Researchers from USC center for AI and generating society released one report Wednesday, September 17, on the generative AI (GENAI) and how its use in class can be determined by the teacher’s attitude towards artificial intelligence.
The researchers conducted three studies and found that the students who were in an environment where the Genai was encouraged for critical thinking was more likely to be engaged in their work.
The study was conducted by Stephen J. Agulier, associate professor at the USC Rossier School of Education, and William Swartout, Director of Sciences of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Institute for Creative Technologies.
Some teachers, such as journalism teacher Joe Saltzman, provide their classes with means to use AI who would not simply give students of direct responses.
“The AI can be very precious as a tool for journalists, in particular in data processing and all public files,” said Saltzman, “he can seek in recordings much faster than you can as an individual, but once you get the information, you are always responsible for accuracy.”
Research included 1,505 teachers during the United States, India, Qatar, Colombia and Philippines. On a scale of one to five, teachers’ confidence and AI awareness was collected. The United States and India had the highest confidence in the AI at 3.6 and 3.5, respectively, while Colombia had the lowest at 2.6.
Saltzman has always warned students of how they use AI, ensuring that they know that they can “use it – but be responsible and with it”.
Students were classified within the study as “instrumental” people looking for aid or looking for “executive” aid. “Instrumental” defines the students who try to find the answers to their problems in an organic manner or by themselves, while “executive” is intended for students who rather seek quick and easy responses.
“I think people should have their own creativity, instead of letting artificial intelligence help them generate their ideas,” said Perry Lee, a student in the international year and business student.
Some students, however, believe that there should be more leniency on the use of AI in class.
First -year student Javier de la Torre, a major in aerospace engineering, said that AI can be a powerful learning tool.
“He can literally draw from the internet whole, like all human knowledge, basically, to find answers for problems and solve things that are otherwise tedious and difficult for people,” said torre. “We cannot use it to find our writing, do our job for us, but we can use it as a tool to … make sure we don’t make stupid mistakes.”
The study appoints some potential risks of ia overuse, such as confidence blindly to the tool, the reduction of motivation and exposure to disinformation.
