A Student Perspective on ChatGPT

As the Fall 2022 Semester was coming to a close, rumors were starting to surface about a miraculous new AI technology with great potential for good if you were a student, and the potential for concern if you were faculty. As a student, I was excited to see what ChatGPT could do and was amazed at how this tool could be used to accomplish various tasks. For example, it has the capability to summarize articles, generate original writing if given a prompt, and even develop assignments.

In my academics, I have used it as a review tool after reading to make sure I caught onto the themes of the article I was assigned; as well as to brainstorm ideas before diving into a paper. ChatGPT isn’t accurate 100% of the time, and has limited knowledge of world events or publications after 2021. The misuse and inaccuracy could be a cause for concern for the faculty at the College. However, there are ways to take advantage of this technology that do not conflict with the Honor Code. If you’re walking to class and realize that you didn’t read the assigned article, you could use ChatGPT to summarize the main points to prepare for the class discussion.

Ultimately, this technology can be helpful in a pinch, but is best reserved for answering broad questions to gather your thoughts before tackling an assignment and should never be presented as your original work. The broad scope of college classes students take is an opportunity to expand their knowledge before entering the real world. Therefore, ChatGPT should be used as a limited tool to help foster your learning, not undermine it.

To the faculty at William and Mary that want a student perspective on assignments, a syllabus, or any other aspect of their course, the Student Partners at the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation are here to help. Please feel free to book an appointment for a consultation, we would be happy to assist with any matter, big or small.