Abstract
The literature around Artificial-Intelligence (AI) and particularly Chat-Generative Pre-Trained-Transformers (ChatGPT) in curricula is limited (Rodolf, Tan and Tan, 2023) with only eight publications focusing on the topic at the time of this paper. The emergence of near human AI tools has the potential to significantly impact assessments in Higher-Education for students and staff. AI-based natural language production systems are now able to produce unique text with minimal human intervention (Straume and Anson, 2022). This paper considers an alternative perspective, that AI tools and ChatGPT could be considered ‘friends-not-foes’ and are perhaps the latest innovation that will aid students in creating applied work.
Banks (2011, p.63) argues that "educators have long-feared that new technological advances will subvert their students learning processes" and AI is merely the latest iteration of this. In contrast Rodolf, Tan and Tan (2023) argue that little has meaningfully changed within the context of classrooms, arguing that our ancestors would be remarkably comfortable and familiar in a modern-day classroom. While AI has the potential to significantly impact assessment, it may do little to impact teaching methods.
The paper proposes a method to integrate ChatGPT into assessment in a managed and structured way. The proposal is one that should aid students in the early writing of their work, while presenting the opportunity to meaningfully adding additional context and meaning to the arguments presented by AI. Elon Musk described the benefits of ‘ChatGPT [as] scary good’ and having the potential to change the world. Universities and business-schools must react (Piper, 2022).
We propose enabling students to make use of AI and ChatGPT for the starting point of their work before asking them to add meaning and context to the generic text to meet the assessment and learning outcomes. Apprentice students will understand the context and limitations of the AI text, as they are employed by their apprenticeship provider. The fictitious case example considers a group of apprentice students who work for the BBC. Rodolf, Tan and Tan (2023) consider serious limitations of ChatGPT at present, as it cannot yet provide sources and quotations. The two elements clearly remain important to academic works.
We aim to spark debate among academics as to the limitations, benefits, and challenges of adopting ChatGPT as a tool to aid assessment in business-schools. Whilst considering that students are likely to be adopting the same tools, in the same way that students of mathematics can use calculators.