How can generative AI tools be used in education?
Generative AI opens up new possibilities in education, primarily supporting the process of creating teaching materials and tailoring content to the needs of students. Ethan and Lilach Mollick (2023) highlight five main areas that previously required significant effort from educators, but can now be automated using generative AI, leading to more effective teaching:
1. Creating numerous examples illustrating discussed topics
2. Explaining concepts in a way that is tailored to the individual needs of students
3. Preparing routine tests ("low-stakes")
4. Identifying the most common issues and difficult-to-understand areas
5. Integrating topics between classes and revisiting them over time
We encourage you to read their article, where you can find ready-made prompts for use in these cases: Mollick and Mollick (2023). The same authors propose more advanced use of generative AI in teaching in their next article: Instructors as Innovators: a Future-focused Approach to New AI Learning Opportunities, With Prompts available here. They describe, among other things, the use of AI to create simulations where students can develop practical skills. They also encourage assigning AI the role of a mentor to support the educational process.
Generative AI can also be used to personalize exam questions, which increases the chances of independent student work and allows for varied methods of assessing knowledge over the years. Generating questions based on literature or materials directly provided to the model is particularly useful to minimize the risk of hallucinations. However, it's important to verify the accuracy of each AI-generated exam question. It's also worth reviewing the OpenAI FAQ for educators.
When using these tools for assessment, it's advisable to agree on their use with students, as our research indicates that more than half are reluctant to such applications. An important aspect is also the protection of intellectual property, as evaluating with generative AI may require data submission.
Use for modeling, which may involve their further utilization. We also emphasize the issue of entering confidential and personal data – submitting works that include names or index numbers could lead to violations of data protection regulations.
References:
Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2023). Using AI to implement effective teaching strategies in classrooms: Five strategies, including prompts. SSRN Electronic Journal. DOI
Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2024). Instructors as Innovators: a Future-focused Approach to New AI Learning Opportunities, With Prompts. SSRN Electronic Journal. DOI
OpenAI, Educator FAQ, link