Professors face a new concern, the use of artificial intelligence to generate university papers. This phenomenon is transforming teaching and assessment, and many teachers feel that their efforts to encourage critical thinking and genuine writing are being undermined by tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
Students can get essays done in a matter of seconds, with no real effort on their part. AI has changed the educational landscape, but it raises major challenges about the true value of learning.
«As I progress, I realize that I spend more time, energy and resources addressing this problem. Before I was teaching, now I’m just looking to detect ChatGPT tricks,» explains philosophy professor Troy Jollimore in an article published in The Walrus.
«The magic bag» that is ChatGPT in university assignments
In a context where teachers relied on student-written essays to assess their understanding, AI has altered this dynamic.
«A new type of magic bag has arrived in the real world. For some years, I have taught philosophy, at a university in California, […] and my main evaluation method has been the student essay. But AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini make it possible to get trials with little more effort than it takes to snap your fingers,» says Jollimore.
Many teachers are forced to detect writing patterns that could indicate the use of chatbots. As the professor explains, the works generated by AI tend to be «methodical and repetitive», lacking the depth and personal style that a student committed to the subject would normally provide.
However, students often find ways to fool detection systems, leaving educators in a constant struggle to identify the trick.
The speed with which AI generates content may make some students tempted to take advantage of it, especially when faced with pressure to turn in work on time. Despite academic policies prohibiting its use, many students feel comfortable using these tools, claiming that they are expected to use AI in the job market.
«It is also, and above all, the students who look at you in bewilderment. The use of AI already seems so natural to many of them, so inevitable and an accepted feature of the educational landscape, that any prohibition seems absurd to them,» says Jollimore.
This mindset has led teachers to question whether the purpose of education is to teach independent thinking or simply prepare students for a professional life where AI plays an important role.
This not only harms individual learning, but also reduces the value of university qualifications and degrees.
Teachers face new challenges using ChatGPT
The dilemma is clear, how to ensure that students are really learning? Essay-based assessments no longer provide assurance that a student has acquired the necessary knowledge.
As Troy Jollimore explains: «The most important thing is that the student improves. After all, I don’t really need essays. I don’t lack for things to read. Essays are a means to an end, which is the transformation of the author into a learned person. This type of writing assignment is simply the best instrument available to achieve this very desirable end.»
Although some teachers choose to modify their teaching methods, such as giving written exams in class, not everyone agrees with this measure. Real-time writing presents its own challenges, and many argue that it only favors certain students.
The challenge facing teachers is not limited to finding ways to detect the use of AI, but also to redefine teaching in a world where technology is already present in almost every aspect of daily life.