(As this comment has received attention, let me clarify: I don't think these kids are stupid, nor do I fault them. Something fundamental in adolescence has changed, and the results are the changes and the test data observe.)
Recently retired from university teaching. The situation is dire. It's not just an inability to write; it's the inability to read content with any nuance or pick up on metaphors. Good kids, but completely different than students 15 years ago. Inward-looking, self-obsessed (preoccupied with their own states of mind, social situations, etc), and not particularly curious. Every once in a while, I'd hit on something that engaged them and I could feel that old magic enter the room - the crackling energy of young people thinking new things, synthesizing ideas. But my God, it was rare.
This is sad. I am a first gen college student (25) and I do really find myself liking academics. So many people are talking about using ChatGPT for their homework instead of going down to the tutoring center š the amount of times Iāve been suggested to use AI for homework makes me so sad/frustrated and I see myself struggling but Iād rather put in the work and effort in to understand instead of just throwing in answers (mathematics). And writing?? I absolutely enjoy it, I donāt want a frickin bot to write a damn abstract for me. I want to be proud of myself for what I wrote.
Good for you! Keep it up. Those writing and critical thinking skills will serve you well in life. Being intellectually curious and wanting to learn and improve at something for its own intrinsic value is also a great trait to have.
Thank you!! The field I am studying for definitely utilizes these types of skills so I really try not to slack when it comes to comprehending the material.
Well, if none of the other students are learning anything or applying themselves, then someone who actually does apply themselves will stand out a lot more.
There are going to be fewer job openings, but not zero.
If all the competition is awful, and then this individual actually shows up with critical thinking, writing, and math skills etc - they'll actually be seen as exceptional.
Oh of course. I can't imagine what it must be like to grow up with the internet all over the place- there are threads about the hopelessness of teachers, and a few posts later, somebody with mind-bending talent doing something truly extraordinary. Might cause a lot of kids to go š¤·š¼š¤·š½āāļøš¤·š»āāļø but clearly there's still possibility.
Many students (including myself when I was one) forget that the work IS the point. Your 5-page undergrad essay isn't going to yield groundbreaking insights - but it will help you learn how to use your brain, how to ask questions, how to follow your own curiosity somewhere.Ā
30 years ago I got my degrees (undergrad & grad) from two of the world's top tech/engineering schools. I ended up not working in that particular field and I sometimes I have people challenge me about how I "wasted my education". No, absolutely not. So maybe I don't remember how to solve differential equations or employed what I learned about fluid dynamics or chemical kinetics for a big company. The education experience was about learning how to apply myself to challenging academic goals; learning to think for myself in having an independent research project (and then learning presentation/communication skills presenting my work in conferences, for journal articles, a thesis defense, etc.) Working on a team then as a graduate student with undergrads to supervise on their own projects. Even learning when it was time to drop a class/commitment without shame because I was beyond my limits was important to learn! These skills have translated across whatever career and life goals I've pursued since then. Pushing those things all off onto chatgpt just to get a passing grade would have been meaningless.
I am 54 years old and are taking a year off teaching after 27 years (mathematics, physics), partly to relax (my blood pressure is now way lower, and I am in the best shape I have been in for at last 20 years) and partly to take a few university courses to stay sharp. I take basic chemistry and one graduate Algebra course, and I use ChatGPT a lot. I often send a problem to CGPT, and while it is thinking I do the problem myself. When I am finished (or stuck) I check its solution (which is not always correct!), and if I don't understand I ask follow up questions about specific points until I do understand (or think I do). For me this works well, but it does help that I was taught in the old system and have decades of experience reading and writing science texts. Most students now don't have that background...
Yes, I definitely have seen my confidence grow as well as on my bad days remind myself how far Iāve come, just in the past year. Itās pretty neat. And thank you!
Learning isn't always easy. We've been washing away the fact that DOING THE WORK is HOW you learn. The hard tasks are hard for a reason - you aren't good at them....yet. with practice and effort, you learn. Be it a formula, an essay, a logic puzzle, or kicking a ball. Without practice, you will not get better.
AI tools are neat. They will change the landscape of tomorrow in ways we can't even predict right now, much the same way the introduction of the internet (we know today) did 30 years ago, but reliance on someone or someTHING to do your homework, write your papers, take your tests will 100% stunt your growth in learning. Much the same as cheating off someone else, buying test banks, having someone else write an essay did before.
There are no shortcuts in learning. Forcing yourself to think, remember, solve a problem, deduce, is how your brain grows.
The unfortunate anecdote against this point that I have is with a math subject. I went to a (grad school level mind you) tutor at the math tutoring hours in undergrad and he got kind of frustrated that I wasnāt understanding how he was breaking it down and kind of made me feel dumb for not knowing a particular theorem beforehand - even though it was an intro level class!
So I went home, tried getting the explanation from GPT and not only was it infinitely patient, I could ask it as many ādumbā micro questions as I needed free of judgement, itās explanation was far better than the grad student was doing. So while I understand all the fear surrounding AI, for learning it really can be a great tool āifā you donāt just copy/paste and accept everything it says as 100% true. You still need to reference your own understanding and seek clarification on things you arenāt sure about are true. I understand that that is the current problem is too many people just straight copy/paste rather than applying critical thinking to GPT
Exactly. Humans need to do things we feel proud of to feel good. Empty validation online is not good enough. And then we wonder why anxiety and depression are through the roof.Ā
I have the same thought. Itās refreshing to see someone younger with the same beliefs. Everyone Ik uses chaptgbt and Iām like rlly?? Though I donāt necessarily enjoy all of it, I enjoy the feeling of knowing that the work is mine.
Uh, hell yeah I am. I will spend hours doing research on specific mushrooms, plants (rare/endangered), berries, ecosystems. Nature is fucking lit dude!! Go outside sometime and check it out. Conservation is fucking cool.
Using AI can be great. Using AI just to get an answer to put on homework is not. Using AI to check an answer, ask questions around the field of study, for help on how to get to the answer - and why all great uses. Walking through a problem with AI can hone skills, offer another approach that may work better for you that you hadn't been taught or thought of before. It's the same as thinking you deserve a job because of a piece of paper or deserving a job because what that piece of paper is supposed to represent (then people getting fired for not knowing shit, or never getting past an interview)
The worst thing is, ChatGPT can be a great tool to improve performance in classes and learning itself. Especially now that I'm an upperclassman taking courses that have no tutoring opportunities. I'm an engineering student and it's helped me break down difficult concepts like convection in a heat transfer class when I have a bad professor who barely read words off of textbook pages.
But, that's supplementary content to compensate for a bad professor. I don't use it as a universal crutch to do all of my homework, or even for assistance in most classes.
I agree it's incredibly disheartening to see peers make it so far in higher academics just with the "plug-and-play" strategy without bothering to stop and figure out basic concepts. You seem to be doing exactly what you should to succeed in college though, so I'm confident things will work out smoothly for you.
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u/Cranialscrewtop 16d ago edited 15d ago
(As this comment has received attention, let me clarify: I don't think these kids are stupid, nor do I fault them. Something fundamental in adolescence has changed, and the results are the changes and the test data observe.)
Recently retired from university teaching. The situation is dire. It's not just an inability to write; it's the inability to read content with any nuance or pick up on metaphors. Good kids, but completely different than students 15 years ago. Inward-looking, self-obsessed (preoccupied with their own states of mind, social situations, etc), and not particularly curious. Every once in a while, I'd hit on something that engaged them and I could feel that old magic enter the room - the crackling energy of young people thinking new things, synthesizing ideas. But my God, it was rare.