Students like Rebeca will have to resist the temptation to cheat using ChatGPT. Photo Credit: Victoria Manzo.

Throughout the past few months, Chat GPT has gained mass recognition among students because of its ability to provide instantaneous and coherent answers to virtually any prompt. The GCDS Upper School faculty have discussed how to manage its use among students both in and out of the classroom. Currently, Chat GPT is blocked for students using the GCDS WiFi.

One common concern among faculty at GCDS is Chat GPT’s ability to provide instant answers to problems and write well-structured essays. Typing any prompt into Chat GPT, specifically ones that require summarization, results in a succinct and organized response. In an experiment with Chat GPT, the New York Times found that experts on children’s writing could not consistently distinguish a child’s writing from A.I.-generated writing. Student access to Chat GPT has implications for courses across the GCDS curriculum, as teachers often ask students to answer questions that Chat GPT can now respond to instead.

The GCDS Upper School Curriculum is project-based with an emphasis on building skills that will help students in the real world, such as communication and problem-solving. Dr. Ruoss, the Upper School Academic Dean, said, “I do worry that tools like Chat GPT erode the development of those skills. And it’s our responsibility as educators to figure out how to continue to adapt with that technological landscape.” 

Dr. Haag, who teaches Scientific Research and Design, believes that teaching students how to write is crucial to their success, especially within the scientific research field. He said, “…science is about communication, and if you can’t communicate what you found, it makes you less good at your job if you’re just not good at being able to convey that information.”

However, teachers have found that Chat GPT is still quite limited in its writing capabilities. When testing Chat GPT’s answers for essay questions assigned to her Constitutional Law class, Ms. Russo said, “…what I’m seeing out of it is a complete lack of analysis and inability to put together an elegantly worded essay. So right now, I’m not frightened of it at all.”

Computers are nowhere as smart as our brilliant scholars. Photo Credit: Rebbeca Manzo

Math teachers have pointed out that they have already dealt with the issue of dishonest work with equation-solving websites and apps, such as Symbolab or Photomath. Mr. Feder, an Upper School math teacher, said, “I am concerned that there are too many spaces available that will do work for students without understanding, and I don’t think the problem is just specific to English and history; I think it has implications for math and sciences as well.”

Project-based learning has helped expand math projects past the abilities of equation solving software, challenging students with real-life applications of math instead of just completing math problems. Mr. Johnke, another Upper School math teacher, said, “…There is a new challenge with project-based learning when part of the project is to put numbers, variables, and equations in context, and the capacity of [Chat GPT] to do all that work for you, I think, short circuits your thinking.”

On the other hand, some teachers see potential in using Chat GPT as a tool to increase efficiency. Mr. Dutcher, also an Upper School math teacher, said, “Chat GPT can offer something quickly and efficiently, which otherwise may take hours. So, I think if we identify it as a resource in that way, we can start building around it more and get to meatier topics and discussions.”

Additionally, Dr. Cruz, an Upper School humanities teacher, believes that Chat GPT can’t fully replace students’ work because of their individual perspectives and experiences. “…If we as teachers can be mindful of incorporating those sorts of things into our instruction, into our projects and assessments, that will benefit students,” she said. “I think it’ll also help us continue to have empathy, which I don’t think Chat GPT is capable of doing just yet.”

In response to Chat GPT, GCDS administrators have now released a policy regarding its use for schoolwork, which reads: “Any use of generative A.I. requires instructor permission as well as acknowledgment when signing the honor pledge. Failure to disclose the use of generative A.I. is considered a violation of the Upper School Academic Integrity Policy.”

Before its release, this policy was reviewed by numerous groups, including the GCDS Ed Leadership group, an N-12 group of administrators; the Upper School Academic Leadership Team, which is made up of GCDS’ program leads; grade-level facilitators; the Student Life team; the Computer Science program; and a few students. Following its finalization, the policy was ultimately introduced to the whole faculty as a reference point for navigating potential uses of Chat GPT in the classroom.

Ms. Waller, the Upper School Dean of Faculty and the author of the policy, said, “The most important thing at the heart of [the policy], at least for me, was that it was about a relationship built on trust between students and teachers. It was about communication, and it wasn’t prohibitive.” 

In terms of next steps, Dr. Winters noted that due to the vast capabilities of Chat GPT, it may not stay blocked for students on the school network. “[Blocking Chat GPT] was a very quick decision,” he said, “and now that we are processing and learning more and getting a little more knowledge about it, I foresee us having a conversation where we make a decision: ‘Is this something that we want to keep blocked or not?’”