I bet you are already aware of ChatGPT. I've been watching the posts, tweets, freakouts about it over the holiday vacation. (Here's a great resource about ChatGPT, HT to Bryan Alexander https://bryanalexander.org/future-of-education/resources-for-exploring-chatgpt-and-higher-education/) I finally started playing around with it. I started by asking ChatGPT to summarize an online article, then write a series of tweets about the article, then write a sonnet(!) about the article. It did all three tasks more than adequately. BTW, all I had to do was paste in the link to the article, not the entire article itself.
The article I asked ChatGPT to summarize was from Boston Review. I wondered if ChatGPT could summarize journal articles just by including the DOI in my request. No deal. It told me:
I'm sorry, but I am unable to access or summarize specific articles as my training data only goes up until 2021, and I do not have browsing capabilities. Is there anything else I may be able to help with?
Anyone know how to get it to summarize journal articles?
Then I decided to turn to asking ChatGPT to describe something without giving it a source. I simply asked it to "describe what ungrading is". Here's what it said:
Ungrading, also known as alternative grading or competency-based grading, is a teaching and assessment approach that focuses on students demonstrating their understanding and mastery of material rather than on traditional grading systems that rely on grades, such as A, B, C, etc. In an ungrading system, students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through various forms of assessment, such as projects, presentations, essays, or exams, and they are given feedback and guidance along the way to help them progress and improve.
Ungrading can be implemented in a variety of ways, depending on the goals and context of the course or program. Some common features of ungrading include:
- - A focus on learning and mastery rather than grades
- - Multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding
- - Individualized feedback and support to help students improve
- - A flexible and personalized approach to assessment
- - An emphasis on self-assessment and self-directed learning
Overall, ungrading is designed to provide a more holistic and learner-centered approach to education, allowing students to progress at their own pace and focus on their own learning goals.
This certainly gets the gist of ungrading correct, and remember my request was very basic. So I went further: write a description of ungrading as if you are explaining it to a student.
Ungrading is a different way of thinking about grades and assessment in school. Instead of earning grades like A, B, C, or D, you will be working towards demonstrating your understanding and mastery of the material. This means that you will have multiple opportunities to show what you know and can do, through things like projects, presentations, essays, or exams.
One of the key features of ungrading is that it is flexible and personalized. This means that you will have some control over how you demonstrate your learning and can choose the approaches that work best for you. You will also receive regular feedback and support along the way to help you understand what you need to do to improve.
In an ungrading system, the focus is on learning and growth, rather than just getting a good grade. This means that you have the chance to take your time and really understand the material, rather than just trying to get the right answer on a test. It also means that you will have to take more responsibility for your own learning, by setting goals and working towards them independently.
Overall, ungrading is designed to provide a more engaging and meaningful learning experience for students. It allows you to focus on what you are interested in and what you want to learn, rather than just trying to get good grades. So, it's a different way of thinking about school, but it can be very rewarding if you are willing to put in the effort and take control of your own learning.
This is pretty great. I would consider using this as a first draft for my syllabus.
What about something a bit more sophisticated? "What does ungrading have in comon with self-determination theory?" [yes, ChatGPT can deal with typos.]
Ungrading and self-determination theory (SDT) are both approaches that focus on supporting individuals' autonomy and agency in their learning and development.
SDT is a psychological theory that explains how people's sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness influence their motivation and well-being. According to SDT, people are more likely to be motivated and engaged when they feel that they have control over their own lives and are able to pursue their own goals and interests.
Ungrading is a teaching and assessment approach that aligns with these principles by giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of material in ways that are meaningful and relevant to them. It also emphasizes individualized feedback and support to help students progress and improve at their own pace.
Overall, both ungrading and SDT recognize the importance of supporting individuals' autonomy and agency in their learning and development, and both approaches seek to provide a more personalized and learner-centered approach to education.
Going for broke here: "describe a college course that combines ungrading, self-determination theory, problem-based learning, and wicked problems and is about climate change"
A college course on climate change that combines ungrading, self-determination theory, problem-based learning, and wicked problems could be structured as follows:
Course Description: This course will explore the causes and impacts of climate change, as well as strategies for addressing and mitigating its effects. Students will work on real-world problems related to climate change, using a problem-based learning approach and applying their knowledge and skills to find creative and innovative solutions. The course will also use an ungrading approach, giving students multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the material and allowing them to take control of their own learning.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the causes and impacts of climate change, including the scientific evidence and the social and economic consequences.
- Analyze the challenges and opportunities associated with addressing climate change, including the role of technology, policy, and behavior change.
- Identify and evaluate strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change, including at the individual, community, and global levels.
- Develop and defend their own position on a specific aspect of climate change, using evidence-based arguments and critical thinking skills.
- Work effectively in teams to research and solve complex problems related to climate change, using a problem-based learning approach.
Course Structure: The course will be structured around a series of wicked problems related to climate change, which students will work on in small groups using a problem-based learning approach. Each problem will be open-ended and complex, requiring students to apply their knowledge and skills to find creative solutions. The course will also incorporate principles from self-determination theory, creating a learning environment that supports students' autonomy and allows them to pursue their own goals and interests.
Assessment: Assessment in the course will be based on an ungrading approach, with students given multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the material. This may include projects, presentations, essays, exams, or other forms of assessment, depending on the goals and objectives of the course. Students will also be given regular feedback and support along the way to help them progress and improve.
Still lots of details to work out if this course were to be actually delivered, but the structure, scope, and especially Learning Outcomes, could all satisfy various committees, IMO.
Generally, I have been less concerned about AI and ChatGPT replacing me. I thought that AI would certainly become assistants or tools for professors and many others. I still think that will happen. But I suspect that OpenAI (and others) already have a better version than ChatGPT, and that the rate of improvement might well outpace Moore's Law. How long before the student becomes the master?
