OpenAI Releases Educators' Guide for Teaching With AI

  • By Kate Lucariello
  • 09/13/23

OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, has released a guide for educators on how to teach with AI in the classroom. The guide includes prompt ideas, how ChatGPT works and its limitations, ChatGPT effectiveness, and issues of bias. The company also offers an educator FAQ with additional resources.

The guide draws on stories from teachers using ChatGPT in their classrooms to accomplish tasks such as:

  • Using it as a tutor or a persona to take on specific roles;
  • Generating quizzes, exams, and lesson plans;
  • Helping non-English speakers with translation, conversation, and writing;
  • Teaching critical thinking, especially in evaluating the credibility of the AI's answer;
  • Generating prompts for writing; and more.

For example, Helen Crompton, instructional technology professor at Old Dominion University, has her education graduate students use ChatGPT as a debate partner to challenge their arguments, or act as a job recruiter and interview them, or act as an employer giving feedback.

"She says exploring information in a conversational setting helps students understand their material with added nuance and new perspective," OpenAI noted.

The guide can be found on this blog page.

Some of the considerations noted in the FAQ include:

  • Whether the ChatGPT AI is biased and truthful, how this can negatively affect student thinking and understanding, and how to deal with it;
  • How teachers can respond to students using AI-generated content as their own;
  • How ChatGPT can be used for assessment and feedback;
  • The safety of ChatGPT for various ages;
  • How educators can learn more about AI and ChatGPT (free training, etc.).

"Like the internet, ChatGPT is a powerful tool that can help educators and students if used thoughtfully," the company said in the introduction to its FAQ. "There are many ways to get there, and the education community is where the best answers will come from."

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

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