AI in Education

Today, I want to write about AI. I have already heard this word before in different contexts but unfortunately, I did not have enough information about it. 

“I am interested in AI because it is changing the world of gaming.”

“I am curious how AL can learn.”

“AI is a new revolution in the world.”

AI? What does AI actually mean? According to Russell and Norvig (2010), Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a sub-field of computer science that can carry out tasks like speech recognition, language translation, visual perception, and decision-making that require human intelligence and the mind.

Really?!?!?!

It is hard to believe it. We have learned many useful and practical information about AI from Dr. Alec Couros in ED830 class.

First, the meaning of GPT3 should be clarified. GPT3 stands for Generated Pre-trained Transformers 3. It uses internet data to generate any types of texts. As Dr. Alec Couros said: “ It has learned the patterns of human speech and generates the probability of the next word in sequence.” GPT3 is able to perform various natural language tasks including translation, answering questions, and summarizing texts. It was developed by OpenAI which is an American artificial intelligence research laboratory. 

ChatGPT is a chatbot built upon GPT3. It can be used in many different ways such as summarizing a text, composing music, producing various types of written work, providing specific information, etc. Please watch the following video to know what ChatGPT is:

Wowwwww! I could not believe it. How is it possible? After the class, I decided to check it and I typed some job interview questions related to teaching ESL and their answers. The answers are: 

“What inspired you to become an ESL teacher?

Answer: My passion for languages and cultures, and my desire to help others develop their language skills, led me to pursue a career in teaching English as a Second Language. I find it incredibly rewarding to see students make progress and achieve their goals, and I love the challenge of finding creative ways to engage and motivate them.

What is your approach to teaching grammar and vocabulary in the ESL classroom?

Answer: I believe that grammar and vocabulary are best learned in context, through meaningful and authentic activities and tasks. I also believe in incorporating a variety of teaching methods, including individual, small group, and whole class activities, to cater to different learning styles and to make the learning process more interactive and engaging.

How do you assess and track student progress in an ESL setting?

Answer: I assess student progress through a combination of formal and informal assessments, including quizzes, tests, oral presentations, and writing assignments. I also regularly observe and take notes on their participation and engagement in class, and use this information to inform my teaching and provide individualized feedback. To track progress, I maintain detailed records of student performance and regularly meet with students to discuss their goals and achievements.

Can you provide an example of a successful lesson you’ve taught to ESL students?

Answer: I once taught a lesson on describing people and personalities, which involved students working in small groups to create short skits and role-plays. The students had to use vocabulary related to physical appearance and personality traits, and present their skits to the class. The students were highly engaged and had a lot of fun, and it was a great opportunity for them to practice their speaking skills in a creative and low-stakes environment.

How do you handle challenging behaviors or disruptive students in the ESL classroom?

Answer: I believe in addressing challenging behaviors in a positive and proactive manner. I first try to understand the root cause of the behavior and then use a variety of strategies to address it, including redirecting the student, providing positive reinforcement, and setting clear expectations and consequences. I also communicate regularly with students and their families to keep them informed and to build positive relationships that foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment.”

Interestingly, it is important how to write your sentences and questions. You can see some prompt templates if you want more accurate results using ChatGPT:
Act as <role-name>
I will provide you with <info-on-input>
You will <detailed-test>

One of the most important issues that must be considered is “AIgiarism” which is a created word from plagiarism. Plagiarism is an important issue because detecting a generated text by ChatGPT seems challenging however some companies can detect these generated texts. Therefore, people in the world have many different ideas about using AI in education. Look at the following examples (from class):

We also discussed Quillbot as well which allows users to paraphrase a text. Most students use this bot to paraphrase different texts. The following video is a tutorial video showing how to use Quillbot in academia.

Other AI tools such as DALLE-2 and Playground are image creators. They can easily generate images based on your instruction about 10 seconds. I was so curious so I asked DALLE-2 an oil painting of a girl who has ginger red hair who is reading storybooks. This is the result:

The last AI tool that I want to introduce here is Tome which is a storytelling tool. It generates stories based on your instructed words and is capable of adding details. In the following you can see the story of a girl who has ginger red hair interested in reading storybooks generated by Tome:

I have not used AI tools in my classes before. I think using them has its pros and cons such as. Let’s talk about ChatGP. Regarding its advantages, one of them is increased efficiency and speed. It can grade assignments and provide feedback to students. Therefore, It saves most teachers’ time. However, there are also some disadvantages to using it in education. As mentioned before, one of the most concerns is plagiarism. It may be challenging to detect a generated text. Many other AI tools are interestingly useful in education such as LEX, Synthesia, Descript, etc.

Have you ever used them in your classes? Please share you experience here.