ChatGPT: The end of essay-writing?

ChatGPT: The End of Essay-Writing?

Captivity comes out and the education establishment has the collective aneurysm going, "Oh my God, we can't assign essays anymore!" It's like we've got to run this like it's the 1940s. So I sat down for three minutes to think about how could I say GPT and teach essay writing.

One approach is to structure the assignment as arguments for and against a particular topic. The students would have to present both sides and then arrive at a conclusion. This setup would involve students using GPT to gather information and help articulate the arguments. However, the students would still need to synthesize the information and come to a final conclusion themselves.

Another method is to generate several essays from a current version of ChatGPT using the same prompt. For instance, generate five different essays and distribute them to students. Inform them that these essays are generated using GPT and represent a "D" grade effort. The challenge for the students would then be to produce something better, thereby setting a new benchmark for essay quality.

Using these approaches, we can integrate ChatGPT into the essay-writing process while still pushing students to develop their critical thinking and writing skills.

Keywords

• ChatGPT
• Essay writing
• Education
• Critical thinking
• Benchmark
• Arguments for and against
• Essay quality

FAQ

Q: How can ChatGPT be integrated into essay writing assignments? A: One method is to have students use GPT to formulate arguments for and against a topic and then conclude. Another method is generating multiple essays via GPT and challenging students to produce a better-quality essay.

Q: How do these methods help in teaching essay writing? A: These methods ensure that while GPT can be used as a tool, students still need to synthesize information and develop critical thinking to produce superior essays.

Q: What is the main challenge posed to students in this method? A: The main challenge is for students to produce an essay that surpasses the quality of a GPT-generated "D" grade essay, pushing them to set a higher benchmark.

Q: Why is it necessary to adapt to the presence of GPT in education? A: With the prevalence of AI tools like GPT, it's important to integrate them into the learning process while still ensuring that students enhance their skills and understanding.