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With AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard now capable of completing a wide range of cognitive tasks, there is growing fears amongst educators that students will use it to complete assignments this school year and “break” the current education system. However, as the users of MagicSchool.ai have shown, there are still areas where AI falls short - areas that educators can leverage to ChatGPT-proof their assignments for students this year.
Rather than trying to “catch kids using ChatGPT” (AI detectors are notoriously inaccurate, anyways), teachers are beginning to change their assignments altogether - promoting higher level thinking among students.
In this blog post, we'll explore some strategies for making assignments more resistant to AI, based on trends in data generated by MagicSchool users. These strategies revolve around emphasizing the uniquely human aspects of learning - personal experiences, creativity, and real-time engagement.
One of the most common strategies among MagicSchool users is to design assignments that require students to draw on their personal experiences and reflections. Such assignments might ask students to relate historical events to their own lives, or to reflect on how a concept they're learning about in science might affect their daily routine.
AI, despite its many advancements, does not have personal experiences. It can't reflect on how a historical event might have affected it, nor can it consider the practical implications of a scientific concept for its daily life. By emphasizing personal reflection and experience in assignments, educators can create tasks that are more resistant to AI.
Assignments that require creativity or personal opinions are another common trend among AI-resistant tasks. AI can generate content based on patterns in data, but it can't form a personal opinion or generate truly creative content.
For instance, an assignment might ask students to write a short story based on a prompt, or to express their opinion on a controversial topic. These tasks require a level of creativity and personal insight that AI currently can't replicate.
Class discussions offer a real-time, interactive experience that's difficult for AI to participate in. Assignments that require students to engage in these discussions, summarize the key points, and form their own opinions can be particularly effective.
For instance, after a class discussion on climate change, an assignment might ask students to write a short essay summarizing the key points of the discussion, along with their own opinion on the matter. This kind of assignment not only reinforces the material discussed in class, but also encourages students to engage more deeply with the subject matter.
In conclusion, while AI has made significant strides in many areas, there are still aspects of learning that are uniquely human. By emphasizing these aspects - personal experiences, creativity, and real-time engagement - educators can create assignments that push the higher level thinking we want from all of our students.
Whether it's an assignment that requires personal reflection, a task that calls for creative thinking, or a project that requires real-time participation, these strategies can help ensure that assignments continue to be effective learning tools in the age of AI.
If you're an educator and interested in expanding on this topic, tune in Wednesday, August 16th at 6PM EST as we participate in AI For Education's weekly AI Launchpad webinar series for educators to discuss "Creating AI / Chat GPT Resistant Assignments For Students".
Sign up here.