“Giant Head” installation at the Gentle Monster store at Sydney Airport
One of the goals of graduate education is to empower students to reach their academic and professional goals by developing their communication skills. For example, one of the learning outcomes of a class I teach in the Master of Applied Linguistics and TESOL at Macquarie University is to enable students to “communicate advanced knowledge and understanding of socially relevant aspects of language and culture contact to diverse audiences.”
To achieve that learning outcome, students undertake a series of writing tasks throughout the semester on a public forum, namely right here on Language on the Move.
Although moderating around a thousand comments per semester is a huge workload, I’ve always enjoyed this task. The series of responses to writing prompts (aka comments on blog posts) allows me to learn more about my students’ backgrounds, interests, and perspectives. It is also rewarding to see that student comments become more sophisticated and engaged over the course of the semester and that their confidence in their academic writing increases.
Has ChatGPT ruined writing practice?
While I used to enjoy supporting students to develop their communication skills in this way, the release of ChatGPT in late 2022 and the rapid adoption of other generative AI platforms since then has changed things.
A not insignificant number of students now submit machine-generated writing tasks, and I’m saddled with the additional task of catching out these cheaters.
Submitting machine-generated text obviously has no learning benefits. Therefore, my task descriptions and syllabi now contain an explicit prohibition against the use generative AI:
Use of generative AI is prohibited
Your response must be your own work, and you are not allowed to post machine-generated text. Use of machine-generated text in this or any other unit tasks defies the point of learning. It is also dishonest and a waste of your time and my time. […] If I suspect you of having used generative AI to complete your writing task, your mark will automatically be 0.
In 2023, this prohibition took care of the problem, but in 2024 it no longer works. This is because machine writing has become virtually indistinguishable from bad human writing.
Machine writing and bad human writing now look the same
Most commentators note that machine-generated text is getting better. This may be true. What has received less attention is the fact that human writing is getting worse as people read less widely. Instead, more and more people seem to model their writing on the bland models of machines.
The feedback loop between reading and writing is breaking down.
The Internet is drowning in an ocean of poor writing, whether created by humans or machines – a phenomenon Matthew Kirschenbaumer has described as the looming “textocalypse:” “a tsunami of text swept into a self-perpetuating cataract of content that makes it functionally impossible to reliably communicate in any digital setting.”
Instead of developing their communication skills through audience-focussed practice, my students’ regular writing practice may now be contributing to this tsunami. If students use generative AI, it certainly no longer meets its stated aim – to practice communicating advanced knowledge and understanding of socially relevant aspects of language and culture contact to diverse audiences.
Where is the line between outsourcing learning to tech and using tech to support learning?
To my mind, the line was clear-cut: to use generative AI is to outsource learning to a machine and therefore pointless. I was not concerned about the use of other language technologies, such as spell checkers, auto-complete, grammar checkers, or auto-translate.
But then I received this student inquiry, which I am reproducing here with the student’s permission:
I am writing to inquire if using the grammar check program for writing tasks is also prohibited.
I’ve been aware that AI generation is prohibited, and I did not use AI for my writing task. I [used all the assigned inputs], and I tried to organize ideas in my first language, then translated them by myself (without using any machine translator).
However, I always use a grammar check program, and sometimes, it suggests better words or expressions that I can adopt by clicking, as I am a paid user of it. I use it because I am unsure if my grammar is okay and understandable. I was wondering if this is also prohibited?
The easy answer to the query is that (automated) translation and grammar checking are allowed because they are not covered by the prohibition.
The more complicated question is whether these practices should be prohibited and, even if not strictly prohibited, whether they are advisable?
Dear reader, I need your input!
Translation as a bridge to English writing?
Let’s start with translation as a form of writing practice. The inputs for the task that triggered this question (Chapter 3 of Life in a New Language, and Language on the Move podcast series about Life in a New Language) were all in English.
After having perused all these inputs in English to then draft the response – a short reflection on the job search experience of one of the participants – in another language is a lot of extra work. You have to process input in English, write in another language, and translate that output.
This extra work may become manageable if it is done by a machine. A generative AI tool could produce a summary of the input in no time. An auto-translate tool could translate the summaries into the other language, again in no time. The student then drafts their response in the other language.
It’s technically the student’s work. Or is it? And, more importantly, is this process developing their English writing and communication?
Grammar checkers, suggested phrasing, and auto-complete
Like the student who posed the question, most of my students are international students, most of whom are still developing their English language skills, at the same time that they are required to learn and perform through the medium of that language.
To avail themselves of all kinds of learning tools is important. I myself use the in-built spell-check, grammar-check, and auto-complete features of MS Word. However, I can evaluate the advice provided by these tools and readily reject it where it’s wrong or inconsistent with my intentions.
Judgement needed: Until recently, the MS Word auto-correct tool incorrectly suggested that the spelling of “in-principle” was “in-principal”
I worry that, for a learner using these tools, these nuances get lost. If the machine is perceived to be always right, language changes from something malleable to form and express our ideas into a right-or-wrong proposition.
Similarly, learning synonyms is important to improve one’s writing. To this day, I regularly look up synonyms when I write with the intent to find the best, the most concise, their clearest expression. However, looking up synonyms for an expression and evaluating the various options is different from receiving automated suggestions and accepting them. One seems like an active, critical form of learning and the other like a passive form of learning. The writer’s sense of ownership and autonomy is different in the two instances.
How best to use language technologies to develop academic literacies and communicative competence?
In sum, most use of language technologies for the kinds of learning tasks I have described here strikes me as counterproductive. Yet, I can also see its uses. Where is the line between using tech to support one’s learning and using tech to avoid doing the hard work of practice, the only way that leads to fluency?
How do you use tech in your university assignments and where do you draw the line? How would you deal with these dilemmas as a teacher?
This work is licensed under a
Dear Ingrid, thank you so much for allowing us to read this post.
I do believe that AI may be a double-edged sword when it comes to the use of language technology. In my university assignments, I use tech tools like grammar checkers and reference managers to ensure accuracy and efficiency. On the other hand, I will cross the line when these tools begin to replace active learning activities, which are essential for the development of skills. Examples of such procedures include critical thinking and in-depth reading. If I were a teacher, I would urge my pupils to utilise technology not as a shortcut but rather as an addition to their education. It is beneficial to make use of digital dictionaries in order to clarify terminology, yet depending on translation tools is detrimental to the process of language learning. The key is balance—leveraging technology for support while maintaining a focus on the hard work that leads to genuine fluency.
Regarding how I use AI in my assignments, I would say I use AI tools for feedback on the work I produce. In other words, I consider asking AI for comments after drafting my assignments as a peer-check activity. I do not ask it to generate the answers for me, but rather use it as an assistant to improve the quality of my output. Of course, I need to be very critical of the comments, meaning I do not blindly follow all feedback provided. The line I draw between using an AI tool to assist me and having it do the whole task for me is not relying on it to brainstorm ideas for me or rewrite the entire piece.
As a future teacher, I believe that with the assistance of AI tools, students can learn a lot. Rejecting their existence in this era of technology is counterproductive. Instead, we should raise students’ awareness of how to use these tools wisely. This includes informing them of the consequences of becoming too dependent on AI tools so they are mindful of their usage in assignments. Teachers also need to teach students how to think critically when using these tools because they are not always correct and cannot replace human thinking. Overall, in my opinion, the best way to help students recognize the negative consequences of excessive dependence on AI tools is to teach them how to integrate these tools wisely to achieve their goals, rather than using them blindly and risking poor outcomes.
I strongly believe that AI is a wonderful assistant to humans, and if used wisely, it can help us expand our potential.
Using tech for feedback is a great strategy. Thanks for sharing!
First of all, thank you so much for this article. It provides me with many insights and perspectives on the use of AI generative tools from a professor who deals with that on a regular basis.
From the viewpoint of a student whose background language is not English, I can understand why using technological supporting tools is tempting, especially when the power of these tools goes beyond checking grammatical mistakes or spelling – they can outline ideas and even finish the whole task!
However, “not good at English” will become a perfect excuse for students to use these tools to complete their writing tasks or assignments. Personally, I see every writing task or assignment as a chance to sharpen my language skills. These experiences would help me resonate with my students in the future, provide them with support when needed. Moreover, thinking about how hard my parents have been working their whole life to save money for me to study abroad also put a warning sign not to waste the chance of learning on generative AI.
Thanks for putting your finger on a key problem: many international students still need language support but the teaching they get pretends that they only need to learn content; this leaves students to struggle on their own, and facile tech solutions are tempting …
This topic is a little complicated. Everyone relies on AI in some form or another. The spelling checker or auto-corrector we use in Microsoft Word or our device keyboard is also AI. As for me, I use Grammarly every day. For university assignments, however, I sometimes use Poe to simplify or explain certain topics for me, after that I write the assignment in my own words. I use Poe instead of Google as a more concise information source. Suppose I do not know what second language acquisition is, so I will go there and ask the assistant. If the AI assistant uses very complicated language, I can ask it to simplify what it says. I use it to understand difficult topics that I have little to no knowledge of.
As a teacher, I would not cut down on AI completely. But the issue is that I cannot stop my students from using AI. So, what I can do is guide them on how they can use AI effectively while still including their own thoughts in their work. It can be part of a weekday class, a seminar, or a compulsory part of an academic integrity module. This way, the students will be aware of the do’s and don’ts of using AI in official works.
What is Poe?
Thank you for interesting article. Recently, the use of AI in universities has brought many changes to education. When I do assignments at university, I mainly use AI for grammar checks and spelling corrections. Even seemingly minor mistakes can be caught through AI, enhancing the quality of my assignments. Additionally, the possibility of providing feedback has changed content delivery. However, as a TESOL student and a future teacher, integrating AI comes with dilemmas. It’s essential to maintain the authenticity of learning and ensure that AI does not suppress students’ creative thinking. To facilitate continuous learning, it’s important to avoid becoming overly dependent on technology. I think teachers must recognize the potential benefits and limitations of language technology, integrating it appropriately into the educational process to enable students to experience genuine learning with technology. Moreover, students should use AI as a supportive tool and not accept the information it provides uncritically but instead review and critically assess it based on evidence.
Thanks, MJ! Can you go back and tell us in detail what kinds of tools you used how to write this comment?
I, as a student, do often tend to use tech to enhance my academic tasks. Though, I depend on grammar and spell checkers to detect mistakes, I avoid from using artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT to generate content. I believe working in assignments independently, irrespective of their difficulty, is vital for genuine learning and the growth of critical thinking skills. I deeply know that that if I don’t actually work diligently on my assignments, I won’t grow effectively and may find it challenging to put my expertise and skills in real-life situations in future.
As an educator, I have had discussion with my students, about their possibilities of using AI to do the assignments I make for them. I’ve talked about how upsetting it is for educators when students submit in essays with identical subject matter, particularly in essay writing when it is supposed to be a means for complete creativity and fun. I have shared my experience with them where I sometimes use AI as a teacher when I have difficulty in understanding an instruction. However, I have also highlighted the need of understanding the reasons behind the recommendations given. Now, I design tasks that require full involvement and thorough evaluation, such as an everyday problem-solving test. I make them choose a current issue, perform detailed study, deliver a solution, and prove it with evidence. This method promises that they cannot only rely upon AI to perform the task, as it takes creative reasoning and analysis on an individual basis.
In broader terms, I see technology as a valuable tool rather than an alternative for effort. I know that it is important on both my students and me to manage the use of technology with the growth of independent and analytical skills.
Well said – the golden middle 🙂
Thank you, Ingrid! I have also come across AI texts from my students and I understand how dissatisfying it can be. Personally, using AI functions to research and gather ideas is acceptable because these procedures happen before we start drafting. I refrain from relying on it, as I know it prevents my analytical skills. If I run out of ideas, reading more context-specific texts or talking to people helps. We are responsible for creating authentic texts reflecting our thoughts/beliefs. AI takes away that critical part. AI programs can act as a proofreader highlighting errors; however, we have room to refuse and NOT to ‘autocorrect’ them.
Gen AI has evolved drastically, but fewer people know how to make use of it. I attended Paola Clews’s presentation (USYD) sharing about the fact that there is no AI-proof assessment. There are various sites to detect and convert AI texts to be ‘human-like’ or even create a video of you presenting something. It seems like a norm for new generations; hence, as a teacher, it is time we reframe the assessment. Paola suggested a two-lane approach: a traditional in-class exam and allowing students to engage with the GenAI output in a meaningful way. I find the latter quite fascinating as we cannot prevent it anyway so rather collaborate with it.
(Read more: https://www.englishaustralia.com.au/documents/item/2277)
Thanks, Jif! I don’t think we have to accept what we can’t prevent. We will never entirely prevent crime, for instance, but that doesn’t mean we should live in a lawless society and give up on prevention, policing, and punishment …
As an English learner or student the use of technology in university assignments can enhance the quality of writing, but it is important to use it ethically and effectively. Undoubtedly technology has the potential to enhance the learning experience in more practical scenarios where such applications are involved, but it must be emphasized that it should not be misused. There are a lot of options in today’s world that help students get a written assignment in a single click, but it affects the reading and writing efforts.
There are many ways to use technology ethically in assignments.
* Students can use AI for research and information gathering such as academic journals and search engines to collect reliable information.
* For writing and editing they can use word processors with built-in grammar and spell checking.
Drawing the line is necessary as it can only prevent students from using full AI. Inform students about these main points, so that they can be taught about these main points, academic integrity, privacy reasons, excessive reliance on AI.
As a teacher I would post the guidelines clearly, encourage them to write according to the understanding, which will give them good results, which may also motivate them to write on their own. I would provide them with plagiarism detection tools to use, mainly for students struggling with ethical dilemmas.
Hi Palak, what exactly is the percentage of your own work in this text and how much was AI-generated? Can you provide a detailed breakdown, please, including the tool(s) you used?
In today’s AI-driven world, I find myself nostalgic for the time during my last master’s program when Chat GPT didn’t even exist. Back then, I did rely on tools like Grammarly and QuillBot to check spelling and refine my writing. I still use these tools because they help me polish my writing and ensure it is error-free. However, I’m cautious about relying too heavily on them, as it can hinder the development of critical writing skills and language proficiency. In my university assignments, I use technology as a tool to enhance, not replace, my learning. While these technologies support my academic journey by making research and writing more efficient and accessible, it’s crucial to balance their use with active engagement in the learning process. For instance, I rely on Grammarly to ensure spellings and correctness, but I draw the line at using generative AI to produce content, as it undermines the development of my critical thinking and writing skills.
As a teacher, I would promote using technology as a support system, but not completely rely on that. I would provide clear guidelines on its acceptable use and emphasize the importance of classroom learning experience. Additionally, I would emphasize the importance of the writing process, encouraging students to engage deeply with the content and reflect on their learning, rather than outsourcing it to machines. I would encourage deep engagement with content which will help students balance the benefits of technology with genuine skill development.
Thanks, Upu! Do you know what the business model of Grammarly and QuillBot is? Do you pay subscription fees? Or do they harvest your data and feed you tailored advertising?
This is a very interesting blog post, as it poses a question I have asked myself in the past with the rise of AI, but didn’t want to get too deep into.
In my own experience with university work, I currently use AI spell-check and grammar checkers to go over my work and make sure there are no ‘silly mistakes’ in the work I submit. I’m even using it now as I type this response. My reasoning for this use of AI has always laid in the way of how my brain works. I’m multilingual with ADHD, so sometimes, some of the words I’m writing aren’t in English (a huge mistake I almost always make is mis-spelling all as ‘alle’ or ‘men’ as ‘mannen’) or I write in English but I use Norwegian or another language sentence construction style. I also type slightly slower than the speed of my brain, which makes me miss half the sentence as I’m writing it. The use of AI in spell and grammar checking stops me from making mistakes like this as it can correct it (and makes me look over my work) before I submit anything important.
I have never and will never use generative AI to complete an assignment task. I’ve used this once to gain some ideas on preliminary research, but knowing how damaging AI can be to creators and individual thinkers, I refuse to use it for work that should be done by a human, work that should be done by /me/. As a teacher, you’re not asking your students to input a prompt into a machine and submit something that’s essentially been spat out. What are they learning if this happens? How are they processing the material that they’ve been taught? In ways of assessment, the student can showcase what they do and don’t know, and classes or tutoring can be adjusted so the student can learn affectively. If AI is used in assignments, how will the student learn?
Thanks, Saga! You raise several important points, and I just want to respond to the one about copyright. The makers of ChatGPT and the like have scraped the internet for data and essentially stolen the intellectual property of countless writers, artists, and other creatives. By using generative AI, we are complicit in that grand theft.
AI technology has become a significant issue recently, and I have to admit that it’s getting smarter and more advanced day by day. For my assignments, I use tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT to assist me. Grammarly helps with grammar checks and suggests better sentence structures, while I sometimes rely on ChatGPT to explain complex academic texts when I’m unsure of my understanding and use it to paraphrase in simpler terms to clarify difficult concepts. I personally find AI technology is helpful, but I’m also fully aware of its potential downsides, so I only use it when absolutely necessary.
As a future ESL teacher, it’s becoming difficult to distinguish between AI-generated and human writing these days. I believe the best approach is to raise students’ awareness of how relying on AI technology can obstruct the development of their learning skills. I think asking questions or doing some quizzes during class, where the teacher can monitor students’ screens, would help prevent the use of AI tools and when having a writing exam, the old school method such as writing on paper may be a good idea. Although we may require more time to work on grading, but it would be the best way to completely avoid the AI tool assistant, I guess?
Hi ST, I’m not so interested in catching out students but supporting their learning. If we let them use whatever tech for their studies and then go back to pen-and-paper in exams, that just seems punitive to me.
As any other academic skill, writing can only be learned by doing. It’s smart to use AI tools and Grammarly to edit your professional work but these can only be relied upon once you have a minimal foundation in writing to start with. A big aspect of academic writing is critical thinking and forming original opinions about the information one encounters. I think it’s safe to say that some originality is lost in translation. I would, therefore, encourage my students to only use translation for particular words or phrases and not for the whole length of the text to keep their writing as authentic as possible.
The kinds of resources I generally use are Turnitin and MS Word – with mostly relevant inbuilt suggestions. However, like the article points out there is a possibility of inaccuracy and our personal judgment would need to intervene whilst using these avenues as well.
The whole point of any academic exercise is to give you skills required to produce an outcome rendered necessary by the standards or requirements of the qualification in question.Therefore by producing original work, students do themselves a favor and ensure preparedness for real-world opportunities.
Once you identify what areas require more attention in your writing you could tackle them one at a time using teacher suggested resources. Some useful websites could be perfectenglishgrammar.com, which provides level appropriate free grammar lessons; most university learning hubs that offer useful webinars on different kinds of writing/writing skills.
Putting pen to paper does require flair but it can be honed with consistent practice.
Hi N.S., I would love to see the various versions your comment, with a detailed explanation what exactly in each draft comes from yourself and what from which writing tool.
Hi Ingrid, I don’t use writing tools, but I do search for more formal synonyms time and again.
Thanks
I usually use generative AI tools to check for grammatical errors and ensure natural expressions when doing my assignments. As a non-native English speaker, I often wonder if I am conveying what I intend to express and if my sentences sound natural to others. Most university assignments focus on developing critical perspectives based on what I have learned in lessons, so relying on an AI tool to create the final product is pointless.
As an English learner, I have found these tools useful for learning new expressions. Additionally, I used to focus more on forms rather than meaning. Now, I can express my thoughts and opinions more freely because I know I can check for grammatical errors. However, I have noticed that these tools often provide repetitive patterns, and I need to assess whether the AI’s suggestions are helpful for my English learning. Likewise, students need to develop the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of AI tools. Relying solely on this technology is not desirable.
When cellphones were first released, nobody could predict how they would change the world. I think AI tools are at a same stage. It feels like that generative AI tool has already played a crucial role in peoples’ lives in various aspects. Therefore, instead of avoiding this technology, I believe we need to teach students how to use these tools effectively and wisely.
But does anyone know how to use AI wisely?
The way I see it these days, people are becoming more scared to make mistakes. Even more, we feel miserable when we make a mistake or do something wrong. We tend to hide or want to forget quickly to feel better. Therefore, these modern technologies, such as Chat GPT, Grammar correction and other applications and programmes, are outplaying our emotional intelligence with their artificial intelligence. It is just my opinion because, as someone who also uses grammar correction application, I tend to feel more unconfident with my writing and scared of making mistakes. One thing that is missing in AI is that we, the humankind, are not learning from it, we are coming more and more lazy because it is easy and accessible from everywhere. However, it is acceptable to make mistakes, and it is even more normal and not embarrassing for others to correct our mistakes, as we are humans and learn from our mistakes and errors.
Thanks, Sonia, for your honest reflection. You make a good point about being afraid to make mistakes and wanting to seem perfect – we seem to have forgotten that nothing in life is ever perfect. Reminds me of the great inventor Edison, who bragged about his mistakes: “I’ve discovered a new way that does not achieve its goal.” 😉
Hi Sonia, I completely understand the fear of making mistakes and use of the AI tools to hide them. I’m also in the same situation, but I believe that mistakes are a crucial part of learning. When I use AI to correct my grammar, it not only helps me fix the sentence errors but also suggest me how to improve my writing, like with punctuation, clarity, vocabulary, and fluency. This way, I can learn and improve my writing from the feedback it provides.
I’m not tech-savvy and haven’t really gotten used to using AI and other new technologies. I still avoid using it for university assignments as I don’t mind doing things on my own, even if it takes time. Honestly, I’m a bit cautious about all this technological development. These days, it feels like people rely on AI instead of pushing themselves or seeking help from each other. Everything’s becoming virtual, with less real communication.
But I’m not completely against technological advancements. Since we live in a world surrounded by technology, why not use it, but of course in a sophisticated way? For example, using AI for language proficiency test preparation could be a great idea, especially for getting feedback on challenging tasks.
As a teacher, I think I would feel frustrated if students used it all the time. It would be a waste of time for both of us, as a learner and a teacher. I would just recommend using it without cheating themselves and not ruining their own future careers. In the end, the ball’s in their court.
Totally agree with the cautionary principle! Too many people rushing blindly after whatever the latest tech hype is.
Q. How do you use tech in your university assignments, and where do you draw the line?
In my university assignments, I use technology, such as Grammarly, to refine my writing and avoid bothering professors with grammatical errors, since English is my second language. During this process, I try to learn from my mistakes and sometimes enjoy discovering new ways to express my ideas. However, I set a clear boundary for myself because I’m here to learn. I remind myself that there is no learning benefit if I rely only on machine-generated text for my assignments.
Q. How would you deal with these dilemmas as a teacher?
As a teacher, I would first educate students on how to use AI in a smarter way, emphasizing that these tools cannot replace our originality and creativity. I would design tasks where students might use generative tools if necessary, but only in ways that enhance their communication skills. When designing performance assessments, I would focus more on their productive language skills like speaking and writing in the classroom.
Thanks, Joy! What do you exactly have in mind when you say “I would design tasks where students might use generative tools if necessary, but only in ways that enhance their communication skills.”?
Thank you Ingrid for sharing your thoughts. In this modern era, technology plays a crucial role in everyone life and ChatGPT and AI tools are one of that. This platforms offering both advantages and disadvantages to teachers and students. I learned English as a second language (ESL) in my home country and i never tried this apps before that. But, after coming to Australia i used these app, while doing the assessments and some advantages of that, primarily i used grammarly app helped me a lot to enhance my writing abilities and to help with grammar and spelling. Its a learning opportunity for the me as a student and i work on my areas where I’m weak. On the other hand, students to much rely on AI tools as never think about the ideas, never do brain storming as well as its dishonesty with the teachers using this tools while doing the assignment.
As a teacher, i create an assignment to put students analyse data to growth of critical thinking activities. Give positive feedback to the students in the class as they inspire and express themselves in the assignments.
Students doing their own research can be great but it depends on the subject you are teaching and the level of the students.
Using Al in essays or assignments is one of the main reasons why students don’t learn new skills or knowledge because everything is done by the machine. This could later affect them regarding tests that require practical exams. Additionally, if students use Al in their work, their originality and productivity will decrease, hence with time it will create a dependency for the students. Also, apps like Grammarly could correct the grammar whereas chat GPT could give any answers, so in a generation like this I believe if I were a teacher, then I would give them a lot of classroom activities, or tasks, and for practicing I would give them assignments and tell my students to take help from AI like chat GPT or Grammarly, but it will go through the plagiarism check and only 20% will be acceptable. Then later in class they need to explain what they have learnt or give a summary of it. I think in this way student could enhance learning.
Thanks, Lamia! Plagiarism checkers cannot detect machine-generated text; copying from someone else and letting a machine do the work are two separate problems …
Thank you for sharing your idea with us Lamia. I think, your approach balances the use of using AI with active learning. Your ideas for encouraging students to explain their work can enhance a sense of deep understanding and reduce their dependency on AI. Your idea about limiting AI-generated content to 20% and monitoring the students’ work by using a plagiarism checker, will increase their ability to deeply engage with the material efficiently.
How would you measure what constitutes 20% if AI use given all the different tools people are using?
This was very interesting to read.
I remember starting university more than over 5 years ago and there wasn’t much use of generated AI tech’s such as Chat GPT. Therefore, I am so use to it till today by not using any type of tech for assignments or research because there is no need to change the way I study. My most used tech platforms for assignments are multisearch. I know a lot of people use Chat GPT and when they do use it, I realise some high formed words and contexts that are in fact generated from AI. They debate how “at least” that platform has helped them brainstorm for their research. Therefore it’s always been a debatable topic for everyone. I believe in the future as a teacher, I would make sure to teach that there is no point of formal teaching if students want to continue using any sort of AI generated apps. Yes, I do see where some people are coming from when they say it helps them with their English as its their second language. However, beyond that, the normal method of teaching and the normal method of research of assignments should be used.
It is strange to me that some people are so keen to outsource brainstorming to AI. It seems to me that knowing what you want to write is fundamental to writing, regardless whether English is your first or second or third language …
As a TESOL or English language student, I do not believe in using tech for my writings. However, using tech to make your work correct grammatically or structurally is somehow a fair. During the learning process, I perceive it better to make mistakes in using your own mind than to be a perfect by using AI-generated platforms.
Furthermore, using language techs can be helpful if they are used positively. AI can be used to understand different perspectives or ideas. Once you get the right approach, you can transform it in your own words. For instance, during my previous studies, I often searched topics on AI tools to get meticulous analysis. I tried to get various interpretations from different researches. After all learning, I used my thoughts to write by myself. And, this should be the border line, I presume. AI-generated tools should only be allowed to use to get ideas to better understanding. Spelling checking, grammar correction and sentence structure can also be examined through these tools. Using the AI-generated language and work must be prohibited all the way to strengthen the writing capabilities. Students must learn grammar, advanced vocabulary and sentence structure to be adept in writing.
Being a TESOL teacher, what would be the message to our future students if we use AI for our writings. It is also significant to learn language to write better so that we can teach well to the future students.
Additionally, I would deal this dilemma by discouraging students to use AI-tools to for language writing. I urge them to learn English grammar and to practice writing more and more. I would also prefer them reading because the more you read, the more your writing skills get better.
To conclude, all students with any background must avoid using all AI- generated material. They must work on their capabilities, rather than using external sources. It could be an easy way but a disastrous one for the language.
Good point about the importance of reading. To be a writer, you must be reader!
Thanks. It is pleasant to see your positive comment.
As an ESL student, I need to admit that I rely on technology for various aspects of my university works, from research to collaboration. However, the article raises critical concerns about over-reliance on language technologies. I also agree that tools like AI-driven writing assistants might actually hinder genuine language learning and development, making students dependent rather than fostering skills.
Drawing on these concerns, I realize the importance of using technology selectively. I would avoid using it as a crutch and instead focus on it as a complement to my learning. For example, while using grammar checkers like Grammarly, I should focus on understanding the corrections rather than just accepting them. Additionally, rather than relying on machine-generated translations, I should make an effort to learn new vocabulary and expressions myself.
For my future studying as well as teaching, I will align my approach with your concerns by encouraging students (and myself) to reflect critically on their use of technology. Promote active learning strategies will be helpful, such as engaging students in activities where they have to produce content without technological aids, and emphasizing language production over passive consumption. By creating assignments that require students to explain their thought processes or reflect on their learning strategies, I can encourage deeper engagement rather than reliance on automated tools.
Ultimately, as both a student and a prospective teacher, I would aim to strike a balance where technology supports learning but does not replace the essential human effort needed to truly acquire knowledge and skills.
You are the second commentator to use the metaphor of the crutch. What does it actually mean to you to (not) use tech as a crutch?
Using technology in language learning is a huge issue. As mentioned in the article, I also consider that completing writing tasks by using generative AI has no point in learning a language. I believe that writing skill is improved through processing information, activating schemata, re-constructing the meanings, and producing own words. Generative AI deprives these opportunities of learners; thus, it brings negatives to learners in terms of training opportunities. When I worked in a tutoring school, I gave my learners short writing homework every two weeks. Some weak students completed the tasks quite well even though they could not perform that in exams. Clearly, they relied on generative AI. I always told them not to use generative AI, yet they used it to avoid making efforts. Another example is my students in teaching practicum also use translation AI to read texts and answer questions. My mentor teacher and I repeatedly encourage them to complete tasks by themselves; however, the reality is not the same as what we expect. This is one of the problems I currently have: how to motivate/ encourage students to complete tasks on their own.
However, it is true that it has positives in language learning. Spell-check, grammar-check and auto-complete features are useful technologies in language learning. Particularly, as an international student, grammar-check is very helpful in improving my performance in writing. In addition to them, I use DeepL which is a high-quality translation software to check cohesion (whether my writing makes sense in my own language as well or not). Thanks to these technologies, my writing has developed significantly. Moreover, AI can provide more native-like writing, so I can learn synonyms and how to use complex grammar in writing. The functions mentioned earlier are very helpful in language learning, especially for advanced learners.
We cannot get rid of AI technology in this society. We cannot completely prevent language learners from using generative AI. Therefore, I think it is more important for teachers to motivate learners and give purposeful tasks. I do not have a clear answer about it yet; however, it is worth thinking about as a future educator.
Thanks, China! Lots to think about, and being able to hold a number of perspectives is the true hallmark of a critical thinker.
Hi China,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with students using AI and the challenges that come with it. I completely agree with your point that while AI tools can be helpful, they can also create issues in language learning, especially when students rely on them too much.
I understand your concern about motivating students to engage fully with their tasks instead of resorting to AI shortcuts. It’s definitely an ongoing challenge, and I think you’re right that designing meaningful tasks is crucial. Maybe by integrating AI in a balanced way, we can help students use it as a tool to enhance their learning rather than replace their own efforts.
Thanks,
S
Undoubtedly, AI is one of the most hotly debated issues in the world, especially in schools and academic institutions. At first, I used to be an opponent of its use. However, I became an advocate of it in some way while I realized that we could take advantage of it to manage study time and positively impact productivity. Thus, I strive for excellence in my English language skill to use AI, specifically chat GPT as a non-native speaker of English. However, I have a clear principle when I use it for my assignments. First, I only focus on revising or fixing for my grammar errors in my writing. Sometimes, I get ideas in specific fields for brainstorming. I strongly oppose direct use of the writing, which is created solely by chat GPT, because it can be considered plagiarism. Therefore, I would apply this to my future students and allow them to use it as well, but it can only be permitted as a supportive tool.
Writing is a highly complex skill and brainstorming is a major part of writing – to me that is ‘direct use’.
With advancement in technologies, the world has been full of AI. Barely, its prohibition is possible, using it in an appropriate way has always been my priority while doing assignments and studying. I use AI as an extra resource search tool for my study-related topics and papers. Technology in modern educational environments has become a vital and highly useful resource for both the teacher and the students. The teacher would explain to me the need of a critical engagement with the feedback one gets from these language technologies. Not that I wouldn’t allow them to use these, because these tools offer feedback which could be given on an individual basis for each student, which is hard to do in class. I would encourage consideration of this feedback with care. This is reinforcement with such tools, not replacement .Emphasizing independent creative tasks will be a method for me to guarantee that technology supports students in the process of learning but does not exempt them from becoming actively and creatively involved in the process.
What makes you say that prohibition is not possible?
I really enjoyed the time when I did my bachelor’s degree before Chat GPT was released. Looking back at it, learning to write formally and choosing words to articulate my opinions just by using a dictionary and thesaurus is truly rewarding and also teaches me how to improve my written communication.
As I reflect on my journey as a teacher of English over the last 2 years, there were times when some of my students used AI chatbox to generate their work. Despite knowing that, I just realized I had never addressed the issue, which might have made them think that it was okay to continue doing that. Then, it was also me, as a teacher, who contributed to normalizing the use of AI chatbots for completing most of the work. From now on, it is important for us, teachers to clearly address how AI can be used to supplement students’ journey at the beginning of the course, including penalties.
Good point – you have to grab the bull by the horns 🙂
This is an interesting article that highlights the challenges and benefits of using technology in education. I feel the use of technology in my university assignments is only to support my work. Grammar checkers like Grammarly, online dictionaries, and plagiarism detectors are things I depend on to make my writing the best it can be, clear and original. However, I do not allow myself to go further than that and use AI or any other automated content AI generator to create my assignments. I believe University work is meant to help me learn and develop my own skills and prepare me for challenges later in life through a guiding environment for academic development and personal exploration. I, therefore, focus on the understanding of the work and bringing out my own original ideas. I feel that Technology only helps me refine my work, but it doesn’t replace the work, creativity, and critical thinking needed to produce it.
As a future teacher, I would handle these dilemmas by setting limits on the use of technology on assignments. I would practice a balance between the use of technology and traditional methods, engage them in face-to-face interactions, and instruct them on how to handle digital tools with a purpose. This will help the students build a well-rounded skillset and further sharpen their ability to think critically and creatively. I would want students to use technology tools that genuinely enhance their learning, such as grammar checkers; however, I would make it very clear that using AI in an attempt to generate content would not be acceptable. I would then develop further assignments that critically involve students in thinking, being creative, and reflecting on the points at which it would be quite impossible for them to use AI. Inculcating a culture of academic integrity and emphasizing the process of learning, I will help learners in the use of technology to refine development, not replace it.
Thanks, Liz! These are good suggestions for teachers – but keep in mind that teachers are busy, too, and have to deal with all kinds of constraints. So, setting a clear line is often easier said than done … for instance, before Covid I did not allow my students to use devices in class because there is good evidence that it is detrimental to learning* but since the pandemic I have given up because it seems like crazily swimming against the tide …
*May, K. E., & Elder, A. D. (2018). Efficient, helpful, or distracting? A literature review of media multitasking in relation to academic performance. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(1), 1-13.
I often ask generative AIs to explain instructions and break down complex questions in assignments, or sometimes to provide examples for prompts I don’t understand. Additionally, I use grammar and spell-checking tools when I am unsure about the accuracy of my notes. However, I don’t think we can fully rely on these tools yet, at least not at present. I believe assignments generated by AI are easily recognizable due to their specific structures and vocabularies.
Personally, I find it challenging to draw a clear line. However, as a teacher, I try not to discourage my students from using these applications. For instance, they can practice speaking or ask the AI for feedback. Of course, when it comes to tests or exams, I try to administer them in class to ensure students aren’t using AI. In other words, I believe a fair test and a reliable source for students to measure their progress is crucial.
In the end, while these tools, like many other technologies, have potential drawbacks, raising awareness about how to use them effectively is crucial.
Thanks, Bahareh! Why would you ask AI instead of your teacher if you don’t understand a prompt?
First of all, thank you for sharing this insightful reading with us. Nowadays, every learner’s go-to tool is ChatGPT, translation, Grammarly, and so on. Technologies play a crucial part in the learning system, but in my opinion, it depends on the learners or users how they would like to use the tools. It is undeniable that technology has made us so dependent on it that we even have an autocorrect option that is always” turned on” in our mobile texting options. Even when trying to write an email, Grammarly or spell checkers always suggest appropriate words or sentences to assist us in better writing. Though sometimes it is very helpful, but too much dependency on these tools can drain our critical thinking ability. As learners, we should know our boundaries of using these tools and how to use them positively without being too dependent on them.
when I come across any term that is unfamiliar to me and even Google can not provide me with a satisfactory explanation, I try to take help from Chat GPT. But always keep in mind that I will just gather the main idea for understanding rather than ask it to do my assignments. In my opinion, doing our assignments helps us not only to develop our writing skills but also it enhance our critical ways of thinking. So we must use these tools but know to what point we need to stop. From the perspective of a teacher, I will encourage my students to take part in active learning and make them understand the positivity of critical thinking and taking charge of their learning. I will also try to make them understand the fact that these technological tools can provide wrong answers too, over-dependency can hamper efficient learning and encourage them to use technology positively and create a boundary in using.
Thanks, NNT! Your comment reminds me that the autocorrect on my phone actually creates extra work because it is wrong so often …
Dear Professor,
First of all, I would like to say thank you for producing such an inspiring article. The more I read the paper written by you, the more passionate I could feel from you for your teaching career and your students. You created such a wonderful forum for us to share our points of view though it would be a huge workload to you. Having said so, I want to express my admiration to you and refer to the point that I think we should ponder over. To me, I would be aligned more with a teacher’s perspective to solve this problem. The fact that there are many reasons for a student to use AI or even rely totally on AI to do their assignments, we have no idea what their motives or reasons they do so are exactly as no one could understand ourselves except ourselves. There would be a lot of situations that as a teacher we cannot control or know it. Each person has their own reasonable excuse to use AI and in some cases, we could not just deny it as something not good for someone’s study in the long run or say using AI could benefit or not benefit you in this way or that way. In addition, even when we draw a clear line between using AI outsourcing learning to tech and employing technology to assist learning, sometimes, we might cross that set line unintentionally as it might provide us with much detailed information in a short time that makes us curious and want to dig into it deeply. I suppose that the mindset of teachers plays a key role in improving their students’ studies and keeping their students alert about the drawbacks of using AI. If the teacher could set the learning outcome clearly at the beginning of the class and focus on how to get their students to achieve that goal wholeheartedly by showing their passion not only for their teaching but also towards their students and their learning, the students might come to realize that how they should perform to get the learning goals for their own sake. I think every technical solution to solve the problem in depending on AI is just temporary, as a teacher, we should make students aware of what the outcomes they really aim to and the teacher wants them to get are to work towards it faithfully and honestly. We should make students come to realize that we truly care and concern for their studies in the long term if they make use of the AI too much. It is not an issue about the effective technical solutions but from the heart. It is about the heart of a teacher that concerns about their students that could make them feel what is wrong and what is right to change and adjust themselves to suit the proper learning standards.
Best regards,
Tracy
Thank you for the compliment – it made my day 🙂 – and couldn’t agree more: ultimately learning and teaching is a human relationship and happens in interaction.
Also, I would like to quote Dr. Todd Rose in his famous book to end my comments,
“The hardest part of learning something new is not embracing new ideas, but letting go of old ones.”
― Todd Rose, The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness
At the beginning when Chatgpt first became available, I used it to write some paragraphs for an essay at the drafting stage. The paragraphs, of course, were well organised with beautifully chosen words. However, I noticed that once you get ChatGPT to write sentences or paragraphs, it becomes hard to get back to your own writing style. Therefore, from them on, for university assignments, I would always plan and write in my own style and use ChatGPT to check for grammar errors or any misuse of words. I then compare the re-written text by ChatGPT with my own to decide which version I prefer.
This actually helps with my teaching approach I use in my class with generative AI. The use of AI has been a heated topic in my workplace. I work at a university language centre, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage the use of AI in students’ writing. However, I believe since generative AI will become (maybe has become) a part of our daily life, it is not a practical approach to avoid discussing it with the students. This is especially true for language learnings, as they are still developing their language skills and they may find it difficult to evaluate the accuracy of what is generated by Chatgpt, and they simply assume it’s perfect. Therefore, we as teachers should acknowledge and recognise its importance in the students’ academic journey and guide them on how to use it responsibly and correctly. For example, it can be a useful learning experience for students to develop effective questions or prompts when using Chatgpt to get the answers they need.
Thanks, Ruby! Not sure how far AI can actually go. Many tech critics argue that the AI bubble is about to burst (e.g., https://disconnect.blog/what-comes-after-the-ai-crash/)
The journal reminded me of various experiences I had during my 5 years of English teacher in more than 3 private institutes in Korea: as an ESL teacher teaching TOEFL and IELTS, as a Korea SAT prep and grammar teacher, as a tutor for the International School IGCSE First Language English and English Literature. I also had 6 months of work experience as in-house KSAT textbook publisher. Currently, I am a student in Macquarie Translation and Interpreting course, with an aspiration to hone my language competency as an expert in this field.
With the turn of the tide and inundation of overseas study options and exchange program opportunities, teachers’ general capability in primary and secondary schools has escalated compared to those of the early 2000s, along with the Korean students‘ English speaking fluency. However, the tide did little to dramatically increase the notoriously low level of flexibility and creativity in their writing and academic thinking. The emergence of AI-based language tools such as Papago, Google Translate, Grammarly, and QuillBot has made it ever easier for students to submit “uniformly copied” essays and rendered teachers and parents new concerns about how to detect and stop the students from doing so. As an English literature undergraduate major, I am motivated to enhance students’ language potential and communicative competitiveness, but I believe that a teacher of English as a second language should present a realistic guideline in this uniform educational landscape in Korea so that the students might build on their language capacity up to a certain level. This includes allowing the use of ChatGPT on limited tasks and summing up the grammatical errors that Grammarly pointed out at the end of the report and submitting them together with it. For example, the students are permitted to ask ChatGPT to “give the pro-side of arguments why children should receive monthly allowances from their parents in exchange for labor such as running household errands.”, but they should research suitable examples and evidence to support their pick of arguments. They also need to pick up the grammatical errors corrected by Grammarly and search the grammatical logic behind them and learn them. Those Alpa-generation kids who are born into the paperless learning world deserve wiser ways to befriend and manipulate AI rather than to alienate AI. The persons who are responsible for opening the gateway to such a path are teachers living in the same era. (If you ask ChatGPT to define the Alpha generation in Korea, he will give a generic but smart summary that they are ‘digital natives’, ‘early learners’, and a ‘highly connected’ cohort.) Teachers in tertiary education should double their efforts to design such practical measures. No doubt the hard work of reading books and papers from cover to cover will eventually pay off with knowledge, culture and academic intellect to the students, but would this painstaking prodding be an ideal way in this tech world advancing at the speed of light? Considering that generative AI is born to assist human learning not lead it, it will be in the hands of the experts to provide optimal academic solutions adjustable to different social contexts. It is a tough objective to reach: to help each individual’s linguistic talent to bloom and to enhance the overall capability of the group in a society still under shades of industrial-era remnants.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I kind of feel sorry for the ‘alpha generation’ and think we (as in older generations) have done them a great disservice. ‘Alpha generation’ or ‘digital native’ sounds great but I think they are stuck in the ‘enshittocene‘ …
In my home country, I had always given closed book tests that focused on memorization and quick recall of information, often based on selective books. After covid, assignments submitted through typing nowadays become common in my country as well. However, English is my second language, so after coming to Australia, I have become very conscious about my grammar and any kind of mistakes I might make while writing or speaking as here assessments are not based on only memorization but require critical thinking and problem solving skills. When I first started university here, I was not aware of any AI tools for almost a month. Later, I discovered ChatGPT and used it to create outlines for my assignments by giving it the topic. After that, I read resources provided by the teachers and wrote my assignments, ensured my understanding was reflected in my assignments. After few months, I also learned about Grammarly, and I have been using it to check my grammar. I now frequently use AI, even for checking the grammar in my emails. I believe using AI for grammar checks is beneficial, but relying on AI to write entire assignments would be harmful for students as it will not improve their critical thinking. Ambitious students who really wants to understand their materials would not use these tools to generate their entire assignments.
As a teacher I would allow students to use AI for grammar check but encourage them to write their assignments independently and think deeply about their learning. I would motivate them to focus on their future goals and raise awareness about the negative impact of overusing AI on their critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Agree that English medium instruction is part of the problem: learning a new language and new content simultaneously is a huge challenge, and educational institutions rarely address is explicitly.
I apply them in almost every aspect of my university life. I frequently use ChatGPT to quickly look up definitions, browse ideas, and I use a spell checker to correct grammar mistakes and find suggestions to increase cohesion. However, I will always be the one writing down the words in my way. I consider these tools as assisting tools – not as a replacement for my writing. Just like you in your example, I also review every suggestion to make sure it matches my writing style and expresses the right meaning.
As a teacher, I would try to embrace these technologies in the classroom. My view of these technologies is the same as that of the calculator in a math classroom. Ellington (2003) argues that calculators can improve math operational skills in testing and instruction, so I wonder if we could do the same with ChatGPT and similar technologies to enhance our learning of English and academic communications in the classroom. One example I think of is that I could use ChatGPT to generate an essay on a question, then analyse that answer with my class to examine the differences between AI and human writing, and highlight the downsides.
References:
Ellington, A. J. (2003). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Calculators on Students’ Achievement and Attitude Levels in Precollege Mathematics Classes. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 34(5), 433-463. https://doi.org/10.2307/30034795
I don’t like the calculator comparison because numeracy and literacy differ in many crucial aspects. In particular, language is always vague, indeterminate, and meaning is negotiated in interaction. It cannot be reduced to black and white.
Furthermore, I’m not even sure that the calculators have been particularly beneficial to learners: I often notice that younger people seem to have a hard time doing sums quickly in their heads (e.g., when figuring out the amount of a bill). To me, this suggests that something went wrong in their numeracy education …
I also share the same belief as you regarding calculators, but I’m astonished by how much academic evidence is out there arguing for the use of calculators. Perhaps a math expert can provide a better answer to this question than me!
Other than that, I agree with you that teaching writing is not as one-dimensional as teaching math – there are so many more elements that we need to consider when attempting to communicate anything with one another. ChatGPT might not be able to do this (yet), but as an educator, I could exploit this point of the technology to demonstrate how students can be better and construct better writing.
I’m also astonished by the amount of *hype* that is out there 😉
I have been handling the issues related to the integration of technology in my learning process as a Pakistani student studying Master’s degree in Australia. While grammar and spell check are relatively useful for a learner of English, I am getting increasingly aware of the broader impacts of AI especially to ChatGPT.
One problem I have come across is that with the rampant use of ChatGPT the field of Creative Writing is gradually losing its grounding. The opportunity to find and nurture their individual voice is sometimes missed and this is especially so when even homework or simple writing is done with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Also, it is used in situations where people now prefer to read summaries of books written up by an Artificial Intelligence system. Also at an adverse effect is the extent of understanding and analysis that is brought by direct engagement with the sources.
When it comes to technology, I think it is important to be weary about this. I do use it to check if I have used correct grammar or to clarify issues but I don’t let it dictate the content or which part of the content I write. Although it will take me more time and efforts I am committed to read whole books and engage with the content appropriately. As for me, this method is the most effective for enhancing the degree of success in a class and for developing the habit of creativity and critical thinking that will definitely be useful in further work.
It is important that it is not utilized as a tool to eliminate the analysis and synthesis requested in the process of learning. The effort which the child is capable of offering to the active process of thinking, writing and even interacting with the content, that’s when education truly comes into its own. I presume here is where the real development comes in.
I’m also saddened by students’ increasing reliance on summaries instead of reading the actual book or article. Part of learning through reading is to create your own meanings and relate the text to your own experience and context; AI can’t do that and never will …
I know as a Primary School Teacher there is an overwhelming use of technology within a classroom. Students in Year 6 & 7 had the concept of copying and pasting research in their topic speeches and their research projects. I always had the debate of whether or not it was their ‘own’ work. A lot of them said they had written it. One way of testing this truth was to ask what the particular word or paragraph meant / meaning of a word within the sentence. The answer was, ‘They had no idea’. As a Professional Teacher you get very used to seeing ‘who’ are those that ‘plagiarise’ or use ‘those’ technologies or who has written ‘their own work’. I guess now with online learning, it is becoming more difficult as you don’t have that personal relationship as you would with face-to-face learning. So it makes it a little tricker if they have written such advanced work and is it their ‘own ideas’, with the use of AI.
Technology has provided a lot of background support, especially in the use of languages. But there is a line that is crossed using AI. I have not ever had this opportunity of using AI. I am from the background of the importance of reading, understanding and developing my own knowledge of what I have learnt. What is the purpose of learning something if this technology does everything for you. As a learner of language how will I know that it is correct if I translate a particular word using ‘google translate’ or AI in another language. Different words have different meanings, such as ‘principal’ and ‘principle’. How will I know the difference in a foreign language if I use a translator?
I use spell checker and the thesaurus within word to consider a different choice of word or to re-phrase a particular reference within writing of an assessment but I ensure that particular reference I have used ‘is’ referenced within my essay. There is no boundary crossed there as I have noted the author I have used in my research. I am disappointed now how technology is used within a classroom. There are positives and negatives to the use of technology. I think the ‘now’ and ‘future’ students need to be educated in how we can use technology in a rightful way.
I believe AI and technology is making us lazier in how we learn. It is better to use a ‘Physical’ English dictionary or Thesaurus to provide some understanding of a word. We learn because we want to further our knowledge of that particular topic. Using AI does not allow us to do this. I don’t believe it provides us to critically think about that subject. I come from the days of no mobile phones growing up or Wi-Fi until I finished high-school. I truly believe that AI crosses all boundaries. I believe we are becoming lazier students. Even young students I see deficiency in how they spell their ‘words’ because the software ‘word’ or other applications are providing ‘predictive’ text, spelling the word for them. Are the kids actually learning ‘how to spell the word or understand the meaning of the word?’ I honestly believe it has slowed ‘their’ literacy down and technology has created a lack of proper writing! Kids handwriting is absolutely woeful and their story writing is now like reading a mobile text message.
Thanks, Christina! I agree: tech is part and parcel of a number of negative developments in education, particularly the loss of personal connections.
As a student, I only use AI to look up thesaurus and find better phrases when I paraphrase the sentences. Despite the advancements in AI-generated text, which often appear quite sophisticated at first glance, these texts can still be inaccurate and inappropriate for the specific context, often following only a few repetitive patterns.
As a teacher, I am also struggling to find a way to cope with this issue. Currently, all I am doing is that trying to make my students to acknowledge the negative impact of AI on their language proficiency and learning outcome. I regularly remind them that relying on AI without critical evaluation can lead to incorrect language patterns and misunderstandings.
While it is not feasible for us as educators to completely eliminate the use of AI, we need to teach students how to use it effectively. This means encouraging them to see AI tools as supplements rather than replacements for their own work. For example, AI can assist with initial drafts or brainstorming, but students should still actively participate in the writing process, focusing on revising and refining their own work.
Thanks, Undraa! Another big task that has been added to teachers’ workloads …
I think the use of generative AI should be limited to some specific purposes, such as spell-checking, or detecting major grammar or collocation errors, unless a learner acquires enough skills to “evaluate advice from AI and reject corrections or suggestions”, as stated in the blog. In the teaching context, teachers must help students use AI in a smart way which does not prevent the development of students’ language skills. Therefore, teachers need to limit the use of AI in a class to those mentioned above. If teachers and students use AI in a proper way, teacher’s classroom teaching or students’ classroom learning will be more efficient.
When it comes to my coursework in university, I do not yet have enough knowledge to ‘evaluate or reject’ AI’s suggestions about the content of assignments, I limit myself to using it for grammar check.
Indeed, generative AI is helpful when used in the right way, but the most important thing is to know what it can do and cannot do. I think this is not a specific issue on using AI, but it is just one aspect of issues about what has been given due to technological development, such as the proper use of the Internet or social media.
Good choice!
I typically use a variety of digital tools as a university student to simplify my work. For example, I use a tool to proofread my spelling and punctuation. Occasionally, it provides me with better sentences and demonstrates how to paraphrase them. In addition, I collect reliable sources for my research using online tools like digital libraries and scholarly databases. Technology has many benefits, but there are ethical limits that need to be carefully considered. I don’t support the use of technology when it interferes with the educational process. It’s important to use technology to improve understanding and problem-solving abilities rather than avoiding the educational process.
As a teacher, I must need to handle these situations with composure. I would emphasize the importance of academic integrity and the responsible use of technology from the very beginning . Educating students on how to utilize tech tools ethically and effectively is crucial. Clear guidelines and examples can help students understand where to draw the line. My goal would be to create an environment where students will feel empowered to use technology creatively and responsibly, understanding that their primary objective is to learn and grow intellectually.
Thanks, Raza! I guess the big question is whether students can use tech creatively or critically or whether, by definition, it negatively affects their learning …
Hi, Raza wonderful observation. The arguments you have raised are valid. I agree that it is our duty as educators to act sensibly in such a situation. Since we live in a modern era, nothing would be possible without technology. Students need to utilize technology sensibly and creatively.
Using generative AI tools or what is known as ChatGPT is nowadays very common among all students in universities. And as you said in your article, ChatGPT has ruined student’s writing skills. Also, it kills the students’ creativity by limiting their ability to express their own ideas and perspectives. However, there are some language technology tools like Grammar Check that can help students be aware of some simple mistakes they may make.
For me, in my university, using ChatGPT to generate texts or do assignments is prohibited. And I, as a student, can understand the reason why other students should not use it; it doesn’t help in developing critical thinking and analyzing skills.
Talking about university assignments, I never use AI Generative tools as I find it not the best way to improve my lingual skills; however, using checking spelling tools is not that bad, because it doesn’t help with providing ideas. It only gives some aid after finishing the actual task.
As a teacher, I would not only raise awareness among students of the disadvantages of using the AI generative tools, but also advise them of the appropriate use of some technology tools (spilling check, grammar check, auto-fill, etc).
Thanks, Ihssan! What you suggest makes sense. At the same time, I’m not even sure about spell checkers. I’m not going to prohibit them, of course; but I know from the reading research that relying on spell checkers can affect reading automaticity negatively. So, even this seemingly uncontroversial use of tech may have negative consequences for learning …
Thank you Ingrid, this is absolutely right. But what i meant is to teach the students how to properly use this tools. Even it might has drawbacks, it also could be used in certain activities.
It depends on the activity aim and what the learner is expected to learn after finishing it.
please correct me if I’m mistaken. I’m just starting my journey in learning 🙂
Personally, I still rely on AI tools mainly to check my grammar because my word choices sometimes don’t match the context of what I am trying to say. However, I am also against generative AI tools because they take the thinking part out of the writing process. The least we can do is do the thinking ourselves and use AI tools only for minor adjustments.
Additionally, education institution could try to draw a straight line between what’s acceptable and what isn’t regarding the use of AI, just like you did in our unit. But then, how do we know if someone is only using AI for the ‘acceptable’ purposes? I believe that this is a matter of awareness. If students are able to understand that using generative AI tools is a waste of time, teachers wouldn’t have to remind them about it constantly.
Thanks, Sahrul! After this writing task, I hope all my students this semester will know where they (and I) stand on this matter 🙂
In modern times, I believe this article’s subject to be the most relevant. So I sincerely appreciate you providing this piece of writing.
I also can’t deny that I use technology for my studies. Although I don’t do it frequently, I do it occasionally to improve the clarity of my work for my professors. These days, it’s common for students to use technology such as grammar and spelling checks, maybe because it saves them a lot of time while working on lengthy assignments. Nonetheless, it cannot be advantageous for a student to use technology for every work. Because AI will provide them with all the answers they require, students will be unable to learn anything or will never engage in critical thinking. The excessive use of technology will harm the goal or purpose of the course.
I have never taught professionally anyone, but I think it might be very upsetting for a teacher to see their student’s using tech for the assignment. Every teacher goes to the institute to make their student learn something new, but if their student is not making the same effort, it sure is disheartening. I think I would have not minded if my student used tech in their assignment, but it must be in a way that reflects the advanced idea and the many sources of information they have read. Tech should make writing more informative than taking away the ability to think critically.
Outsourcing learning defeats the purpose, that’s for sure.
Thank you NIMS for sharing your point of view with us. I want to say you that if you don’t understand any clarity about the assignments just email to your professor because i also do that in my previous semester and my professor asked me have you used AI tool and when i said yes, she was very upset because she was disappointed from me. Yeah, i didn’t say that I didn’t used AI tools i used in the starting to correct my grammar and spellings but i learned nothing.
I have personally never used generative AI (most likely due to a generation gap I would say :). At my workplace, Antidote’s French corrector is installed on all computers, and translators use it systematically before delivering translated documents to clients. As an admin officer, I only use it on the few occasions I get asked to deliver French translations myself. This tool also appears automatically before sending emails, but I have never made it a habit to use it for this purpose. In fact, besides the in-built spell-check, grammar-check, and auto-complete features of MS Word, I don’t use anything else. Whenever I want to look up synonyms, I would too actively go to websites such as thesaurus or wordhippo and choose words I believe are more contexts appropriate.
Whilst learning another language, I too believe that is it essential for students to take control of their own learning by opting for an active form of learning. Since the overuse of language technologies, mostly amongst international students, has become a growing concern in education settings, teachers could perhaps allocate some teaching time to provide examples of AI writing versus human writing.
As I work in a French-English bilingual organisation, all written communications such as conference papers should be translated in both languages. While most of the important documents are translated by professional translators, internal emails for example are usually translated using AI and the meaning is often very unclear. To emphasise the limits of AI, one of the translators had the idea to send out a comparison of a AI-generated text versus human text to highlight the differences.
Thanks, Laura! I like your idea of providing contrasting examples. As you can imagine, I have a collection …
Thank you, Ingrid, for this thought-provoking topic, the use of AI as a learning tool. To be honest, I am old schooled when it comes to the use of Chat GPT although I have been taught by my colleagues here at Macquarie University on how to use it and have tried it out. I still prefer my old method of learning where I do the reading, watching and listening myself of what needs to be read and videos and audios that needs to be watched and listened to instead of relying on the generated summary from Chat GPT then progress to writing my own assignments. I cannot just rely on the summary generated by Chat GPT on these readings as I honestly felt lost in them and the two times I had tried; I was completely left confused and dissatisfied that I just resorted to do the readings myself. When I did, I realized that the summary that was generated to me by Chat GPT missed some very important points. I know my old – schooled method is time consuming but at the end of the day, I learn better, and I get a sense of great satisfaction from it. However, I consistently rely on the in-built spell-check, grammar-check, and auto-complete features of MS Word whenever I am working on an assignment. To add further to this, language in general or the English language in our case is a tool for communication, with four components of listening, speaking, reading and writing. To be competent users of any language for that matter, one needs to practise it and use it. How will I become a competent user of the English language if I am relying on technology to do that for me? I’ll stick to my old – schooled method of writing my own assignments as I get great satisfaction from it.
Good on you! I’m with you on standing up for old-school 🙂
As a full time teacher and master student, I am struggling achieving two different goals, which led me to pursuit to efficient time management, getting my job and assignment complete on time. The lack of time was a cause of me to be independent on generated AI programs for grammar checking and instant translation.
At first I expected that my writing skill could improve with help of those programs. Because they provide seemingly decent sentences and paragraphs in short time. But it turned out that the level of my dependence on AI generator as just going up and conversely my confidence and writing skills rather deteriorate.
After reading this article above that evoked my guilt of using Al programs, I started to think of the reasons that why my writing skills are at a standstill and my confidence rather shrinks. First, the chance that I can use my own linguistic resource in my mind was taken by those AI generators. As you mentioned, AI just gives me “generated suggestion” and I just accept it after a brief evaluation without consideration of the tones and stands of the writing AI generator forms. I constantly lose my opportunities to use my own vocabularies and grammars, even academic writing skills such as grammatical metaphor that I have recently learned in other unit.
Second, the process of organizing phrases and sentences is the process of refining my ideas and voices. If I just let this work done by AI translator, I miss the chance again to see if what I have written makes sense or they are relevant. Then I cannot find my own voice. I just contribute to add one more meaningless and soulless texts as you pointed out.
In my conclusion, the best way to learn language is to let the learners use their own linguistic resources that they have been compiling through their learning and have a risk of making error. Those errors can be fixed though practices, which can be considered not a big issue. But if you start to be dependent on AI program lightly at first like checking grammars, soon you will find yourself leaning on those programs deeply. It’s time to admit that I can’t be perfect like all good and well-made suggestions that AI generates, and I can deliver my own voice using my own linguistic capacity.
Thanks, Solar, for your honest and reflective response! It’s a slippery slope, for sure. Maybe the loss of control that you describe comes back not to tech, but to the fact that we are all overworked, as you allude to in your introduction. I don’t have a solution to that but feel life would be better if, as a society, we could all slow down.
These issues are fascinating and, as a TESOL teacher, I find them to be particularly interesting. In my own studies I do not use them (but that could reflect my age!) but I have seen them widely used by the students that I teach. The response to this on the part of my workplace has been to change test format so that students have to write with pen and paper under formal exam conditions. My own thoughts are that there needs to be an active engagement with students and an educational process that involves the deliberate and intentional use of this technology to promote language learning. AI solutions have the potential to optimise learning opportunities for students with specific learning challenges, for example some forms of dyslexia such as dysgraphia, and it concerns me that a wholesale refusal to engage with it could be detrimental. Clearly skill development is still essential as is fostering responsible academic practices and standards. Perhaps if we work with the technology to undertake some of the tasks in studying and enhancing linguistic output and competence, we can guide students towards the responsible use of AI in a way that does not cheat either the student themselves or their academic future.
Going back to pen and paper is retrograde, for sure. As a society, I think we don’t have enough of a nuanced debate. Tech is either hyped up or demonized …
When I was young, students had to handwrite assignments to prevent copying and pasting. Teachers believed handwriting helped students learn. Now, students use computers and choose to handwrite only when necessary. The evolution of technology is an unstoppable trend. We cannot resist; we should harness its power.
In this sense, I believe how to use technology is more important than what to use. Using Grammarly for grammar checking differs from using the same application’s AI-powered “Improve it” function. ChatGPT can be useful for language learning, as it suggests the most widely used phrases based on statistics, known as big data. This capability was previously available only to native speakers of the dominant language, as they could detect “the most natural” phrase. Technology may affect the hierarchy in the long term. I understand the importance of keeping the nuances of the language instead of perceiving it as a right-or-wrong proposition. However, knowing the most prevailing expression can give English learners the option to choose it or not.
If I were a teacher, I would discuss what to do and what not to do in advance in class. Then, based on the discussion, I would guide my students to feel free to utilize any tools, including AI, as long as they describe how they used them. For example, if students used ChatGPT, they should incorporate the whole conversation in their assignment. This is to determine if it violated what we discussed. We would have decided not to use ChatGPT in a way like “Hey, ChatGPT, write an essay for me.” However, we might have agreed to use it to ask, “Which sentence is grammatically correct? A or B?” Soon, AI-detecting technology will evolve in line with AI tech. Therefore, we do not have to worry about this as we might use technology similar to Turnitin.
Tech is made by humans, not a force of nature. So, don’t agree that it’s “unstoppable” or that “we cannot resist” just because big corporations (in Silicon Valley and elsewhere) are trying to push a certain use of tech onto us.
This is an intriguing topic. I have recently attended a talk seminar focused on the role of AI as a teaching assistant more than a replacement for us. This was particularly eye-opening for me, especially since my recent experiences with educational technology have been limited. I honestly started discovering these news apps here in Australia. I have not studied full-time since 2015 in Chile, and my recent English CELTA certification involved practical assessments where AI was neither used nor discussed, CELTA course teachers did not even warn us about it or mention that it was prohibited.
This seminar highlighted how AI can be a valuable tool for teachers, in a way it makes teacher work easier, especially when we run out of ideas. One of the main points discussed that day was the importance of micromanaging AI outputs. Instead of relying on AI’s first responses, we should refine and go deeper with our inquiries to obtain more precise and useful results. For instance, if students are learning about future forms (arrangements and intentions) in the context of extreme sports, AI can help generate content and resources by responding to detailed prompts. The more specific and detailed the input, the more specific and accurate the output, we can also add an English level, type of activities, and level of difficulties among other specifications. AI can also assist in finding specific images or resources related to a topic, depending on what we are looking for. In these scenarios I think it is beneficial, as well as, using spelling check to review what students or teachers have already written.
However, it’s crucial to balance this with strategies that ensure students develop their skills. I believe incorporating small writing tasks in class can be beneficial. These tasks allow students to express themselves and demonstrate their writing abilities, giving teachers a clearer understanding of their levels and helping prevent the use of a completely AI-generated text.
Thanks, Vioca! If you have to micromanage AI outputs, does it really make your work easier?
Thanks, Vioca. I appreciate your emphasis on the importance of refining AI outputs. While AI can be a powerful tool, the need for precise input can indeed require extra time and effort, which can be frustrating for teachers.
I try to avoid using any types of AI in my assignments except for Grammarly. Sometimes I use it to check my grammar in the assignments. The primary reason is that I am keen on improving my writing skill through completing all the tasks assigned in the subjects. Secondly, there’s an ethical issue in using AI to generate assignments. Thirdly, I don’t have enough ability to identify if the AI uses appropriate words and tone to generate a text.
If I was a teacher, I would feel frustrated and sadly to know that my students ask AI assistants to do assignments for them. Because it ruins my original purpose, helping my students to improve their skills through those assignments I design.
To be honest, it is impossible to prohibit AI tech for learning languages, and I admit that, to some extent, it is a good tool for learning foreign languages, especially if you are not immersed in that language’s environment. In the instance, we may need let students know how to use AI tech in a right way.
Technology is like a double-edged sword. It helps us work efficiently and effectively. However, on the other hand, it makes us lazy, resulting in the loss of our precious abilities as human beings.
Well said!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this highly controversial topic. As an ESL teacher, I share all the concerns put forward in this article. To be honest, I haven’t found a perfect way of incorporating AI in my classroom activities yet; however, I have tried to show my students how to use it to improve their writing by looking up synonyms, paraphrased sentences or even utilizing grammar correction. For doing that, my students were required to write a text about a specific topic during one lesson by solely relying on their current knowledge and to make improvements by using AI in the next one. Moreover, rather than writing texts as a homework, one lesson per week or rather twenty to thirty minutes of this lesson are dedicated to writing, so I can prevent the usage of AI, and they are given the opportunity to make improvements at home.
For university assignments, I use these tools for paraphrasing sentences and looking up synonyms, as I struggle with expressing myself eloquently sometimes. Past attempts to use AI for writing an entire assignment failed miserably, as the work produced was no representation of my thoughts, nor my writing style.
I like the result of your trial and error! Good lesson if you can be that reflective (not everyone who’s doing these writing tasks is …)
In today’s dynamic education, technology has become an indispensable and invaluable tool for teachers and learners. Technology provides immediate feedback on essays, quizzes and exams, enabling students to understand their strengths and weaknesses in real time. However, abuse of use technology and overreliance on it may lead to a passive learning experience for students (Kaledio et al. 2024). For instance, during my bachelor’s degree in 2019 when AI or ChatGPT had not appeared, me and my friends sometimes spent hours or even a week searching and looking for information for just one topic. Gradually, it enhanced our reading skills and built up our vocabulary for different areas/ topics.
In contrast, with the development of AI nowadays, particularly in ChatGPT, it only takes students a few seconds to copy the questions, and then wait for AI to generate the answers. Learners therefore will steadily lose their nuance, empathetic and holistic approach. Students sometimes become too lazy to do research themselves and, therefore, miss the great opportunities to improve their comprehensive skills.
As a teacher, I will incorporate platforms that allow real-time collaboration and discussions to keep students actively involved. And allow students to use AI only in limited steps to
foster students to access information efficiently while still encouraging them to search for and analyze information themselves.
References:
Kaledio. P, Robert. A & Frank. L. (2024). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Students’ Learning Experience. SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4716747
Interesting comparison of before and after …
I believe that all students should have the right to use AI tools as they can support the learning process; however, it is essential to set boundaries on its usage, including what level of AI is acceptable. In my case, I only use Grammarly and Quilt bolt to correct grammar mistakes and paraphrase sentences. Besides that, using these features can generate feedback and comprehensive reflections on improving my writing skills and confidence, especially in organising my thoughts into a logical order. Unfortunately, these progressive technologies may also have issues with inaccuracies; therefore, I always verify and make necessary changes to the writing’s output. In a particular situation, I find a conventional dictionary check to be very efficient in finding suitable word choices and synonyms.
The rising popularity of AI among students should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat as to enrich academic practices, including referencing and citation. That said, schools and universities should facilitate workshops to educate students on appropriate citations, including those from AI-assisted writing tools. Another effective strategy is to assign students with more reflective essays and investigate the challenges they face and solutions they use in the writing process. In that sense, we can overcome their gap in writing by utilizing peer review or one-on-one sessions to review and critique their friends’ works constructively without relying on AI assistance.
Thanks, Rei! There are some very good reasons to see AI as a threat, to workers’ rights, to the environment, and to democracy.
Using AI technology often times seems to have been created for lazy or non-creative people who can easily access a tool that copies from real-human generated work to reproduce “new” things. However, I personally consider that lazy and non-creative people have always existed, and that’s why the tool is just a new product they can access. The problem has always been the same and before there were other tools for them to copy from. That being said, this tool, as any other tool, represents a detriment to society as long as bad intentions or bad practices exist.
I myself choose whether or not to use AI for production tasks depending on my intentions. I have used it multiple times when I have to email someone and I find the process a waste of time or an annoying activity. On the other hand, when there are words or structures I don’t recognise, I google them and look out for forums where real people discuss an/or explain their use. This allows me to introduce them in my vocabulary when I like them. Now, for university assignments, my intensions are clear. I want to make the most out of my studies and it is an everyday choice and I am fortunate to have the time and the skills to be able to express my ideas.
Especifically for this very text I am posting on this blog, I do not wish to engage on AI generated text because I appreciate the opportunity to elaborate my thoughts and express them. This is a pleasurable experience because it aligns with my interests. Conversely, this is not everyone’s reality and as an English teacher, I also deal with these phenomena in class. The way I choose to deal with it is not to make the writing tasks compulsory. Thus, if my students do not find any benefit in completing them, I sadly accept it. This is because I know that not all of them want to be fluent in English or more specifically find use in developing writing (or any certain) skills. Even when they are studying General English and are in Australia where they obviously need the language, a few students have told me they do not interact in English most of the time here, and that they do not put in the effort to learn it.
I know this may sound discouraging and not-aligned with the educator’s role, but I picture the learning process as something wonderful and natural that I try my best to motivate all my students to go through it willingly and not because they need a mark to go to the next level. At the end, they understand that if they are not completing the course requirements they will repeat the level, and surprisingly a few students are happy with that. In conclusion, I do not deal with AI use itself, but I do try to deal with my student’s motivation and objectives when possible.
So glad the writing tasks are a pleasurable experience for you. Agree that everyone has to make their own choices, and if someone doesn’t want to put in the effort, that’s their choice. We are all adults …
Thanks for the interesting article. In my workplace this question often comes up, mainly in terms of written assessments. To give context I teach in China to students considering studying with partner universities in Australia. These students are not English majors but come primarily from STEM majors. As a consequence there are a variety of reasons students resort to generative AI, machine translation and other tools.
These include
– a lack of confidence in their ability to communicate in English
– their English skill level being below that required to complete the assessment
– the class being a low priority either because of the low credit weighting or disinterest in English (they want to do their major at this university but don’t like the attached requirement of studying English)
Now, while teachers can identify examples of generative AI, in this we are running with the requirement to provide proof when it occurs. This can often be the greater obstacle.
To encourage my students to be more self reliant, I often reiterate in class ‘If your English was perfect we wouldn’t be here’, ‘This is a safe place to practice your English’, ‘Your fellow students are probably thinking that you’re brave to speak up, than that you are making mistakes.’ And finally and especially for written assignments ‘Write to the complexity and language that you feel you can effectively communicate in. Challenge yourself with your language from time-to-time. But at essence learning a language is about communicating effectively.’
I also have thoughts on this topic on myself as second language (non)learner. I find that having language translation tools on hand on my phone reduces the impetus to learn a new language in a new location. This is because when I was first in South Korea it was before the advent of smart phones and my options for communication were learning the language or phrase books. Now I am in China, I have found that I know little more Chinese than when I arrived and much less than the Korean that I had learned after an equal amount of time. Now there are the complexities of the written language and tonal nature of Mandarin Chinese that do not exist in Korean but these are not of as much significance as the the ability for technology to either to do the heavy lifting or prevent the requirement for human interaction.
Some great suggestions!
Your observation about not learning Chinese due to tech reminds me of a movie I recently saw about people losing connectivity and being absolutely helpless. The world literally collapses quite quickly. It’s called Leave the World Behind (not the best movie ever, but made some good points)
Thank you, Ingrid, for sharing this blog post.
I cannot deny that learning technologies have recently become a vital part of education, as they provide instant information and facilitate the learning process. When I need clarification or want to discuss ideas for my assessment tasks, I often use ChatGPT to look for information or Grammarly to polish my writing.
However, as a linguistics student and future English teacher, I am aware that not overusing these tools as they do not enhance my ability to acquire the language in real-life contexts and could ultimately impede my academic journey. These learning technologies have both advantages and drawbacks. While they fulfill our requirements easily and effortlessly, they also risk causing us to lose essential life skills, critical thinking, and patience. We tend to rely more on technology and become lazier instead of doing hard work.
As a teacher, raising awareness of the pros and cons and setting clear boundaries for the use of these technologies is essential. This way will remind students of the long-term outcomes that we should use technology carefully and wisely, remembering that it was created to help us, not to harm us.
Thanks! I also worry about long-term negative impacts, not only on individual learning but also on the future of education and learning more broadly. A big use of AI is to create spam, and scams, and misinformation …
Hi Ingrid,
Thank you for sharing this thoughtful blog post.
In my case, I think of AI when I end up with my own ideas for longer like 3000-word limit assignments, especially to avoid repetition. But I strongly believe, it never gives that learning satisfaction or sense of accomplishment to a student, as it gives when the whole thing gets done by one’s self.
However, like every tech AI too, has its pros and cons but the fact can’t be beat that it has affected the whole education system. Not only the student’s learning and critical thinking but somehow teacher’s perception towards student has also affected, because sometimes teachers can’t be sure either their inputs are being utilized or not, which might affect the rapport (student-teacher relationship), resulting in impacted learning environment.
Well, for our generation its much reasonable to cope with use of AI because we have had strong base of traditional learning and critical thinking, but what about the upcoming student generation who are already unapologetically tech friendly…? (peers are welcome to respond)
As a teacher, I would deal such dilemmas by structuring less written assignments and adding more class activities. Also, I will elaborate how to use AI in legitimate and useful way.
Thank You
Thanks, Filza! You are right, the pervasiveness of AI has made me (excessively?) suspicious 🙁
Using AI is a significant issue in academia. To be honest, I rely on AI tools frequently in my daily life, especially since I also work and sometimes struggle to express my thoughts in corporate settings. As a student, I use these tools to refine my writing. After learning about academic writing standards in my AEP class, I’ve noticed that my writing can sometimes be too casual, so I use AI to revise and correct it under specific conditions. However, I always make sure to understand the corrections and learn from them, so that I can handle similar challenges independently in the future. When it comes to translation tools, I use them sparingly, mainly to check my understanding, rather than as a primary writing tool.
As a teacher, I would stress the importance of understanding and critically engaging with feedback from language technologies. I would allow the use of such tools because they can act like tutors, providing tailored responses to students’ queries. However, I would encourage students to reflect on the suggestions they receive, ensuring that these tools support their learning rather than replace it. Additionally, I would design assignments that demand original thought and creativity, making it difficult to rely solely on generative AI or other tools.
Thanks, eun! For mature, autonomous students, there are many great ways to use tech, as you describe.
I completely agree that communication skills are crucial for mastering a new language, especially in academic settings. As someone learning English as a third language, I find technology helpful but limited. When I learned Russian about ten years ago, I relied solely on a dictionary because AI tools were not as advanced as they are now. Despite this, I learned effectively because I had to think independently, without relying on technology to do the work for me. Today, while I use AI to check grammar or gather main ideas, I still believe it’s essential to write on my own. Language learning is about more than just getting the grammar right; it’s about developing communication skills, thinking logically, brainstorming like a native speaker, and understanding cultural context. AI can provide ideas, but these often lack the nuance and critical thinking that make writing truly unique. Every person’s perspective is different, and that individuality is what makes language learning—and writing—so valuable. This balance is what I would emphasize as a teacher: encouraging the use of technology as a tool, not a crutch, while fostering the deeper skills necessary for true language proficiency.
Well said! I worry, though, that it’s not always easy to distinguish between tool and crutch while you are in the midst of learning and struggling …
To start, I definitely don’t think that using some tool technologies such as grammar checkers would defy the students performance. From ancient times, proofreaders, translators and writers have used such tools in oder to help themselves to convey texts in a better way, either in a second language or in their own mother tongue. On the other hand, the new technology, as mentioned, is called AI, which has a very different meaning, where the user basically don’t have to think. We should not mixed the terms “tools” with “new technologies” as they are meant for different purposes.
In addition, it is for sure that some students have once turned to AI in the last couple of years, number one because it may be easier to do so and we all have access to (i haven’t used it yet) and number two because of the great workload and specifications that the Universities nowadays ask us to do and sometimes impossible to achieve without help (not an excuse), but sometimes it feels like the lecturers want us to learn in 13 classes what they have learned throughout their PhDs (as an example).
From my end, I always try to dedicate special time to read and understand before a task, using dictionaries and paraphrasing. I have not had the opportunity to be involved in the new technologies world simple because I haven’t had the need. As a masters student, I would say and suggest to re-organize our schedule with work and school, to do outdoor activities and eat healthy, these habits make a better lifestyle and reduces stress, which will encourage us to be more interested and dedicated, even if it looks a hard work to do. We can use, indeed, some tools to help ourselves and develop our own study strategies, but never crossing the line of leeting technology to take over.
Good on you, Viviana! Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans used to say. “A healthy mind lives in a healthy body.”
I really enjoyed reading this article and thought it was a very interesting topic. Personally, the only tools that I use for my assignments are those that are built-in to Microsoft Office, such as the spelling and grammar checker. I generally use the spelling and grammar checker before proof-reading my work with the aim of catching any of the more obvious mistakes that I may have made. That being said, I often ignore the suggestions the grammar checker makes, particularly where I feel that it would change the style of my writing or my intended meaning within a sentence. For example, whilst writing this, my use of “That being said” has been flagged with a blue underline in Microsoft Word – the grammar checker feels it is redundant and that I would be better off starting the sentence with “I often…” I wouldn’t say that the grammar checker is wrong – it is redundant, but in a way it is part of my voice and my identity as the author of this text, and so in this case, for better or for worse, I will choose to ignore the grammar checker. Similarly, I appreciate the spell-check function of Microsoft Office but I don’t trust it entirely and always make sure to proof-read afterwards – one of my habits before submitting an assignment is to read it out loud, as I think this is a good way of catching awkward sentences or subtle errors. Overall, whilst I do use the features that are built-in to Microsoft Word and I do think they are useful, it wouldn’t have a significant impact on my work process if they were to be suddenly removed. I think this idea is where I would try to draw the line as a teacher – if a student is unable to complete their work without the use of a language technology, then at that point I’m not sure if I can say with confidence that it is solely their work anymore. However, this doesn’t mean that I think that students shouldn’t use language technologies – I think there are some good opportunities for learning, but the student needs to be willing to do research of their own rather than relying on technology to do it for them.
Hi Robinson, can totally relate to many of the MS Word suggestions cramping my style!
The points raised by you, Dr Piller, are the challenges that stump every teacher and are so relevant in our world of AI. An international survey conducted shows 44% of students thought they would definitely use Generative AI and over 60% thought it was a way of cheating. So it is established by students and teachers that it is not an honest way of learning in most cases. However, the bottom line is that Generative AI has brought about a paradigm shift in education and we need to ‘navigate this reality with integrity’ (Harouni, as cited in Ross, 2023).
Completely negating the presence of AI or banning its use may not help in many scenarios and allowing it always is also not an option. I think all institutions and courses need to have some processes and policies in place depending on the specific demands of the course or task at hand. I am a Secondary school teacher and I have a traffic light system in place for my class with regards to generative AI, translators, grammar and spell check tools and a similar system may work at the tertiary level as well. There are some tasks where it is a red light, no Generative AI, translators, grammar and spell check tools etc, for example, if I want my class to learn to write an essay in a structured manner, or do a spelling test, or learn the use of tenses in writing. Some maybe an amber, for example, if my class is researching on the social, political and economic context of the Shakespearean era, and presenting a powerpoint on the topic, they could use generative AI as one of the tools of research in addition to books and other online resources. Generative AI could also present suggestions on how to sequence, scaffold their slides. It would be a green, for use of tools such as translators if my EAL/D students are for instance doing a critical study of the Roman emperors in Ancient History. They may have to read various extensive materials and find it laborious to do so in English. We can allow them to read in their first language, create some dot points/summary and then translate to feed into writing an essay in English. Translanguaging is highly valuable in such cases.
There should be no compromise however in allowing AI in areas which inhibit human thinking and creativity. There is no right or wrong answer to this. Regulation is the key along with understanding the bias and judging the validitidy of Generative AI.
Great idea! Love your traffic light system!
I can talk about so much on this topic, especially since my reseach intrest was on English learning with AI in Bangladesh. But I dropped it as I find it as a contemporary issue. While I interviewed some students and teachers, where some students saw no issues with using paraphrasing tools and teachers were fed up acting like a police than an educator. I, too, use ChatGPT as a search engine and Grammarly to check my grammer. So I can understand where you are coming from but sadly the line will be more invisible day after day, it seems impossible to completely prevent their use. Instead, I believe the focus should shift towards finding ways to adapt those changes. Could be with more advanced technologies or learning strategies?
Good questions, but I still would worry about becoming dependent on big tech – they are not putting these tools out there out of charity …
Thank you for sharing an important and interesting topic in today’s world. From the student’s perspective. AI tools can provide some advantages for students in terms of developing and enhancing students skills. For instance, I used to use AI tools to provide feedback on my writing, so it could check grammar, spelling, and structure errors for me. In addition, it also suggests how to correct those errors and analyzes which areas I need to improve, so it helps me to improve at the right points and learn form it. Furthermore, AI can analyze quickly, for example, when teachers cannot provide detailed feedback on writing to all students because it takes time, so AI can provide it for them. Moreover, AI may build student’s confident because some of them do not dare to ask questions in the classroom, so it is another option where they can ask any kind of question. However, I draw the line that will not use these tools to generate content for me. My assignments need to be my own creation and abilities. As a result, I do not rely on AI 100%, but I will consider and analyze it first because sometimes it might be wrong.
As a teacher, It is important to teach them to use it properly to enhance their learning and clearly define what is considered misuse. For example, students can use these tools to check their spelling, but using AI to create work is not acceptable in order to make students understand in the same way.
Feedback takes time: so true but here’s the rub: AI seems useful because we have come to see education as just another business, where time is monetized 🙁
I believe that the article highly educated us how downwardly AI technology could take over an individual’s task and made us question our use of these techs in our academic performance.
Since I entered university, I have always utilized various language technologies to support my learning and teaching. Like what Ingrid mentioned in this article, I have some websites or dictionaries provide a list of synonyms for a word so that I can adequately convey my thoughts in my writing and speech. Sometimes, I use other paraphrasing websites to rewrite the ideas I get from some readings. As a teacher, I also seek assistance from AI tools when I run out of ideas for class activities in my lesson plans, or need to check the word level. However, these utilizations always happen under evaluations and modifications. For example, upon receiving the synonyms, it always takes me some time to check the definition of the suggested word and deliberate whether it suits the context and precisely expresses my ideas. When it comes to teaching, I also need to evaluate the suggested activities to see if it fits my students’ needs and interests instead of directly using the activities. The same process applies for other technology tools including the auto-correct function of Google Docs.
Personally speaking, the border between using tech to support one’s learning and over-reliance on tech assistance is vague unless one’s dignity is strong enough. Therefore, with a teacher’s manner, I suggest we should foster this element mentioned above. A person’s dignity could prevent one from copying and pasting exactly what the AI generates because these products do not reflect any personal features and partly prove one’s incompetence. Teachers should educate their students about personal dignity and uniqueness in their assignments. Besides, it is also essential to emphasize the importance of studying in depth so that they have the knowledge to evaluate AI-generated products. Teachers should also set clear rules and marking criteria for the assignments, and scaffold students’ work so that they can be confident to complete the task themselves.
Thanks, Olivia! In terms of personal values, another issue is the contemporary AI hype that makes it seem as if AI is everywhere and we are left behind if we are not jumping on the band wagon. Good on you for resisting!
Hi Ingrid, thank you for sharing this topic. Although AI is getting smarter and smarter, and can even “imitate” human writing, I don’t think AI can replace human writing. As for me, I tried to input a question for AI to help me complete it, but when I saw the answer, my first feeling was that what AI wrote was very rigid, without “soul”, without emotion, and just answering questions indifferently. I don’t want my writing to be an article without “feelings”. I hope that my writing, including homework, can convey my true thoughts and feelings. So I won’t let AI help me complete my homework, which is meaningless. I am okay with letting AI give me some different perspectives on a question, but that is only of reference value. I believe it would be a bad thing to let AI complete my homework for me.
Since my native language is not English, I will use a grammar check or automatic translator to help me with some sentences that I am not sure about. I believe they are like a teacher who can help me correct my mistakes. For example, if there is a grammar error in my sentence, the grammar check helps me correct it and I know how to use it correctly next time. Gradually, I will understand my weaknesses better and overcome them. So I think the proper use of these auxiliary tools is also helpful for learning English.
From the perspective of teachers, I think students can use AI to give them some help, but they cannot use AI to complete homework, which is prohibited. Students need to make it clear that AI is just an auxiliary tool, and they are the main body of learning. Using AI to complete homework is deceiving themselves. Of course, if teachers want to understand students’ learning situation, pop quizzes are a good way.
AI-generated writing has no soul – my sense exactly! One thing I worry about is that more and more human writing gets modelled on this soulless writing, too. It’s the writing of paperwork and bureaucracies and institutions, but are we losing the human connection?
Hi Dr. Piller!
Your blog reminded me of an ad I saw online. It’s from ‘Impact Construction’. I wish I can post a picture of it here but it says, “Hey Chat GPT finish this building….” and highlighted, “Your skills are irreplaceable”.
We can all agree that the usage of AI has tremendously removed a lot of weight from our tasks. However, we miss out on opportunities to enhance our own skills. Like what my father used to tell me as a child, “Too much of something is bad, regardless of what it is or how it benefits you.”
Moving to another country was a big decision for me, made out of frustration. I’ve always wanted more from life.If I just relied on AI, I might have stayed in the Philippines. I try my best to remind me of this. So for assignments in the university, like writing reflections, I really take the time to go through the readings. I take notes because often times, ideas come up as I go through. Lastly, I review my drafts. It’s good to take a second look on your work to see if you thoughts are written out correctly, just like watching a movie, you tend to understand it better the second time you watch it.
As a future teacher, I would highly emphasize that technology should aid your efforts and not replace them. Sometimes, it can’t express your ideas exactly how you cant them, so it’s important to use your own understanding. It’s also important to create a learning environment where effort and learning from mistakes are valued. This might stir up the thinking of the students.
Just to add, I’ve always admired how you teach during our seminars. Your choice of words are insightful and I often find myself wanting to use them into my own writing. Most of the time, I take mental notes of them such as ‘leeway, grain of salt, grainy picture, etc’. I hope to be as proficient in this language as you are, and this can be achieved through dedicated practice and learning, rather than solely using AI tools.
Thanks, Eliza, for the compliment 🙂 – so motivating!
And thanks for bringing up the ad. I hadn’t seen it before but it will go straight in to my collection. It’s at https://www.engineering.com/hey-chatgpt-finish-this-building/
I think this is very interesting topic to look at the AI technology usage for both student and teacher. From student point of view, AI tools they make learning easier and boost confidence by clearing up confusing concepts, providing extra examples, and even offering grammar and vocabulary suggestions. They’re great for students who might struggle to understand the material on their own.
However, some student may take the advantage of AI and use it to complete the whole assignment instead of using their own ideas and knowledge first. This can be a problem because they might miss out on really learning what they need to.
As a teacher, I’d worry that too much AI could keep students from really understanding the material. So, I’d set clear guidelines for assignments, making it known that relying entirely on AI isn’t acceptable and will have consequences. I’d also mix in some in-class activities, like discussions and hands-on assignments, to see how students are using AI. This way, I can guide them on how to use these tools properly such as getting extra examples or background information, while making sure they’re doing most of the work on their own.
Thanks, YW. You make it sound easy – as if there is a clear line between ‘proper’ and ‘improper’ use of of AI; but to me, it seems like a slippery slope …
Thank you for sharing the big issue topic and letting me think about the problem again. Using AI is a really big issue and can not take apart from our lives, especially, living in contemporary society. As a learner whose mother tongue is not English, I always worried about my English level. I don’t want to get ashamed or upset by making mistakes. So, I use a tool to check my grammar and spell. Sometimes, it offers me better sentences and shows how to paraphrase them. If I take the offered sentences, is it considered AI generated sentences or not is controversy. It is very sensitive and hard to draw the line between getting support. For the tasks, I use AI to check my grammar mistakes, but I mostly check through ‘Studiosity’ which university offered. I always remind myself why I am taking this course, so try to focus on improving my competence myself. I think being honest and having self-esteem is the only way I can do now.
When I have to use AI, I put as much detail as I can. For example, I want to cite a sentence that is generally used, but I have no idea where to find the reference. In this case, I ask Al to find the relevant references then I go to libraries or visit websites where I can read them. It can help me to get what I have to do faster.
I worked as an EFL teacher in my county, and I had to evaluate students how much they improved. So, I noticed them what the subject would be for speaking test. There were no AI tools, but had translation tools that time. By using such tools, some students brought awkward sentences. For example, I see a TV, instead of watching TV.
As technology has developed rapidly, using AI or getting assistance from it cannot be distinguished clearly. Detecting AI generated or not, trying to hide using AI tools does not solve the problem and it is a waste of time for both students and teachers. I have thought that what if append notes when people use AI generated sentences such as references.
Thanks, Erin! I couldn’t agree more that trying to detect AI use (on the part of teachers) and trying to hide AI use (on the part of students) is a stupid cat-and-mouse game. Still, as a teacher I have a responsibility for my students’ learning and the question is how best to support their learning and steer them away from practices that are not useful and may even be counterproductive?
The other point I’m really interested in is the emotional side of using tech to avoid feelings of embarrassment etc. that language learners often struggle with. I’m wondering whether tech can truly protect learners from such negative emotions or whether it just creates dependency and learners end up being forever afraid to speak up?
I am here to think more and share my thought, anyway. I was thinking about how to support learners learning and steer them away from using AI tools that cannot be helpful for them. There is old saying; Not giving a man a fish, teach him how to fish. I think one of the ways is make students to practice regularly. I believe that writing has something in common with physical activities such as swimming, driving, etc. It will be difficult and take lots of time to get used to writing at first, but once you get used to it, writing can be easier and get faster. My recommendation is just writing down anything in your mind. After getting some key words, then organize it to outline for an essay.
I was thinking why some people use AI tools to avoid embarrassment. I, sometimes, use Grammarly to check my grammar because I am not sure some sentences. If I am sure about grammar, I won’t use it of course. I am worried that what other people might think of me if I made mistakes. If I say people that I am a graduate student, people might expect to my English level would be high. But, as a second language speaker, I still make lots of mistakes and not sure about my English. I always said to myself that I can use 2 different languages, so be confident. But still having difficulties to have confident. That’s why I or some people to use AI tools because AI has lots of data. I think people trust AI’s data than themselves.
I heard AI tools collect enormous amount of data from people using them. Making outputs through AI infringes a copyright because it is not a human made creation. But, still have a question. If I use AI tools only to translate first language to English, (my first language was own words), is it plagiarism or not? Also, AI collects my data and gives them to other users, can I insist of my copyright?
It will be much better University offers guide lines with details or example cases. Student understand which cases can be acceptable or not based on the guide lines. I know it is very hard, but it is a necessary work for students and teachers.
I really appreciate your effort leading us with huge responsibility.
Thanks, Erin, for this thoughtful comment. I read this really interesting (but v long) article about AI only yesterday, and one of the main points it makes is about the huge surveillance machine we are subjecting ourselves to voluntarily by using AI:
Greenberg, A. (2024). Signal Is More Than Encrypted Messaging. Under Meredith Whittaker, It’s Out to Prove Surveillance Capitalism Wrong. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/meredith-whittaker-signal/
Also, it has this great characterization of what AI does: “issuing derivatives of shitty data”
Hi Erin,
I completely understand how it feels to be shy or nervous about speaking English especially during the first month living in Sydney. I want to share with you something I learned from Dr. Loy Lising in the Pragmatics and Intercultural Communication class in my previous semester. Loy told us we all speak with an accent, having an accent basically means we are bilingual or even multilingual, and we should be proud of it. Moreover, given the fact that as an English speaker in the outer circle or expanding circle, actually we are the majority!!!!!!!
I am not saying we should stop improving our English but a positive mindset does help you with confidence in using English. Once you are confident to make mistakes, you will learn more in real-life than carefully using AI suggestion.
I hope this kind of positive mindset could help you and your students to tackle with the shyness of speaking English.
Cheers,
DM
What a great lesson!
This topic is important in that I should consider as a teacher in the future. When I reflect on my own learning experiences and teaching practices, while AI can help with small steps in an assignment, the core tasks should be completed by the students themselves. For example, if an assignment involves reading a text and writing a reflection, it should be broken down into steps like:
1. Reading
2. Understanding the Text
3. Reflecting (Writing)
Students should independently handle each of these steps. They can use AI to clarify vocabulary or pronunciation during reading, but they shouldn’t have AI read the text for them. Similarly, they can consult AI for background knowledge or vocabulary that might hinder comprehension, but students should not ask AI to summarize the text. After writing, AI can help refine vocabulary or check for grammar errors, but it shouldn’t be used to do the writing.
As a teacher, I would allow students to use AI for specific small steps within an assignment, but the main steps, such as reading the text and answering questions, must be done by the students. This approach helps students overcome obstacles and gain long-term knowledge while ensuring they engage fully with the learning process. It’s also crucial for students to take notes when using AI to reinforce their learning.
Thanks, Solyn! These are good points and I’m curious to hear what you think the advantage of using AI to check the meaning of words or their pronunciation is over a (digital) dictionary?
Hi Ingrid,
Regarding the advantages of using AI to check the meaning of words, I think AI can provide a more comprehensive, interactive and personalized experience for students. Take ChatGPT as an example, once you have created an account with it, it will keep recording your questions and tailor make results for you based on your contexts of your questions and your preference for explanations.
If you frequently ask about Linguistics and prefer daily examples of word usage, the AI will remember this and provide relevant examples in future answers. This allows the AI to adapt to your learning style and provide responses that suit your needs. Additionally, AI is always up-to-date, staying current with the latest slang and new internet words.
On the other hand, I have to admit that if a young learner who has not built his own learning style will possibly overwhelmed by the massive information provided by AI. But it definitely is a good tool for adults who have built their own learning style.
Cheers,
DM
Thanks, DM! This reminds me of the saying that there is no such thing as free lunch – why would ChatGPT create a free resource tailored to your learning needs? What is their business model?
Hello Solyn,
Your point is quite attracting, giving clear cues to the students on how and when to use technologies to enhance their learning. To be honest, I did not think about it before. Even though, I belive there will always be some students who’d take these opportunities and turn them into soemthing illicit as it is cheating itself, when they are not supervised. Despite this, it is a great idea! We need to adapt to times and make the better use of it.
Hi Ingrid, thank you for your interesting paper about using technology in learning especially in the developing time of AI. As technology tools such as Chat GPT, Gemini, Quillbot are rapidly improved and developed with many promising AI programs, learners find it easy to complete the tasks with their support. However, many learners may rely on technology without double-checking the information because of low self-autonomy and laziness. Besides, AI tools like ChatGPT are reliable and able to provide students the responses on analyzing case studies, writing business correspondence, and essays based on the users’ imperative questions (AlAfnan et al., 2023). In teaching and learning, we have some AI detection like Turnitin which is mostly used in university environments.
However, I believe the best way is to raise the students’ awareness of overused technology because it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the students’ writings and AI work. For example, teachers can initiate active learning by using technology to solve problems and create content but students need to use critical thinking and show their point of view about the topic. Besides, teachers can emphasize the need for realistic practice and application of the knowledge into real life rather than just doing the writing task and reading research and leaving the knowledge there. This active learning might increase engagement for students. In addition, even though ChatGPT’s answers are natural and human-like, they lack synthetization, especially in the questions relating to communication and business writing cases (AlAfnan et al., 2023). In short, technology is a great aid in learning but learners should increase their critical thinking and self-learning autonomy to avoid depending on it.
Reference:
AlAfnan, M. A., Dishari, S., Jovic, M., & Lomidze, K. (2023). Chatgpt as an educational tool: Opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for communication, business writing, and composition courses. Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Technology, 3(2), 60-68.
Thanks, Melisa! I agree with all your points but I’m also a bit dissatisfied. To go all out for tech solutions and simultaneously foster critical thinking has become such a common place but no one seems to know how exactly to achieve that and whether it’s actually possible to achieve both.
Thanks for the reference. I’m a big fan of a podcast called “Tech Won’t Save Us”, which I’d warmly recommend. Check it out at https://techwontsave.us/
I believe the significance of learning is to increase individual abilities, so the borderline is there. From the point of view of it, I think there is room to use technology. For example, spell-check and grammar-check. These functions provide opportunities to recognize learners’ mistakes and revise their misunderstandings. On the other hand, it is difficult for people to improve themselves by using generative AI because it completes tasks by itself without learners’ involvement. Regarding fluency for non-native speakers like me, the only way is to go through trial and error.
My final goal of studying abroad is to be an interpreter. Therefore, I want to gain abilities related to that field including English proficiency. In my future career, it is essential to have capabilities such as outputting English immediately and precisely. Therefore, I want to enhance my skills and have no time to rely on generative AI for my university assignment. However, I use some functions of Microsoft Word because those are useful to brush up on my grammar and spelling.
If I were a teacher, I would like to ask students the purpose of their study. Learners who have ambition would naturally realize what is the best way to achieve their goals.
Thanks, MI! So true about ambition, motivation, and self-responsibility!
Hi MI,
Since I am having my second semester of Master of Applied Linguistics and TESOL, I am not familiar with interpretation. I would like to know more about your personal thoughts about using AI for interpretation and the impact of AI or technological advancement to interpretation.
I think it would be interesting if you relate the topic to your personal experience.
Looking forward to your views!!!!!
DM
English is my second language, so when it comes to writing and expressing myself in English, I have always lacked the same level of confidence as my native English-speaking classmates. Therefore, in writing, or even when composing emails or text messages, I often rely on these tools to check grammar or to ensure that my expressions are not considered impolite or difficult to understand by my foreign classmates or teachers. AI tools like ChatGPT do help international students overcome many challenges. This is one of their advantages. However, as mentioned in the article, these tools can also negatively impact our language practice because their use reduces the time we spend writing on our own. Thus, this issue largely depends on the individual’s self-discipline and the choice of methods that are conducive to learning.
From a teacher’s perspective, I believe that increasing the proportion of closed-book exams (as is common in China, where most exams from primary school to university are closed-book), debates and oral presentations would be beneficial. Given that AI technology is continuously advancing, it is almost impossible to completely eliminate its impact on students in the short term. A period of adaptation is required, and this process may need the involvement and cooperation of various stakeholders, including the government, enterprise, and school, etc.
Thanks, XZM, for raising two important points. I agree that international students face a dual challenge – of simultaneously learning the language and learning content through that language. However, I’m wondering whether tech is a good solution to this problem or whether we should rethink our faith in English-medium instruction.
I also take your point about alternative forms of assessment – I’m pretty sure this is the last time I’m setting these writing tasks …
Thank you, Ingrid, for this article; this has always been a concern for me as it highlights the fine balance between utilising technology for improvement and ensuring that it doesn’t diminish our critical thinking and writing skills.
I too, agree that AI tools can negatively impact writing skills when people become overly reliant on them.
For my university assignments, I use tech tools like Grammarly to polish my grammar and to boost my language skills. I also turn to AI tools like ChatGPT for brainstorming ideas and improving paraphrasing. However, I make sure not to depend on these tools too much—they’re there to support my learning, not to replace my own hard work and comprehension.
If I were a teacher, I’d address these issues by establishing clear rules for tech use and stressing the need for personal effort. I’d guide students to use technology to enhance their learning while ensuring it’s used responsibly and ethically.
Thanks, Durian! I’d be curious to hear more how you use ChatGPT for brainstorming and how that helps your learning?
Hi Ingrid! Thank you for your question. I use Chatgpt to help brainstorm and come up with ideas. This process helps me create my own concepts using the examples and information it provides.
Hi Durian,
I would like to share my personal use of AI for brainstorming with you. Every time when I face a topic that I am not familiar with or I do not know where to start from. Take academic writing as an example, I will ask the AI for the background information with references and define certain terms for me. By knowing more and clearer about the background information and terms of the questions, normally it will spark my brainstorming. I will always try to think of the writing ideas and formats by myself. I believe once we start to rely on AI giving us ideas and formats, our thoughts will be confined by it. With more reliance, our brain will just stop thinking HAHA!
Hope this helps!
DM
DM! Thanks for sharing how you use AI for brainstorming. It’s cool that you start by asking AI for background information and definitions to help you get going. Then, you come up with your own ideas and formats, which is a smart approach. I agree that while AI is helpful, we should be careful not to rely on it too much. If we depend too much on AI for ideas, it might limit our creativity and problem-solving skills. It’s important to mix using AI with our own thinking to keep our ideas fresh and original.
I think you can write a book about whether to support the use of AI tools or not, and still not being able to have a clear conclusion. As AI support can be useful in many ways. It can help students with another native language to keep up with their work. If they needed to write every essay without the help of, for example, automatic translation machines, it would surely help them develop their language, but it would also ask a lot of time to write them, which many students don’t have. As a downside you could argue it weakens basic skills such as critical reading, summarizing, writing, etc.
In the position of being a teacher I think it depends on the goal of the task whether you allow students to use language technology as a support or not. If the focus is on language and communication development, it makes sense to not allow this support in order to make sure the students really learn something. In this case the teacher should provide detailed feedback. In addition, I think it should be important that the task isn’t graded. Students will be scared to make mistakes and nevertheless use the technology. When the focus is not about the language and more about the content itself, it is useful to allow students to use language tech as a support. They will be expected to write flawlessly in an academic setting as well in the work field. Using these tools in an effective way, is also a skill that needs to be trained.
Thanks, Helene! If time is the problem, then surely we should improve student workloads, rather then falling back on a tech solution that weakens learning.
Living in the age of technology has brought forth both blessings and curses, but we cannot ignore its influence on our daily lives. Whether we use it for education or enjoyment, technology is a necessary evil in the modern world. Humans are also being enslaved by technology as we cannot imagine living without it or since technology connects everyone on the planet, it is quite likely that technology will determine our level of satisfaction in life.
I personally use technology for my research as it provides huge data ranges that is essential for enhancing my learning process. universities has already introduced technology based learning avoiding paper pen learning which compel students to use it to create any sort of text including PowerPoint slides and essays, for data analysis and grammar checking . But as a teacher considering importance of technology , addressing these dilemmas involve setting clear guidance of using techno at the same time. I would encourage my students to use technology but motivate them to utilize their intellectual and understanding which will Forster their critical thinking and analytical ability.
Thanks, Jenisha! I think we can all agree that critical thinking is essential when using tech but the question I’m asking how exactly do we go about fostering critical thinking through the use of AI. Can you think of concrete strategies?
Living in the 21st century, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is developing rapidly, and we should approach this technology with critical thinking. AI makes our lives easier, but at the same time, it also brings certain challenges.
I believe that when we are dealing with simple or complex tasks, we can use AI to help us save time and work more efficiently. However, we must not become overly reliant on this technology.
In my studies, I often use AI to solve problems, even though the technology is not always 100% accurate. For example, when I don’t understand something after class, I turn to ChatGPT for help. ChatGPT is very comprehensive and never gets tired of answering questions. In my opinion, some questions feel silly or small, and I feel embarrassed to ask my teacher or classmates. So, I use AI as a tool.
That said, I still believe developing self-knowledge is crucial. We can use technology to improve our skills, but not to complete assignments for us. We come to university to learn skills, and assignments are a part of that learning process. Therefore, I draw a clear line when it comes to using technology because I think relying on AI to finish assignments is not beneficial.
As a teacher, I believe we shouldn’t oppose technology, but I agree with the idea of banning the use of AI for completing assignments. AI can be used as a tool help student solve problem after class, or to provide student some suggestions, nothing more.
Thanks, Fenghua Xian! You make many good points, and I’m particularly intrigued by your point about the absence of shyness or embarrassment when asking ChatGPT questions. I can see that that is really valuable but I’m also wondering whether it does not further inhibit human dialogue and interaction?
Dear Ingrid,
I totally agree with your emphasis of the importance of active and critical learning. My line is never using AI to answer a question or to do a task for me directly. I believe it is really important for us to take the active role in learning by reading, comprehension, reflecting and connecting with previous knowledge. By engaging actively in learning, not only understanding will be enhanced but also new knowledge will be retained for a longer period.
During my undergraduate studies in psychology, I learned that anyone has a preference of learning with the five senses. Some people have better visual ability, they can remember things just by watching. However, in order to remember new knowledge, I have to combine tactile, auditory and visual learning, I need to read, speak along and write down notes for new information. Using AI for answers bypasses the critical processes of retrieval, creation, and memorization, which are essential for deep learning.
I only use AI when I am doing revision and facing some uncertainty with concepts. I will ask AI for explanations and references. I then identify the explanations and determine its explanation is correct or not. Afterwards, I will read the sources to build my own understanding. This approach encourages critical thinking and ensures that I am not passively accepting information but actively engaging with it.
When it comes to teaching, I think it is vital to teach students learning should be active not passive. Students should take responsibility of their learning as well as their life. Students should know you cannot get anything if you do not work and put effort in life. Professors or AI could be wrong too, we should always ask “why?” and think twice and critically before someone or AI give us an answer. With the active mindset and critical thinking, I believe students can really take charge of their learning. After all, we can not control students not to use AI at all but we can teach them the better way to use AI for their benefits.
DM
Thanks, DM, for these important point about learning being a very active process.
When I think about the line between using technology to support learning versus avoiding the hard work of practice, it is about being mindful of why I’m using a tool. For example, if I use ChatGPT to teach me the theories or knowledge related to the content in the lectures, then I am using AI to help me gain a deeper understanding of a specific field, which I regard as a positive use. Alternatively, if I use AI to write essays or find solutions for difficult questions, that goes against my primary purpose, which is acquiring new knowledge to apply in practical situations. ChatGPT itself is not a negative development, but how people use it can turn it into one. Many students take advantage of ChatGPT to complete assignments without putting in the necessary effort, which can be detrimental.
In my university assignments, I try to use technology efficiently:
– I use Grammarly to check for grammatical errors and improve my expressions because I want to ensure that my writing is clear and concise for the audience.
– I use ChatGPT to help me find relevant and specific learning materials about language learning in a very quick manner.
– I also use ChatGPT to review my assignments. I post the questions, the marking rubric, and my completed work to ChatGPT and ask for advanced comments. ChatGPT reviews the questions and criteria, checks my work, and provides feedback on my strengths and weaknesses. It offers suggestions on how to expand my explanations to make my work more engaging and meaningful. I can refer to these comments to revise my work to make it as insightful and detailed as I can. I believe this tool helps me improve my academic writing skills while also supporting my learning activities positively.
Although I have been using ChatGPT for only two months, I always make sure to think critically through my arguments, do the hard work of drafting and revising, and practice the skills I need to improve. For me, the line is crossed when technology starts doing the thinking for me. If I use it to clarify, explore, or organize ideas, that is a positive use. But when I start relying on it to bypass the effort required to understand or practice something, like using a tool to complete a task that I have not fully engaged with, that is when I know I am not benefiting in the long run.
As a teacher, I think I would encourage students to use technology to build a deep understanding but emphasize that there’s no shortcut to mastery. For example, when learning a new language or subject, practicing and participating in real-life projects with AI’s support and their own skills is essential for comprehensive development. I would help students view technology as a complement to their learning, not a replacement for doing the work. If I noticed students relying too heavily on tech to avoid hard work, I would introduce more activities that require critical thinking, hands-on practice, and reflection. Of course, I would not hesitate to penalize students who depend too much on AI or use AI-generated texts instead of putting in the effort themselves, possibly by assigning failing grades or altering the mode of assessment.
Do you think my perspectives are a bit extreme and harsh?
Thanks! Can you tell us more about how you use ChatGPT to “find relevant and specific learning materials about language learning in a very quick manner”?
Thank you for your response! I’d be happy to share how I go about finding relevant materials for language learning.
When using ChatGPT, I will always identify which type of knowledge I want to focus on, then I fill in keywords and process my information-searching. For example, if I’m interested in strategies for enhancing vocabulary retention in language learners, I might explore various academic databases and online educational resources using targeted keywords. This allows me to quickly identify scholarly articles, research papers, and reputable language-learning guides that are directly related to my topic.
I also make use of summaries and reviews of existing literature to get a broad overview of the field, which helps me identify the most relevant and specific resources to dive deeper into. This method ensures that I can efficiently gather high-quality materials to support my understanding and work on language learning topics. This approach has been very effective in helping me find the right resources in a timely manner, which I then critically analyze and incorporate into my assignments.
Thanks for your response! How do you know the materials you select are high-quality?
I highly appreciate your curiosity about the way I use ChatGPT for my study. Normally, when I require ChatGPT to propose learning materials, I always mention, “Help me find academic and reliable sources because my lecturers can verify these sources.” This AI tool is very smart when it provides correctly what I need.
That is an impressive and sensitive topic for generations of learners nowadays. From a learner’s perspective, using supporting tools regarding Chat GPT, translation, grammar check, and some common tools, as indispensable tools for helping and releasing out of thinking messiness on the way to finding the solutions. However, the reliance on too many tools also causes numerous potential problems, it creates bad habits when learners are always thought to have an “available assistant” at their back. Due to the fact that learners like me should have a clear mindset and set the boundaries when using tools in the academic environment, always pay attention to the initial purpose of this support, not depending on it. From a teacher’s perspective, prohibiting students from using AI tools in school is not always easy for finding the best solutions. Teachers might apply some appropriate ways to prevent and guide them in the very first time for leading a true understanding about artificial assistants. In other words, teachers could address through the formative assessments and provide feedback on the use of technology, helping students learn from their mistakes. Moreover, establishing clear rules regarding the use of technology for assignments and encouraging students to analyze and synthesize information rather than collecting and using it.
Thanks! I’m curious how exactly you use tech in your assignments. Where do you draw the line between “helping and releasing out of thinking messiness” and over-reliance?
Hello Helen,
I totally agree with you, it is indispensable for everyone who needs to convey something in a scholarly way, to rely a little bit on some tools. It is a good point to say that we should not take advantage of them and just set a couple for our common use. We, as teachers, have work to do on this topic, setting rules and give clear instructions over the topic is great, but in my personal opinion, encourage our student and not to overload them of work and information in a complex way would make it easier. We are in a world where we care more about tests, performances, marks, quizzes, but I feel we have left aside enjoyment in class, be friendly and sympathetic with our students, to value their opinions, to hear them, I believe an equilibrium could be set and would work efficiently. As a matter of fact, I am doinf this in the ELICOS school i work for, and students always show good results, attend my classes, approach me, participate in class, smiles and look happy.
Thank you for reading.
Vivian.
Couldn’t agree more – we need human connection and relationships more than ever!
Oh, and I forgot to mention, if we do this, students will be more encourage to learn and perform better without “having” to cheat. Teachers’ encouragement and understanding sounds simple, and plays a very important role.
Thanks again 🙂
On one hand, with the support of technology, learning is much faster and more convenient. In the past, it takes time to find the answer to our questions, even with the Internet. There are many linguistics terms that I can’t find their exact definition when looking it up on Google. But with the existence of AI, that work is easier. I am not an AI user expert, but if students know how to use it correctly, their learning quality may greatly improve.
However, in terms of university assignments, I think we have to read a lot of lecture slides, and articles and even make some analysis or do research to submit our assignments to teachers. During that process, we can revise our lessons, learn many things, and gain precious experience in our field. For me, doing assignments is not just a mission or a test and we apply for a course in university to acquire knowledge of our field and apply that knowledge to our future career, so if we rely on AI doing assignments for us, we learn nothing. Technology like AI may help us in many cases, but when we overuse it at the level that lets it do everything for us, the meaning of our learning is devaluated. I like linguistics and enjoy the learning process so I have never let AI write assignments for me. Even though I know sometimes my writing is bad and I have met many difficulties and even failures, I am happy that I tried my best. I don’t want any technology to take that enjoyment from me despite its convenience. AI may complete assignments for us, but it cannot put all the knowledge of our course in our head, as well as the joy when exploring new things like when we do it ourselves.
The thing about definitions is that complex terms don’t have simple definitions …
This meme illustrates your point about the importance of doing the learning yourself nicely: using AI writing to learn is like using a machine to practice weightlifting.