Teachers, we need to talk: AI is not the enemy

What is happening with Generative Artificial Intelligence is not the educational apocalypse that some fear. It is a dramatic change that transforms the way students acquire knowledge, stimulating their creativity and providing them with a powerful productivity tool.

If one thing is clear, it is that the irruption of Generative AI in learning is a real revolution. And like any revolution, it generates resistance.

Fear of Chat GPT?

In my conversations with university lecturers, I have been struck by the irrational fear that many feel towards ChatGPT . I was told the other day by a lecturer that in his department they have imposed draconian anti-IA rules: if a student uses ChatGPT, they have to hand in, together with the bibliography used, all the prompts they used and the answers they got. I found it as absurd as asking them to attach all their Google searches and the results they returned.

Much of the academic world pretends to transfer to Generative AI the measures taken to avoid plagiarism, but using Generative AI is not plagiarism! To use Generative AI is to maximise our productivity and creativity. Rather than putting up barriers to its use, universities should encourage it and integrate it into their students’ learning processes.

Anyway, let’s be honest: what is really happening is that many teachers are terrified that Generative AI will radically change the way they work. And change, dear teachers, is hard. But as in so many other occasions, it is inevitable.

An experiment at home: AI applied to university studies

To understand the impact that Generative AI has on the learning processes of university students, I decided to conduct a small domestic experiment. The best way to understand the potential of a tool is to observe the users, in this case my two daughters, María and Natalia, second year students of Law with Business Analysis and first year students of Medicine.

At the beginning of the course I provided each of them with a paid licence of Chat GPT and observed how they integrated it into their study process. I have been amazed by the results. And, what has impressed me the most, is to see how their way of studying has changed at the start of this second term.

At first, they used it in the most obvious way possible: asking him to do his homework or asking him some queries that sometimes provided crazy answers. Like once when Chat GPT showed a picture of a joint between the atlas and the coccyx (two bones that are half a metre or more apart, and which now, as the father of a medical student, I know it is impossible to articulate).

But they soon discovered something much more valuable: ChatGPT could be an ally for studying, a virtual tutor with which to improve their learning. How? Thanks to the possibility of creating their own virtual assistants.

Some of the ways in which Natalia, the medical student used the functionality to create customised GPTs were as follows:

Anatomy. Contribute notes and exams from other years to generate multiple-choice tests and comparative tables between joints, cranial nerves and other things that I have been unable to understand.
Biochemistry. Upload the class notes and ask him to correct the writing, complete the content from the class presentations and draw up tables to generate more visual and practical learning. And, of course, to generate exams similar to those of previous years.
Medical humanities. Explaining complex philosophical concepts. It is amazing to see how Chat GPT is able to explain in a really pedagogical way concepts such as Simple Truth, Differential Truth and Rational Truth in Zubiri’s thought and to provide examples related to Medicine. I think even I was able to understand it.
Physiology. In addition to the functionalities described above, I felt like we were entering the world of science fiction the day I caught my daughter doing an oral exam with her virtual physiology assistant. The assistant not only asked her questions like a teacher, but also gave her marks and tips on how to revise for the subject.

Maria, the future lawyer, has also been no slouch in using Chat GPT to prepare for her exams. Some of her uses have been as follows:

Criminal Law. After feeding a GPT with the presentations used in class, his notes and the digital version of a handbook, GPT returned enriched notes with examples, jurisprudence and outlines. It also provided him with test batteries to practice the exam.
Civil Law. After uploading the notes taken in class, the GPT allows you to have conversations about each of the topics to go over on the bus on the way to class, taking advantage of an hour a day that would otherwise be wasted study time.
Economics. In addition to consulting doubts on the topics covered, a GPT fed with class notes and presentations was able to generate exercises with solutions for practice.

Lessons learnt

One of the most interesting reflections my daughters shared with me after the experience is that ChatGPT can be used for the bad (doing homework without learning anything and then failing the exam) or for the good (becoming an assistant that enhances their learning processes).

It is also true that Chat GPT still has many limitations. Its ability to generate images is still limited. For example, it is not able to generate flashcards to review Anatomy. And it works better for universal subjects where there is a lot written in English, such as physiology or economics, than for local subjects, such as law.

However, the most interesting thing is to see how in the beginning of this second term their study method has been completely transformed. They are using Chat GPT to elaborate and improve their own notes, taking a much more active role in this first phase of study. And this is not only improving their understanding of the subjects studied, but also motivating them to dedicate more hours to study, which is becoming a much more dynamic process.

Because, another thing they have learned from using GPT Chat, is that at no time can they rely on its infallibility. Generative Artificial Intelligence frequently hallucinates. But this extreme, far from impeding learning, means that they have to be much more attentive and active than if they were simply memorising notes from other years. This, unfortunately, is what most students end up doing.

The challenge for the university

It is impressive to see the ease and practicality with which students embrace new technologies with enthusiasm and open-mindedness. And it contrasts sharply with the attitude some teachers are taking towards the latest innovations. Adults, who have behind us a certain experience of doing things, find it much harder to change than young people, who have no such legacy. For them, change has only advantages.

Generative Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way students learn. Universities should not see it as a threat, encourage its use and have the courage to redesign their learning processes.

Students are taking the lead. Just watch them and learn from them.If you want to learn how to create your own virtual assistant with ChatGPT and get the most out of it, we invite you to our face-to-face bootcamp on 27 February. Book your place here!