The Impact of AI on English Education: A New Perspective
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Chapter 1: The Rise of AI in Education
As 2023 unfolds, it seems that each day brings fresh discussions about Artificial Intelligence (AI) across major platforms like CNN, Digg, and Yahoo. The advent of ChatGPT in late November 2022 sparked a whirlwind of controversy, fear, and discussions, alongside opportunities for creativity and productivity.
As an English instructor at a community college, my primary responsibility is to guide students in their writing endeavors. Naturally, my colleagues expressed concerns that students might resort to online AI writing tools for their assignments. I shared these concerns initially, yet I chose not to dismiss AI as a hindrance. Instead, I opted to engage with it as I do with my students.
I assigned ChatGPT some "homework." I had it generate fictional memos, introductory paragraphs, and articles, accumulating around 46,800 words across roughly 50 documents. My intention wasn’t to publish these AI-generated responses but rather to brainstorm ideas and understand its writing style.
Every semester, through my evaluation of students’ discussion posts and essay drafts, I become adept at identifying their unique writing styles. After examining numerous articles on Machine Learning (ML), I realized that ML algorithms resemble us in many ways. Just as we learn from vast amounts of information, algorithms develop a distinctive output style based on their training data.
Upon reviewing ChatGPT's writing, I began to recognize its particular style. Frequently, it would reiterate ideas too often, employ simplistic transitions, remain vague even with specific examples, and often conclude with a sense of uncertainty in longer texts.
Using ChatGPT has alleviated my fears about students submitting AI-generated essays as their own. While I anticipate that some may attempt academic dishonesty, the quality of the AI's output heavily relies on the prompts it receives. If a student fails to craft a well-structured prompt, the AI's text will also lack coherence and depth.
Although these technologies are still developing, with time, investment, and technological advancements, their capabilities will enhance. For now, I choose to view them as valuable brainstorming partners and potential productivity boosters.
Section 1.1: Understanding the Use of AI in Writing
In my teaching, I often illustrate the argumentative fallacy of “False/Faulty Analogy” using the example: “Students should be allowed to use notes during exams because doctors can consult X-rays during surgeries.” Initially, students may agree, but when I prompt them to consider the purposes of these two activities, they recognize the fallacy.
I perceive AI writing technology similarly. For those learning to write, it should not serve as a shortcut in the educational process. However, for those already proficient, it can be a tool for brainstorming, outlining, and generating initial ideas. The onus is then on the writer to synthesize these ideas into something uniquely their own.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Future of AI in Education
