How can ChatGPT assist teachers in assessment?
I have recently written two articles about the use of ChatGPT you can read about it here; What happens in schools now, and using ChatGPT for language learning.
ChatGPT is powered by GPT3, a large language model (LLM) trained on an enormous amount of text data — about 500 billion words to be precise. Large language models work by predicting the next most-likely word when given a list of input words (usually phrased as a question). The model is trained using many billions of parameters that can represent the complexity of the world. By inputting real-world data, the algorithm readjusts its parameters until it can produce human-like responses to a range of questions.
In this post, I wanted to explore how this could help the teacher when correcting written assignments. Let’s imagine that written assignments in school will have to change since students can get ChatGPT to do the assignment for them. If the solution to this is that students’ access to the internet is restricted, would it be a good idea to get help from ChatGPT to correct their paper for them at home? I am imagining a lot of areas where this would make sense. Considering that this language model has an enormous amount of text data that will only grow substantially in the years to come, it is hard to imagine how this would not change the way teachers work. If you have used ChatGPT this way, I would love to hear from you. As a test, I submitted a previously written assignment from a first-year high school student. The topic was saving the environment, and the student chose to write “How Bees Effects Global Warming.” The paper starts with spelling mistakes in the title. The first thing I asked the ChatGPT to do was correct the paper. If you do that, the result is a corrected paper. That way student has to have both versions available to correct the original paper. If you instead write the command below, it will explain the mistakes.
Ann Michaelsen; Correct this paper and explain the mistakes
- “Bees are insects we human don’t really care about” should be “Bees are insects that humans don’t really care about”
- “Why?” should be “But why?”
- “Just because of the climate changes, we don’t know if the bees are going to change, or just follow the same routine” should be “Due to climate changes, we don’t know if the bees will change their behavior or continue with their usual routine”
- “In a couple of weeks food like strawberries, nuts, chocolate and coffee would be very limited” should be “In a few weeks, food such as strawberries, nuts, chocolate, and coffee would become scarce”
- “Plants and trees would turn brown and dark” should be “Plants and trees would wither and die”
- “The value of bees pollinating fruits, crops and vegetables is around 4.4 billion dollars, so the pollinating market would go down whole 4.4 billion dollars” should be “The value of bees pollinating fruits, crops, and vegetables is around 4.4 billion dollars, so the pollinating market would decrease by 4.4 billion dollars”
- “People who work in honey factories and beekeepers would lose their jobs” should be “Honey factory workers and beekeepers would lose their jobs”
- “But why are they disappearing?” should be “But why are bees disappearing?”
- “It is because of “colony collapse disorder”. The problem is that when the honeybees leave the colony, they aren’t coming back” should be “One potential cause is “colony collapse disorder” (CCD). When honeybees leave the colony and do not return, the colony experiences a shortage of workers and insufficient food for the queen. Without a queen, the colony collapses and all the bees die.”
Judge the comments and let me know what you think. As for the last prompt about grading the paper, I would have to supply more info on the criteria for the competency aims by providing detailed descriptions of those expectations. See below.
The paper;
How Bees Effects Global WarmingBees are insects we human don’t really care about. Most people think of bees as insects that make honey or sting you. So many people also mix between bees, wasps and bumblebees. These three different insects are very different from each other. If you see a bee, do not kill it. Bees are a very important insects in our ecosystem. Wasps however, are also important for the ecosystem but they are a lot more aggressive so it’s a higher chance of being stung. Last we have bumblebees, as the two others, the bumblebee is also important to the ecosystem. However, there is still a small risk of being stung but this is very small chance. But how important are the bees?What happens to the world if global warming kills all bees? Nearly one-third of the world’s crops are dependent on honeybees for pollination, but over the last decade, the insects have been dying at unprecedented rates both in the United States and abroad, why? This happens because of global warming. When the snow melts earlier than usualthe flowers are going to emerge earlier and bloom earlier. This is no problem for us humans, on the other hand it is. Just because of the climate changes, we don’t know if the bees are going to change, or just follow the same routine. What would happen if all the bees disappear?In a couple of weeks food like strawberries, nuts, chocolate and coffee would be very limited. Plants and trees would turn brown and dark. The value of bees pollinating fruits, crops and vegetables is around 4.4 billion dollars, so the pollinating market would go down whole 4.4 billion dollars. Animals that eat proper nutrients like cows, would not get food and in worst case die. People who work in honey factories and beekeepers would lose their jobs. Cotton farmers would also lose their jobs. Skin moisturizers like creams, soaps, shampoos and lipstick would also be scarce. This is just some of the consequences of no bees. But why are they disappearing? It is because of “colony collapse disorder”. The problem is that when the honeybees leave the colony, they aren’t coming back. When the honeybees disappear, the colony needs more workers, but there are no more workers, so they can’t make enough food for the queen. Then the queen dies, and a colony without a queen does not work so all the bees die. Beekeepers across the USA have lost 44% of their honey bee colonies between April 2015 to April 2016. These rates show loss both summer and winter. “We’re now in the second year of high rates of summer loss, which is cause for serious concern,” said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, he is an assistant professor of entomology at the Maryland University and project director for the Bee Informed Partnership. “Some winter losses are normal and expected. But the fact that beekeepers are losing bees in the summer when bees should be at their healthiest, is quite alarming.”To conclude bees are one of the most important insects in the entire world. Bees are so much more important than people realise. So many big companies and daily items we use could be affected if all the bees disappear. The world would not be the same if you want to see a little perspective of what happens if all bees disappear you can watch a movie called “Bee Movie”. So next time you see a bee, do not kill it.
Ann Michaelsen; Correct this paper about the bees. List difficult vocabulary and write what could be improved.
Difficult vocabulary:
- pollination
- unprecedented
- emergence
- blooming
- pollinating market
- moisturizers
- colony collapse disorder
- entomology
Improvements:
- The title should be “How Bees Affect Global Warming” (not “Effects”).
- The first paragraph should provide a general introduction to bees, rather than stating that most people only think of bees as honey-makers or stingers.
- The second paragraph should provide a more detailed explanation of how bees are important for agriculture and the economy.
- The third paragraph should provide more context for the issue of bees dying at high rates, including potential causes such as pesticides and habitat loss.
- The fourth paragraph should provide more information about “colony collapse disorder”, including its potential causes and consequences.
- The fifth paragraph should provide more information about the impact of bee losses on beekeepers and other industries.
- The final paragraph should provide a clearer conclusion and call to action for readers to protect bees.
Ann Michaelsen; Can you provide explanations of the complex vocabulary in the essay?
Sure! Here are explanations of the complex vocabulary in the essay:
- Pollination: Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the male reproductive organ of a plant to the female reproductive organ, allowing the plant to produce seeds and fruit. In the context of the essay, pollination refers to the role that bees play in transferring pollen between plants, which is essential for the reproduction and fertilization of many crops.
- Unprecedented: Unprecedented means never having happened or existed before. In the context of the essay, the phrase “unprecedented rates” refers to the fact that bees are dying at a rate that has never been seen before.
- Emergence: Emergence refers to the process of coming into view or becoming apparent. In the context of the essay, emergence refers to the process of flowers coming into view or blooming as the snow melts earlier due to global warming.
- Blooming: Blooming refers to the process of producing flowers. In the context of the essay, blooming refers to the process of flowers emerging and producing flowers earlier due to global warming.
- Pollinating market: The pollinating market refers to the market or industry that involves the pollination of crops by bees and other insects. In the context of the essay, the pollinating market is mentioned as an example of how bees contribute to the economy, with a value of around 4.4 billion dollars.
- Moisturizers: Moisturizers are products that are used to add moisture to the skin or hair. In the context of the essay, moisturizers are mentioned as an example of products that may be affected if bees disappear, since they often contain ingredients derived from plants that rely on bees for pollination.
- Colony collapse disorder: Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon in which honeybee colonies suddenly and mysteriously disappear, leaving behind a queen, a few young bees, and plenty of honey. The cause of CCD is not fully understood, but it is thought to be due to a combination of factors, including pesticides, disease, and stress. In the context of the essay, CCD is mentioned as a potential cause of the high rates of bee deaths.
Ann Michaelsen; how would you grade this essay?
Based on the content and organization of the essay, as well as grammar and style, I would give this essay a grade of C. The essay provides some information about the importance of bees and the issue of declining bee populations, but it could be improved with more detailed and accurate information and a clearer structure. There are also several grammatical errors and awkward phrases that should be revised.
Ann Michaelsen; comment on how the text brings new insight into the topic
The text provides some general information about the importance of bees for agriculture and the economy, and mentions the issue of declining bee populations and the concept of “colony collapse disorder”. However, it does not provide much new insight into these topics. To bring more insight to the topic, the essay could delve deeper into the causes and consequences of declining bee populations, and provide more specific examples and data to support its claims. It could also explore potential solutions or actions that can be taken to protect bees and address the issue of declining populations.
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