Why ChatGPT Should Not be Banned in Schools
By: Sophia Stafford
In the 1970s, a new instrument faced opposition from parents and educators alike. They believed that if this instrument were used in schools, it would be detrimental to students’ understanding of the material, promote academic dishonesty, and foster reliance on technology. The contested instrument? A handheld calculator.
Currently, a similar debate is happening with an even more powerful form of technology: ChatGPT. Trained by OpenAI, this model has broken the internet with its ability to engage in human-like conversations, debug code, and provide an endless source of entertainment. At the same time, fears are emerging about how students could take advantage of this technology to cheat on assignments. As a result, certain schools have implemented bans on it and regard it with suspicion. While having some regulations in place to prevent cheating and plagiarism is important, centering our conversations about ChatGPT on regulations is not a productive strategy. Rather, we should instead focus on how we can best utilize ChatGPT in the classroom so students can learn how to use it ethically and effectively.
The fears about ChatGPT are well within reason; if students have access to such powerful technology, it will likely be used to take shortcuts. As a result, educators fear that students’ understanding of the material will decline. This thinking has prompted many schools, including New York City Public Schools, the largest school system in the United States, to ban it on their school networks. However, a full-out ban on ChatGPT is counterproductive for multiple reasons.
Through a purely practical lens, a school-wide ban on ChatGPT will be ineffective. Students will still be able to use the technology at home, using it to write essays or answer questions on their home networks. High school and college students have already been caught using ChatGPT to write a take-home essay. If students can still use ChatGPT at home, banning it at school will be pointless.
Another more innovative reason why schools should not ban ChatGPT is that it could be utilized to foster students’ learning. Just like a handheld calculator, ChatGPT should not be considered a replacement for learning, but instead, something that can enhance students’ understanding and help them be more efficient. Elementary school children are still taught long division, even though calculators are available, because grasping the concept of division helps them use and understand what a calculator does. Once they have mastered the basics of division, they can use a calculator to be more efficient, but they still maintain their knowledge of the concept. ChatGPT can be used in a similar way, helping students work faster and grasp new material.
Many educators fear that students will take advantage of ChatGPT to cheat on assignments or write essays.
Already, some educators have integrated ChatGPT into their classrooms. Cherie Shields, who teaches English at a high school in Oregon, instructed her students to use ChatGPT to generate outlines for one of their essays. After the outlines had been generated, she asked her students to close their computers and write the essay on paper. She said the process improved the students’ appreciation for the stories they analyzed and fostered critical thinking, as the students had to evaluate and improve ChatGPT’s responses.
Another revolutionary example of ChatGPT assisting students in the classroom is in Juan Andrés Guerrero-Saade Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering Intensive at Alperovitch Institute. The students were asked to log in to ChatGPT and keep the tab open on their screens. Thomas Rid, a student in the class, found the experience transformative. He said that throughout the lecture, students would ask ChatGPT questions without interrupting the flow of the class. This allowed students with varying degrees of experience with computer science to keep up with the instructor. They were also encouraged to use ChatGPT to write, interpret, and debug code. Rid explained that without ChatGPT, much of the class time would be spent answering silly questions or re-explaining material. Instead, thanks to ChatGPT, the students were able to understand the material on a deeper level and cover more content in a shorter amount of time.
Ultimately, the most important reason that ChatGPT should not be banned at schools is that students need to learn how to interact with artificial intelligence. The next generation of students will likely inherit a world where chatbots are a significant part of their everyday life. It’s essential that they are exposed to chatbots, like ChatGPT, from an early age, so they can learn about their strengths and limitations. The increased access to a handheld calculator did not lead to a decline in math skills; rather, it led to even more advances and discoveries in the field. Likewise, ChatGPT and other similar technologies will allow our next generation to focus on innovation and progress. Imagine a world where computer science students did not need to spend hours debugging code and could instead focus on creating new software. Imagine a world where students did not need to waste time in science class formatting data and could instead center their attention on designing and conducting experiments. By embracing ChatGPT, that world can become our reality. Even though our school curriculum will be forced to adapt to this new technology, with a heavier reliance on in-class assignments and handwritten work, it is worth it to allow our students to freely access this incredible technology. The world is changing, and our lesson plans need to change with it.
ChatGPT running on a student’s computer during a Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering Intensive at Alperovitch Institute.
