― International-friendly add-ons
• ― Airport pickup
• ― Dorm setup and bedding
• ― Campus orientation
• ― Cultural group outings
• ― Student advising
• ― Needs assessment and testing
• ― Transfer placement
• ― Academic counseling
• ― Customized English courses
• ― Virtual study programs
• ― Career preparation
• ― Upskill development
• ― Resume and cover letter prep
• ― Professional networking
• ― OPT placement

ChatGPT: Assignments

• Assignments
• Academic Integrity

Working with and against ChatGPT

The goal of this page is to present examples and resources for thinking about how you can use, or work against, ChatGPT in your classroom. As Spring 2023 is the first full semester with ChatGPT available publicly, the examples are limited and there hasn't been enough time to reflect on the outcomes of this work, particularly in peer-reviewed formats. This page will be updated as more information is released. 

Different Approaches to ChatGPT

Five ways to use Social Annotation with and against ChatGPT  from Hypothesis explores five ways of using ChatGPT and Hypothesis (a social annotation tool):

• Writing throughout a course rather than just at the end
• Writing in context, writing in community
• Students annotating their own writing
• Students writing with AI writing tools
• Annotating the writing of AI chatbots

My class required AI. Here's what I've learned so far by Ethan Mollick from his newsletter One Useful Thing :

• Without training, everyone uses AI wrong
• Approach 1: Minor variations, letting the AI do the work
• Approach 2: Adding restrictions and user knowledge
• Approach 3: Co-editing

Artificial Intelligence and Teaching: A Community Conversation  from Yale University (video, 57:30)

Prompted By: A Conversation about Writing and Authorship Prompted by Artificial Intelligence from University of Maryland (video, 1:30:26)

Example Assignments

Sample ChatGPT assignments:

Alex Gil (Yale)  Introduction to Digital Humanities: Computational Approaches to Culture

(Editing the) Final Paper The final paper for this class may be the strangest final paper you have submitted for a grade in your whole life. You won’t be writing this one alone. You won’t be writing it with another person either, not directly in any case. You also won’t even be writing the first draft. No, AI will do that. The way this works is simple: pick a topic related to your current research. Using GPT3, or GPT4 (if it’s out already) you will have the machine write the first pass. Your job is to correct and edit the work to bring it up to your standards. You will submit the original AI draft, and your final version.

Ryan Watkins (George Washington University)  Update Your Course Syllabus for chatGPT

Prompt Competition Identify a major question or challenge in your field or discipline that chatGPT could write about. Preferably a question with no clear single right answer. Have students collaborate (in pairs or small teams) on developing 5 to 10 criteria for assessing chatGPT responses to the major question. For example, chatGPT’s output references more than one theoretical perspective. Ask students to individually write a prompt for chatGPT to answer the major question. Have students use their criteria to judge the responses of other students (in the pair or small team), and rate the chatGPT prompts/responses from best to worst.

Reflect and Improve Ask students to individually identify a major question or challenge in your field or discipline that chatGPT could write about. Have students use chatGPT to write a response to their question or challenge. Ask students to reflect on chatGPT’s output (e.g., what is correct, incorrect, what they don’t know if it is correct or incorrect, what should they look up elsewhere to verify, what should they ask chatGPT next). Using Track Changes in MS Word or Suggesting in Google Docs, have students improve the output of chatGPT (e.g., correcting errors or misinformation, expanding on shallow content). Have students submit their prompt and the improved chatGPT response with their added content highlighted.

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How ChatGPT can be used at uni to save time and improve learning

Universities around Australia are starting the academic year under yet another cloud of uncertainty.

After surviving the disruptions of COVID, teachers and students begin this semester under the apparent  threat of ChatGPT , which can generate human-like text.

Some fear this powerful new technology will  increase student cheating  and  undermine academic integrity . The Universities Accord  discussion paper  released last week specifically asks “what settings are needed to ensure academic integrity” in the wake of “generative AI software”.

We are academics who research education, educational technologies and writing. Amid the speculation about what this might mean, how could ChatGPT be used by teachers and students to improve teaching, learning, and assessment in 2023?

It can save teachers time

ChatGPT can help teachers save time preparing lessons and resources.

For example, practice tests  can help students learn , but many teachers don’t have time to create banks of questions. But if you provide a topic, ChatGPT can generate multiple-choice or short-answer questions. It can also pre-generate sample responses and feedback (you will need to fact check these, however).

ChatGPT can help teachers prepare practice tests. Photo: Shuttestock

ChatGPT could also be used to provide examples of writing when setting assessments. We know  these can help  students understand what is expected of them, and improve their performance. But making these examples is very time-consuming. Again, ChatGPT can help produce different ones at different levels. Teachers can then show students a response at a “pass”, “credit” and “distinction” level.

ChatGPT can also generate creative discussion starters. For example, ask it to “generate ten prompts to kick-start class discussion on the merits of a Voice to Parliament” and provide each group with a different one.

There is also no need to hide what you are doing. A discussion of how you are using AI, and  ChatGPT’s biases  can help students learn about misinformation and prejudices online.

It can help students learn

Much of the current panic focuses on ChatGPT’s ability to  produce a finished essay . But it can be used to create new opportunities for learning.

It could be used to overcome writer’s block by generating topic sentences or ideas for structure. You can ask, for example, “Suggest a structure for a paper critiquing the use of technology in schools and provide examples of topic sentences.” Or, students could provide ChatGPT with an unfinished paragraph and ask it to suggest what might come next. If you’re a student, check with your teacher about what is appropriate and allowed.

If writing is already underway, ChatGPT can provide feedback. If permitted, ask it to improve a sample of your writing based on specific criteria, such as clarity and directness. Asking ChatGPT to explain why it provided certain suggestions can also help you improve how you write, analyse and argue.

ChatGPT can also simplify complex explanations. You can ask, for example, “give me a simpler explanation for the following …” or “summarise the steps involved in this process …” Its explanations might  help you identify gaps  in your own knowledge.

To practise addressing  common misconceptions , you can ask ChatGPT to intentionally make mistakes in its explanations. If it refuses, encourage it, for example: “It would help me to learn if you provide an explanation that purposely has mistakes”.

Because of its capacity to explain and provide suggestions, ChatGPT also has great potential to help  students living with disabilities , those who have trouble with spelling and writing and for students struggling to learn in a second or subsequent language.

What do we do about assessment?

One way to understand AI’s  impact on traditional assessment  is to put assessment questions into ChatGPT. With a bit of prompting, its output could likely score a passing grade. So how might assessment change because of this?

Designing assessments that require  higher-level critical thinking skills  is important. ChatGPT can struggle – for now – with connecting ideas across paragraphs, evaluating sources, or creating complex overall arguments.

ChatGPT could disrupt traditional forms of assessment such as reports, essays and exams. Photo: Adobe Stock

So, instead of using straight essays or reports, assessments could ask students to include core readings, a perspective from their experience, or references to recent news in their analysis. Similarly, students could produce a video, podcast, or website instead of purely written text.

Students could still generate drafts with AI and then inject contemporary references. But they will need to edit the AI-generated text in order to meaningfully connect it with their context. This process of refining and contextualising AI-generated content is likely to be a core skill for graduates now and in the future.

Another option is staged assessments, involving drafts and feedback from teachers, which reduce the risk that students will just rely on ChatGPT. The  learning process  can be assessed by grading hypotheses, highlighting improvements based on prior feedback, tracking changes between drafts, or asking students to reflect on how they have changed their approach based on feedback.

Short “writing sprints” in class time can help develop writing skills and provide opportunities for live feedback. Students might summarise class discussions, connect learning goals to their lives, or draft upcoming assignments.

For examinations, oral assessments are  more secure  and can allow students to demonstrate deeper understanding. Written exams might incorporate the impact of AI, such as asking students to critique and edit AI-generated content – as they may have to do in  future workplaces .

Teachers and students need to work together

From talking to our students ahead of this academic year, we know most do not want to bypass learning. They are concerned about the integrity of their degrees and what AI means for their careers.

Teachers and students need to work together to shift from the view of uni as just getting a certificate to prove you “know something”. This huge growth in technology is an  opportunity to improve learning and teaching , especially if teachers and students have open conversations about how AI might be used.

This article was original published on The Conversation as:  As uni goes back, here’s how teachers and students can use ChatGPT to save time and improve learning . It was written by Pro Vice-Chancellor Adam Bridgeman and Associate Professor Danny Liu from the Educational Innovation team in the DVC (Education) Portfolio, and Dr Benjamin Miller from the Discipline of English. 

Top photo: Adobe Stock

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The application of gpt-4 in grading design university students' assignment and providing feedback: an exploratory study.

26 Sep 2024  ·  Qian Huang , Thijs Willems , King Wang Poon · Edit social preview

This study aims to investigate whether GPT-4 can effectively grade assignments for design university students and provide useful feedback. In design education, assignments do not have a single correct answer and often involve solving an open-ended design problem. This subjective nature of design projects often leads to grading problems,as grades can vary between different raters,for instance instructor from engineering background or architecture background. This study employs an iterative research approach in developing a Custom GPT with the aim of achieving more reliable results and testing whether it can provide design students with constructive feedback. The findings include: First,through several rounds of iterations the inter-reliability between GPT and human raters reached a level that is generally accepted by educators. This indicates that by providing accurate prompts to GPT,and continuously iterating to build a Custom GPT, it can be used to effectively grade students' design assignments, serving as a reliable complement to human raters. Second, the intra-reliability of GPT's scoring at different times is between 0.65 and 0.78. This indicates that, with adequate instructions, a Custom GPT gives consistent results which is a precondition for grading students. As consistency and comparability are the two main rules to ensure the reliability of educational assessment, this study has looked at whether a Custom GPT can be developed that adheres to these two rules. We finish the paper by testing whether Custom GPT can provide students with useful feedback and reflecting on how educators can develop and iterate a Custom GPT to serve as a complementary rater.

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