Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing education while making discovering more available but also sparking debates on its impact.
While trainees hail AI tools like ChatGPT for improving their learning experience, speakers are raising concerns about the growing reliance on AI, which they argue fosters laziness and weakens academic integrity, particularly with numerous trainees unable to safeguard their tasks or given works.
Prof. Isaac Nwaogwugwu, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, in an interview with Nairametrics, revealed frustration over the growing dependence on AI-generated responses among trainees stating a current experience he had.
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"I offered a project to my MBA trainees, and out of over 100 trainees, about 40% sent the exact same answers. These students did not even know each other, but they all utilized the very same AI tool to produce their actions," he said.
He noted that this trend prevails amongst both undergraduate and postgraduate students however is especially concerning in part-time and range learning programs.
"AI is a major obstacle when it comes to tasks. Many students no longer think critically-they just browse the web, create answers, and send," he added.
Surprisingly, some speakers are also accused of over-relying on AI, setting a cycle where both teachers and trainees turn to AI for convenience instead of intellectual rigor.
This dispute raises important questions about the function of AI in scholastic integrity and trainee development.
According to a UNESCO report, while ChatGPT reached 100 million regular monthly active users in January 2023, just one nation had actually launched policies on generative AI as of July 2023.
As of December 2024, ChatGPT had over 300 million individuals using the AI chatbot every week and 1 billion messages sent out every day around the world.
Decline of scholastic rigor
University speakers are significantly concerned about trainees sending AI-generated assignments without genuinely comprehending the material.
Dr. Felix Echekoba, a speaker at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, expressed his issues to Nairametrics about trainees significantly relying on ChatGPT, only to fight with responding to fundamental questions when tested.
"Many trainees copy from ChatGPT and submit sleek assignments, but when asked fundamental questions, they go blank. It's frustrating due to the fact that education has to do with finding out, not just passing courses," he said.
- Prof. Nwaogwugwu pointed out that the increasing number of first-class graduates can not be totally credited to AI however admitted that even high-performing students use these tools.
"A first-rate trainee is a top-notch trainee, AI or not, however that does not mean they don't cheat. The advantages of AI may be peripheral, but it is making students dependent and less analytical," he stated.
- Another lecturer, Dr. Ereke, from Ebonyi State University, raised a different issue that some lecturers themselves are guilty of the very same practice.
"It's not just students using AI slackly. Some lecturers, out of their own laziness, generate lesson notes, course describes, marking schemes, and even exam concerns with AI without examining them. Students in turn utilize AI to produce responses. It's a cycle of laziness and it is eliminating real knowing," he regreted.
Students' perspectives on use
Students, on the other hand, say AI has improved their learning experience by making scholastic products more understandable and available.
- Eniola Arowosafe, a 300-level Business Administration student at Unilag, bphomesteading.com shared how AI has actually substantially helped her knowing by breaking down complex terms and offering summaries of prolonged texts.
"AI helped me understand things more quickly, especially when handling complex subjects," she explained.
However, she remembered a circumstances when she used AI to send her task, just for her speaker to immediately recognize that it was produced by ChatGPT and decline it. Eniola noted that it was a good-bad effect.
- Bryan Okwuba, who just recently finished with a first-class degree in Pharmacy Technology from the University of Lagos, strongly believes that his scholastic success wasn't due to any AI tool. He attributes his exceptional grades to actively engaging by asking concerns and focusing on areas that lecturers highlight in class, as they are frequently reflected in examination concerns.
"It's everything about being present, focusing, and using the wealth of knowledge shared by my associates," he said,
- Tunde Awoshita, a final-year marketing trainee at UNIZIK, confesses to sometimes copying directly from ChatGPT when facing several deadlines.
"To be truthful, there are times I copy straight from ChatGPT when I have several due dates, and I know I'm guilty of that, many times the lecturers don't get to review them, but AI has actually also helped me discover quicker."
Balancing AI's function in education
Experts believe the option lies in AI literacy
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Leslee Brookman edited this page 2025-02-02 11:10:09 +01:00