While experts recognize the possible misuses of AI in classrooms — including plagiarism — they agree that educating teachers and students on what the black box of AI is will be essential to its potential use for good.
When cavemen first saw the spark of a flame, they likely felt a mixture of awe, wonder and fear at the powerful new tool.
When the printing press was invented it promised widespread access to writing, but it also threatened the jobs of scribes.
Writing itself was once feared as a disruptive technology. The philosopher Socrates famously opposed the written word, concerned it would replace meaningful conversation and intellectual engagement.
Today, artificial intelligence once again stirs fear of the unknown, particularly in the case of education. Skeptical universities across the country have banned AI software and Large Language Models (LLMs) like Chat GPT from their classrooms.
However, some educators in Bellingham are cautiously optimistic about AI’s potential to benefit students, especially English language learners (ESLs) and students with disabilities, by providing much-needed support. But is fear of the unknown holding back this technology from reaching its full potential?
AI anxiety
“Like all technologies, AI is ethically neutral. It can be used as a weapon or a tool; you can use it to cheat or create; to advance human interest or degrade our quality of life,” said local AI expert Joan Connell, a senior lecturer emerita from Western Washington University whose current field of research is in the legal, ethical, cultural, moral and existential implications of AI.
In a recent interview, Connell advocated for fast and expansive education on AI. “It’s so important for everyone — in the college classroom and in the wider world — to understand the strengths and weaknesses of AI.”
However, universities across the country have resisted the implementation of AI in classrooms.
A 2024 report from the Digital Education Council found that 86% of students use AI for their course work, while an EdWeek Research Center survey says as of March 2024, only 29% of educators have received training.
In a recent interview, WWU English professor and Director of Composition at Jeremy Cushman recalls a universitywide meeting on Western’s AI policies, “I’m sitting in our faculty senate meeting and on the agenda is a discussion of AI and the whole thing was just built out of fear. It was just like, ‘How are we going to help students avoid this?’”
A black box
Although local experts recognize the possible and unexpected misuses of AI in classrooms, such as plagiarism, they unanimously agree that educating teachers and students on what the black box of AI is will be essential to its potential use for good.
‘It talks up a storm, but has no idea what it is saying.’
So, what is AI and what are the potential benefits? “It’s a mistake to regard AI as some kind of robot that will do your homework: it’s a tool — actually, a fine instrument,” explained Connell.
AI software systems use large databases to analyze patterns and often generate texts or images that mimic human communication and decision-making. But contrary to the sci-fi fantasies of film, AI can’t think, said Connell.
Connell compared it to a parrot, “with a very large vocabulary hooked up to a search engine. It talks up a storm, but has no idea what it is saying.”
As a smart tool with a lot of access to information, it can support students with a diverse range of academic roadblocks. “I love AI. Are you kidding? I couldn’t run my life or business without it and if I were teaching, I’d be all over it,” said Dana Rozier, a Bellingham AI expert and founder of Nova Consulting AI, a business that educates professionals on how tools like ChatGPT can assist them in meaningful and time-saving ways.
As a former teacher and curriculum designer, Rozier enthusiastically supports AI in classrooms. She claims AI software is capable of grading for teachers, saving them time and energy that might be better spent engaged with students one-on-one. LLMs can also help students edit, revise and improve their essays with real-time feedback — even in the middle of a late-night ramen-fueled cram session when human professors are fast asleep.
Beyond potential: AI and accessibility
Although there seem to be potential uses for AI in classrooms, institutional anxiety currently overshadows any concrete changes. As a result, classes could miss out on innovations in student research, writing practices, disability, ESL student support and teacher engagement.
Some professors have taken AI into their own hands. Cushman gradually introduced AI software into his English courses after thorough research on its helpful applications and acceptance of its inevitable presence in the classroom.
… the student was able to focus on critical thinking and writing practices …
Cushman gave an example of AI’s ability to innovate student support. “There was one student who had a pretty severe case of dyslexia, and so the writing for him wasn’t too bad, but trying to read long and complex assignments at home or with the amount of time given in class was difficult.”
To help, Cushman turned to QuillBot, a 2017 AI tool that paraphrased the assigned text’s complex sentence structures, making them more accessible. Cushman’s student was able to focus on critical thinking and writing practices without the inhibition of deciphering in-class readings.
Additionally, international exchange students or English language learners have seen AI make a difference, “It’s been so fascinating and so helpful for students who are using English as their second or third language in a writing class to have ChatGPT,” Cushman said.
Cushman explained that the pace of a teacher’s lecture can cause students to fall behind the rest of the class, putting them at a disadvantage in terms of real-time engagement and in-class work.
Cushman said with the support of AI software students could quickly and accurately translate prompts and in-class assignments. “They don’t struggle as much with the language and they can really, really focus on the work.”
AI tools like QuillBot enabled his students to engage more fully with course material, making his class more inclusive and effective for all learners.
Cushman said AI might improve access to education for students who haven’t always received the support they need in classrooms. However, he maintains a healthy concern that if academia as an institution doesn’t get educated on the new software and its possible negative effects, it could result in both student and teacher misuse.
Beyond the particular
Connell’s advice to teachers navigating AI in the classroom for the first time? Innovate. She suggests replacing some out-of-class assignments with hands-on, in-class opportunities to research a topic, using AI to collaborate and produce creative work.
“Guided by human intelligence, AI can deepen your research skills, sharpen your critical thinking and enhance your creativity as scholars, professional writers and storytellers,” Connell said. Beyond its particular usefulness for certain students, it can change the way a lesson plan functions for all.
Connell gave the example of students struggling to read the old English of Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” “Instead of asking students to spend hours alone in the library struggling to understand a major work of literature and write a 10-page research paper on the topic, flip the script and do the work in class. AI is great for generating instant summaries of complex texts,” she suggested.
When AI is integrated into classroom coursework, instead of being used privately at home, it becomes a tool that benefits from teacher guidance and thoughtful, intentional use.
Healthy skepticism and human guardrails
To explore the potential downfalls of AI in classrooms, the question was directed to ChatGPT itself for insight. It responded that the top three issues were, “over-reliance on technology, misinterpretation of information and reduced interpersonal interactions.”
However, Connell disagreed.
“Sorry, but ChapGPT’s superficial and self-serving answer to your good question about the downside of AI in the classroom glosses over some significant issues.”
Connell pointed out that while ChatGPT can assist in meaningful ways, its limited answer above is proof that ChatGPT, “is not always authoritative, accurate or complete.”
ChatGPT’s biggest challenges in classrooms may stem from its failure to provide accurate citations, inherent biases in its training data and students using it to cheat rather than engage with their coursework, said Connell.
ChatGPT wrote, ‘To mitigate these risks, I think I’d need to be used alongside human guidance …’
“AI is our mirror,” Rozier said thoughtfully. She gave the example of AI facial recognition programs not recognizing people with dark skin. “People who have been training AI facial recognition were white men so had built into the algorithm all this bias that won’t even recognize a face as a face. And that was super powerful to me.”
AI is a smart tool, but it can reflect the biases in society. In the case of facial recognition, AI struggled to work for everyone because people of color weren’t involved in creating the data.
After listing its downfalls, ChatGPT wrote, “To mitigate these risks, I think I’d need to be used alongside human guidance, encouraging a balanced approach to technology.”
So what does human guidance look like for this masked technology? “Begin with AI literacy: help students understand what generative artificial intelligence is and how the Large Language Models that power the various forms of AI actually work,” Connell said.
There is a great deal of hype about what AI is and what it can achieve in the classroom and the wider world, she noted — and “there is also a great deal of fear about its impact on the way we create and consume content. AI literacy can help educators cut through and use these technologies effectively in the classroom.”
As the debate over AI’s role in classrooms unfolds, it’s clear that this moment echoes past technological disruptions, like the advent of the printing press or even the written word. AI is the latest in a long line of innovations, and while concerns about its impact are understandable, the central question remains: Will it be harnessed as a tool for progress, or will apprehensions prevent its full potential from being realized?
Ultimately, the future of AI in education may not be determined solely by its capabilities, but by how educators and institutions approach it — with caution, curiosity, and perhaps a healthy dose of humor. The key may lie in finding ways to use these tools effectively, ensuring they enhance education rather than hinder it.
— By Mickey Mann
Also read in Salish Current:
• “An election in the age of artificial intelligence,” Sept. 20, 2024
• “Change lives, expand minds, boost careers — with science — say teachers and the Science Guy,” June 30, 2023
• “Assistant … or replacement? AI, in real life,” May 12, 2023