“Should I take Stephanie Moody’s class on ChatGPT this Fall Semester?”
“As an AI, I don't have personal experiences or opinions, but I can offer you some guidance on how to make an informed decision about taking a class with Stephanie Moody or any course related to ChatGPT or artificial intelligence.”
Following this response, UM-GPT gave me six paragraphs of “guidance” on general factors to take into consideration when enrolling in a course, such as course content, time commitment, and long-term interest. Overall? Not so helpful.
The fear of students using AI in the classroom has had educators all over the country in a frenzy since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. These fears have led to plenty of educators instituting strict rules in their classrooms such as prohibiting students from using any AI software for their assignments. Even using AI-detection software is a common practice for educators to guarantee that their students’ work isn’t jam-packed with AI. Now imagine this: a course not only centered around discussions about ChatGPT, but actually requiring the use of the software as part of the curriculum.
Professor Stephanie Moody’s DSI mini-course for the Fall 2024 semester, Digital 201: “Writing with ChatGPT,” focuses on discussing ChatGPT and requires hands-on use of the software. Lecturer at U-M’s Department of English Language & Literature and the Digital Studies Institute, Professor Moody has been intrigued by the possibilities of ChatGPT since first reading about it in 2022. “The anxieties that surrounded the rise of AI reminded me of when the internet became widely available,” recalls Professor Moody. Though many were panicked about what ChatGPT might do to student writing, Professor Moody wanted to think about the potential positivity of AI, thus developing this course.
In this mini-course, students will use ChatGPT while also tackling new ethical questions every week regarding the growth of AI. Examples of these questions include: Are humans losing jobs to these software programs? Are students relying on ChatGPT too much? And, of course, what does it mean for AI to become “dangerously intelligent”? Students in this course have the opportunity to dive into these ethical questions about AI in the world through weekly readings, discussions, and trying out different modes of writing with ChatGPT throughout different stages of the writing process.
If a year ago somebody told me that ChatGPT would become so acceptable that there would be a course requiring the use of it, I would’ve been stunned. At the moment, Professor Moody describes AI as “a tool, but not the greatest ever.” They explained that “If a student just writes a prompt that makes ChatGPT type out an answer without explanation, then there’s no learning achieved.” As such, their classroom policy about ChatGPT on assignments is that any student has free reign to use it, as long as they write a half-page reflection about how they used it. I share Professor Moody’s feelings on AI as an educational tool. As a student, I’ve used ChatGPT in this way: I’ll ask it to explain a topic or take me step-by-step through something rather than simply asking for an answer. ChatGPT-as-tool isn’t effective 100% of the time, but it has still helped me overall.
As the fall semester approaches, the introduction of the ChatGPT course at the University of Michigan marks an exciting step forward in AI education. By equipping students with the skills to navigate and innovate in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, this course promises to be both timely and transformative. As we look ahead to the semester ahead, let us embrace the opportunities for discovery and growth that lie ahead.
This concluding paragraph was written by ChatGPT. A little corny, don’t you think?