New features of ChatGPT and other tools may require teachers to change how they lecture and further rethink homework.
Tech giants Google, Microsoft and OpenAI have unintentionally assigned educators around the world major homework for the summer: Adjusting their assignments and teaching methods to adapt to a fresh batch of AI features that students will enter classrooms with in the fall.
Educators at both schools and colleges were already struggling to keep up with ChatGPT and other AI tools during this academic year, but a fresh round of announcements last month by major AI companies may require even greater adjustments by educators to preserve academic integrity and to accurately assess student learning, teaching experts say. Source: EdSurge
OpenAI releases GPT-4o, a faster, free model for all ChatGPT users.
OpenAI is launching GPT-4o, an iteration of the GPT-4 model that powers its hallmark product, ChatGPT. The updated model “is much faster” and improves “capabilities across text, vision, and audio,” OpenAI CTO Mira Murati said in a livestream announcement on Monday. It’ll be free for all users, and paid users will continue to “have up to five times the capacity limits” of free users, Murati added. Source: TheVerge
OpenAI’s new GPT-4o lets people interact using voice or video in the same model.
OpenAI just debuted GPT-4o, a new AI model that you can communicate with in real time via live voice conversation, video streams from your phone, and text. According to the company, the model is rolling out over the next few weeks and will be free for all users through the GPT app and the web interface. Users who subscribe to OpenAI’s paid tiers, starting at $20 monthly, can request more. Source: MIT Technology Review.
New ChatGPT Version Aiming at Higher Ed
OpenAI unveiled a new version of ChatGPT focused on universities on Thursday, building on work with a handful of higher education institutions that partnered with the tech giant.
The ChatGPT Edu product, expected to start rolling out this summer, is a platform for institutions intended to give students free access. OpenAI said the artificial intelligence (AI) toolset could be used for various education applications, including tutoring, writing grant applications, and reviewing résumés.
The Case for Slow-Walking Our Use of Generative AI
When it comes to artificial intelligence, I would argue that we should consider it as just one of many pathways — not the one that will necessarily replace the rest of them. For example, writing teachers (like me) ask students to organize their thoughts into essays. ChatGPT can do that work for students, but does that mean I should stop teaching students how to write well-organized essays in a composition class or any class? Of course not. Organizing one’s thoughts into a form that can be understood by other humans is a skill that helps us in many areas of life. Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education.
AI Tools Bring Big Changes for Educators This Fall
As students return to classrooms this fall, teachers and professors face a major shift due to powerful new AI tools like OpenAI’s GPT-4. These next-generation AI models can understand spoken questions, analyze images, and produce stunningly coherent writing across genres. This represents a leap in capabilities compared to earlier AI tools like ChatGPT, which were already straining academic integrity.
A major development driving changes for educators is OpenAI’s decision to make its latest AI chatbot, GPT-4, available for free to anyone. This advanced model can understand text inputs, spoken voice, and visual inputs like images. By simply sharing a photo, students could potentially have the AI provide analysis and feedback.
The multimodal capabilities of GPT-4 raise fresh concerns about a “homework apocalypse” where students ask AI tools to complete assignments for them, making it even harder for professors to design integrity-proof assessments. OpenAI’s demos last month showcased education as a “killer application” for driving AI adoption, including their new ChatGPT Edu partnership program for colleges.
Tech companies are aggressively marketing AI note-taking tools directly to students on platforms like TikTok. One firm called Turbolearn has a viral video about using their software to automatically generate notes, flashcards, and quizzes from recorded lectures – essentially bypassing the learning process of active note-taking.
@elipham2 Why I stopped taking notes during class⬇️ For me, taking notes shifted my focus away from the actual lecture. So while I would have a bunch of content jotted down, I would walk away from class only comprehending less than half of it. 📝So I started to use Turbolearn.ai. It automatically creates notes, flashcards, and quizzes during lecture for me. ✅This way, I can focus on ACTUALLY learning. ⭐️Work smarter, not harder. If you want more tips on how to leverage your potential, my Mind-Mastery Course has 145+ pages detailing scientifically-proven techniques I use to unlock my subconscious and achieve a 4.0 GPA as a Harvard Pre-med student…link in bio (www.ultimateivyleagueguide.com) ❤️ #harvard #ivyleague #collegeadmission #collegeadmissions #collegeapplications #collegeessay #commonapp #personalstatement #studytips #studyhacks #motivation ♬ original sound – elise pham
Educators are advised to incorporate “intentional friction” into their teaching methods to counter the passive learning encouraged by AI. This can be achieved through activities such as discussions, debates, and hand-annotating texts, as suggested by Marc Watkins. The aim is to slow down the learning process and encourage students to pause and think critically, even as AI promises efficiency.
However, the adoption of AI tools is expected to lead to increased costs for institutions once free trial periods expire. This could pose financial challenges for colleges when deciding which AI resources to invest in for instructional and productivity purposes.
The capabilities of AI demand that educators dedicate a significant amount of time this summer to reworking their curriculum, policies, and teaching methods in preparation for the fall semester. Among the disruptive AI transformation in education, it is recommended that they take a methodical “slow walk” approach, focusing on established pedagogical principles.
The new AI capabilities present challenges for educators at all levels, including the need to rethink assignments, revolutionize instruction methods, and update plagiarism policies. AI’s ability to complete standard homework tasks and generate study materials poses the need for educators to redesign assessments and enforce active learning methods that AI cannot bypass. While AI tools can enhance efficiency, they may decrease student engagement if not used judiciously.
On the positive side, AI offers opportunities to streamline instructor workflows through AI-powered class websites, customized materials, and time-saving administrative features. Education leaders recommend a cautious approach, experimenting methodically with AI capabilities while upholding core pedagogical principles.
As AI continues to reshape the workforce, some experts argue that education’s new focus should be on nurturing uniquely human skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. As a result, the AI wave prompts an unprecedented re-evaluation of how we teach and learn. Investing time in professional development around AI tools this summer could prevent educators from being overwhelmed in the fall. overwhelmed in the fall.
