ChatGPT in the English Classroom

Abstract

18 students engaged in learning about artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT 3 (CHAT), to respond to the question of whether it is ethical or practical for students to use CHAT in college-level classrooms to complete assignments. A thematic unit was created and taught in 2 face-to-face English 101 classes to explore the topic of CHAT. The unit was created with and designed to be completed by CHAT. After reflecting on 3 readings, 2 videos, and completing various related assignments, students were expected to write a 5-page essay about CHAT using CHAT in whatever way they wanted to complete the work while still maintaining the specific requirements of the English 101 objectives. The essays were examined by the students using the same peer review process that we used for 2 essays written without using CHAT before the thematic unit, with the addition of 2 instructions: to check the veracity of the sources, and to evaluate the essays for consistency of tone, accuracy of information, and originality. Data collection for this qualitative study was based on hand-written reflections by 18 of the students in the classroom, quick polls at the end of each lesson, and semi-structured, recorded interviews with 9 of the participating students who volunteered to be recorded. The students were charged with the dual roles of tester and consultant, and it gave them the opportunity to understand and test CHAT in a classroom and to share their insights with faculty. Reflections and interviews were transcribed, coded, analyzed, and categorized into the 3 strongest recommendations for faculty considering using CHAT in their curriculum: (1) faculty should be open-minded and well trained in what CHAT is and how to use it safely before attempting to allow their students to use it in class; (2) students should be given specific instructions for how to use CHAT for specific tasks that will help them reach their potential and then allowed to decide for themselves how to proceed; (3) students should be tested to demonstrate comprehension of the material and classroom objectives both before and after the use of CHAT.