Artificial intelligence (AI) is broadly defined as a set of technologies that allow computers to perform advanced functions such as mimicking conversation and ‘learning.’ AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in IHS students’ lives, with a survey conducted by The Tattler finding that forty-nine percent of students reported that they used AI for school assignments in the past year. Despite the rise in the use of AI, IHS has yet to outline any district-wide policies or rules regarding its regulation. This lack of clarity has led to wildly varied classroom policies; some teachers encourage thoughtful engagement with AI, while others have strict rules against it. While it is true that AI can assist students in producing strong work, over-reliance on these capabilities can harm students’ critical thinking and intellectual skills as they let AI do higher functions for them. IHS must take a clear stance on AI to ensure that AI, when used, contributes to students’ learning rather than impeding it.
As students enter into higher education and the workforce, they are expected to display advanced levels of critical thinking and creativity. While creativity can be impeded by the overuse of AI, there is potential for tools like Grammarly or Quizlet to utilize AI to help students improve their work and study. AP Biology teacher Conor Higgins has recently introduced SchoolAI, a large language model (LLM) chatbot, to his classroom. It yielded mixed results: students did utilize the tool to review to study for an upcoming test, but Higgins pointed out that “while AI can be useful for summarizing difficult concepts, it often gets specifics incorrect or emphasizes the wrong details,” adding that he hopes “students have learned its limitations and will find it useful as a supplementary tool and not use it as their sole resource.”
Before more teachers can begin to utilize AI in their classrooms, students must be taught about responsible AI usage. There should be clear distinctions made between supportive AI and AI that damages students’ learning. Though many IHS students use ChatGPT or other large language models, discussion of its uses and clear articulation of the guidelines surrounding it are still missing from many IHS classrooms. One way to make this difference clear is facilitating classroom conversation about AI, which would improve literacy and critical thinking skills surrounding AI. Teachers should try to improve their understanding of AI so that they can encourage students to engage with it thoughtfully. When used properly, AI can be a powerful tool for studying before tests, for example, LLM chatbots are able to answer specific questions and allow students to quiz themselves. As of now, many students aren’t taught about the beneficial ways to use AI, which could be improved if teachers learned more about it and brought their research to classrooms.
At the moment, school policy surrounding AI otherwise is fairly sparse. While some teachers have outlined their own AI policies, many don’t cover it in class discussions or the syllabus. As AI-generated work becomes more common, teachers will have to take measures against it in their classes. AI detectors are commonly utilized by teachers but can produce false positives, and students who know how to use AI subtly can pass work by teachers without raising red flags. To remedy this, ICSD must implement a clear, district-wide policy regarding AI. Although the Tattler Editorial Board does believe that this policy should include an AI section of the ICSD Code of Conduct or a statement on academic integrity, the policy must also go beyond a generalized statement about AI usage in IHS. Acceptable use of AI varies widely depending on the subject, so each department should have different guidelines regarding its use.
As part of measures against AI, ICSD should also have a standardized artificial intelligence checker used to review student work. A tool like this should be used with caution—as a part of a larger case as opposed to the end-all-be-all result. AI checkers have proven to be inaccurate in the past and being falsely accused of computer-aided plagiarism could be quite damaging to students’ self-esteem. There should be a standardized procedure for teachers to take when they suspect a student of having used AI in their work, and this procedure must take into account the unreliable nature of AI checkers. While it is currently possible to detect AI writing, this can and likely will change in the future. This makes establishing an AI policy as soon as possible all the more important. The longer this growing problem is ignored, the more rampant misuse of it will become.
AI is a new and important technology, one with the ability to enrich and to harm students’ learning experiences. Having clear but permissive guidelines about its usage in classrooms can help students and teachers to better adjust to the sudden addition of such a powerful tool.
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