LLMs in higher education
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The growing interest in large language models (LLMs) has raised questions regarding their role, if any, within higher education. These questions have also looked specifically at the role of ChatGPT in education.[1][2][3][4]
Usage
[edit]Proponents of LLMs, and their production and generation of coherent text often indistinguishable from human writing, argue LLMs can be used to increase the efficiency of teaching and research.[5][6] Chatbots can offer quick answers to common questions, and summarize and assist with literature reviews. Some studies show that chatbots can be useful as academic coaches.[7] LLM's also represent a challenge for traditional assessment practices with their ability to generate essays or assignments in response to a prompt,[8] leading to questions about academic integrity.[9]
The public discussion around LLM's has been extreme[10] and polarized.[11]
Higher Education (HE) has been flooded with "AI-hype". Ed tech is seen as mission critical. Certain scholarly works have reported on the benefits of LLMS, but others have highlighted the challenges and ethical concerns, such as data privacy, bias, "fake information", transparency, accountability, over-reliance and the digital divide.[5][12] Academics must be empowered with critical AI literacy skills to create ethical awareness among them in recognition of the implications and potential biases of AI technologies, whether they are practically feasible for the purpose and the critical reflection of their impact on the individual or society at large.[13]
Language teacher perspective
[edit]The public advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) has presented both possibilities and challenges for language teachers. Concerns include academic integrity and authenticity of students writing (assignments, essays, summaries, or even creative pieces) and the circumvention of the very learning processes.[14] Uncritical teachers have been cautioned about how learning might be circumvented by LLMs [15]
Language teachers have been forced to re-evaluate traditional assessment methods and reconsider the aspects of language proficiency they prioritize. Emphasis has shifted to a critical evaluation of information, the development of a unique voice and the revision of AI-generated content with AI literacy being integrated into the curriculum. [16]
LLMs offer resources to generating practice materials, provide instant feedback on grammar and syntax and offer students an additional layer of support outside of class time. While not considered a substitute for nuanced human feedback, some studies suggest this immediate corrective capacity can be particularly useful for reinforcing basic language rules[17] while offering a personalized learning experience, tailored to individual student needs.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ Gorichanaz, Tim (2023-11-29). "ChatGPT turns 1: AI chatbot's success says as much about humans as technology". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ Milano, Silvia; McGrane, Joshua A.; Leonelli, Sabina (April 2023). "Large language models challenge the future of higher education". Nature Machine Intelligence. 5 (4): 333–334. doi:10.1038/s42256-023-00644-2. ISSN 2522-5839.
- ^ Kirwan, Adrian (October 2024). "ChatGPT and university teaching, learning and assessment: some initial reflections on teaching academic integrity in the age of Large Language Models". Irish Educational Studies. 43 (4): 1389–1406. doi:10.1080/03323315.2023.2284901. ISSN 0332-3315.
- ^ Lee, Jinsook; Hicke, Yann; Yu, Renzhe; Brooks, Christopher; Kizilcec, René F. (2024). "The life cycle of large language models in education: A framework for understanding sources of bias". British Journal of Educational Technology. 55 (5): 1982–2002. doi:10.1111/bjet.13505. ISSN 1467-8535.
- ^ a b Grossmann, Igor; Feinberg, Matthew; Parker, Dawn C.; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Tetlock, Philip E.; Cunningham, William A. (2023-06-16). "AI and the transformation of social science research". Science. 380 (6650): 1108–1109. Bibcode:2023Sci...380.1108G. doi:10.1126/science.adi1778. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 37319216.
- ^ Meyer, Jesse G.; Urbanowicz, Ryan J.; Martin, Patrick C. N.; O’Connor, Karen; Li, Ruowang; Peng, Pei-Chen; Bright, Tiffani J.; Tatonetti, Nicholas; Won, Kyoung Jae; Gonzalez-Hernandez, Graciela; Moore, Jason H. (2023-07-13). "ChatGPT and large language models in academia: opportunities and challenges". BioData Mining. 16 (1): 20. doi:10.1186/s13040-023-00339-9. ISSN 1756-0381. PMC 10339472. PMID 37443040.
- ^ Cronje, Johannes (2024). "Exploring the Role of ChatGPT as a Peer Coach for Developing Research Proposals: Feedback Quality, Prompts, and Student Reflection". Electronic Journal of e-Learning. 22 (2): 01–15. doi:10.34190/ejel.21.5.3042. ISSN 1479-4403.
- ^ Milano, Silvia; McGrane, Joshua A.; Leonelli, Sabina (April 2023). "Large language models challenge the future of higher education". Nature Machine Intelligence. 5 (4): 333–334. doi:10.1038/s42256-023-00644-2. ISSN 2522-5839.
- ^ Currie, Geoffrey M. (2023-09-01). "Academic integrity and artificial intelligence: is ChatGPT hype, hero or heresy?". Seminars in Nuclear Medicine. Preclinical. 53 (5): 719–730. doi:10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2023.04.008. ISSN 0001-2998. PMID 37225599.
- ^ van Wyk, Micheal M.; Adarkwah, Michael Agyemang; Amponsah, Samuel (2023-09-05). "Why All the Hype about ChatGPT? Academics' Views of a Chat-based Conversational Learning Strategy at an Open Distance e-Learning Institution". Open Praxis. 15 (3): 214–225. doi:10.55982/openpraxis.15.3.563. ISSN 1369-9997.
- ^ "Is ChatGPT an opportunity or a threat? Preventive strategies employed by academics related to a GenAI-based LLM at a faculty of education". Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching. 18 February 2024.
- ^ van Wyk, Micheal M. (2025-04-15). "Student Teachers' Leveraging GenAI Tools for Academic Writing, Design, and Prompting in an ODeL Course". Open Praxis. 17 (1): 95–107. doi:10.55982/openpraxis.17.1.711. ISSN 1369-9997.
- ^ van Wyk, Micheal (12 February 2025). "Integration of GenAI tools by academics to humanise pedagogical spaces: An AI humanising pedagogical perspective". Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching.
- ^ Evangelista, Edmund De Leon (2025-01-01). "Ensuring academic integrity in the age of ChatGPT: Rethinking exam design, assessment strategies, and ethical AI policies in higher education". Contemporary Educational Technology. 17 (1): ep559. doi:10.30935/cedtech/15775. ISSN 1309-517X.
- ^ a b Suspitsina., T (2024). "Academic integrity in the age of ChatGPT: Challenges and perspectives". Higher Education Quarterly. 78 (2): 443–457.
- ^ Chen, X; Zou, D; Xie, H; Su, J (2024). "Integrating AI literacy into educational technology: A systematic review". Educational Technology & Society. 27 (1): 106–121.
- ^ Lee, J; Lee, H (2003). "The impact of ChatGPT on grammar learning in higher education". Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research. 10 (3): 150–162.