As the use of technology in education increases, so do the questions of ethics and fairness. ChatGPT and other AI technologies, while potentially useful in providing students with more answers to tests and writing essays, can also be seen as a form of cheating. This is especially concerning in light of the already existing issue of cheating in high schools and universities.
The larger problem here is not the use of technology, but our society’s obsession with testing. Education should not be about passing tests, but rather about learning and exploring new ideas. Too often, our educational system is driven by politics, leaving teachers and students feeling as though they are only being evaluated on the basis of their results on standardized tests.
Rather than relying solely on tests, we should be focusing on teaching students how to think critically and apply the knowledge they have learned. ChatGPT and other AI technologies could provide students with the knowledge they need to operate in the world, but it must be done in a fair and ethical manner. We need to shift our focus away from assessment and towards learning, in order to ensure that students are getting the best possible education.
I think we all agree that education should be constructivist. Education should be more project-based. Teams must learn to work together. Why can’t the building of the project be the assessment? The assessment should not have to be a standardized test.
Plus, the things students should really be learning are hard to assess. It’s hard to assess things like 21st-century skills. Things like kindness, resilience and grit are all difficult to assess on a standardized test. These soft skills are what students should really be learning.
The problem with education is that it’s frequently about managing and assessing rather than celebrating discovery and creation. I ran into similar push back when suggesting the use of open source software rather than proprietary solutions. I had a similar experience years ago when advocating the use of Windows NT and Ethernet instead of OS/2 and Token Ring. Fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) sell very well.