Study shows the importance of student guidance in use of AI

In recent decades, we have witnessed profound changes in the way we teach and learn, particularly since the 1980s. This includes the launch of the Bologna Process at the beginning of this century. The advent of the internet in the 1990s greatly facilitated access to information, enabling faster and more effective learning.

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education helped shift the focus from traditional teaching methods (typically teacher- or theory-oriented) to student-centred didactic strategies.

The popularisation of artificial intelligence has accelerated this process, especially through tools like ChatGPT, which provide instant answers to complex questions and are immediately accessible. These tools, highly appealing to both teachers and students, have been increasingly used, but not always fully integrated into classrooms and study environments.

Recent scientific literature has demonstrated that AI technology can significantly enhance learning outcomes, particularly in terms of student performance, motivation and engagement in learning environments. This can help raise academic standards and improve the quality of education.

Still no consensus

Yet, despite the apparent benefits of using ChatGPT in education, there is still no consensus on its impact on student learning. Some authors highlight the risk of students perceiving ChatGPT as a robust, easy-to-use and helpful resource – a ‘know-it-all machine’ – and blindly trusting its answers.

Others express concerns about the potential negative impact on students’ cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving. Naturally, these tools raise important challenges that must be considered, such as concerns about cheating, dependence, ethical and legal questions, and issues related to security and privacy.

With this in mind, in our paper titled Critical Minds: Enhancing education with ChatGPT, published in Cogent Education, we argue that the use of these AI tools represents a new challenge, similar to the advent of the internet or search engines like Google or Yahoo in the last decades of the 20th century. It is a game-changer.

Students will inevitably use these tools, regardless of teachers’ preferences. Based on this assumption, it is essential that teachers and universities encourage students to use these tools wisely. This includes fostering critical thinking, promoting ethical behaviour and encouraging interaction among students and between students and teachers to strengthen social skills.

Additionally, it is imperative that educational institutions review their academic integrity policies to include guidelines that support students in the responsible use of AI tools.

How to use ChatGPT to learn

In line with these concerns, the aforementioned paper presents an example of how to implement a study using ChatGPT.

We invited students to complete an academic assignment that allowed the use of ChatGPT to answer a set of questions, along with a mandatory subsequent validation of the information, aimed at stimulating the development of students’ critical thinking and ethical awareness.

Simultaneously, we conducted a study to understand students’ perceptions of the assignment and the use of ChatGPT.

From this work, we concluded that students expressed a high level of satisfaction with the use of the AI tool. The results also showed that students felt the assignment helped them recognise their achievements and develop skills such as critical thinking and information validation.

Our conclusion is that integrating ChatGPT into the school context is beneficial, as it helps students complete their tasks while boosting their enthusiasm and motivation.

If properly integrated, it can contribute to the development of important skills. In fact, the use of this and other AI tools should be guided by teachers so that students develop a critical mindset, understand the need to validate results with credible bibliographic sources, and use the tool ethically. Therefore, rather than banning these tools, it may be more effective to teach students how to use them properly and ethically.

Our results indicate that students are aware of some of the disadvantages of using ChatGPT, particularly regarding the quality and reliability of its sources. This prompts us to conclude that they understand the importance of using this tool correctly, and it is essential that they receive proper guidance.

It is the responsibility of educational institutions, particularly teachers, to encourage the judicious use of these tools, by cross-referencing their results with other credible sources and adhering to ethical guidelines.

Support for teachers

Of course, teachers need to spend some time becoming familiar with AI tools, including gaining AI skills and learning pedagogical approaches to AI, as this can enable them to create more engaging and effective learning environments and become strong advocates for both their students and themselves.

The challenges ahead are significant and will require efforts not only from the entire educational community but also from researchers to support universities and teachers in the effective and productive use of AI tools in the classroom. For example, more research is needed to develop and consolidate guidelines and best practices for integrating ChatGPT into teachers’ pedagogical strategies and in relation to academic work.

Research into the ethical implications of AI tools is also urgently needed and will help strike a balance between innovation and the responsible use of technology, while maintaining the necessary academic rigour.

Alexandra Ribeiro da Costa is a professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ISEP) School of Engineering in Portugal. She is also a member of the editorial advisory committee of the Revista de Estudios e Investigación en Psicología y Educacional. Natércia Maria Pereira Machado Lima is a professor at ISEP and currently holds a position as adjunct professor. She is the subdirector of the masters in biomedical engineering programme and she is also a researcher at CIETI – LABORIS, the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Industrial Technology. Maria Clara Neves Cabral da Silva Moreira Viegas is an adjunct teacher in the Instituto Politécnico do Porto Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, a full researcher in CIETI at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (P Porto) and co-director of the degree Licenciatura Engenharia Biomédica in Instituto Politécnico do Porto Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto. Amélia Caldeira is a professor in the department of mathematics at ISEP’s School of Engineering and a researcher at the Research Center for Systems & Technologies (SYSTEC-ARISE) and in the Mathematical Engineering Laboratory (LEMA-ISEP).

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.