To GPT or not GPT? Empowering our students to learn with AI
Open accessAbstract
I argue that ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools pose three main threats to our current education systems, creating problems of measurement, information accuracy, and skill devaluation. But when we place these threats into historical context, we see that AI tools can also empower students and level the educational playing field. In classrooms from primary to tertiary and spanning all content areas, we can help our students become critical thinkers by using ChatGPT to comprehend texts, aggregate knowledge, and understand genre conventions in prose as well as programming. The aim is to help students leverage AI as a tool that they question and critique, advancing their own comprehension, research, and composition skills in the process.
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GPT and other Large Language Models can create customized learning experiences, adapting to academic requirements and each student's learning style, pace, and preferences.
“By analyzing student data and employing advanced algorithms, GPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) can create customized learning experiences, adapting not only to academic requirements but also to each student's learning style, pace, and preferences.”
From Embracing the future of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom: the relevance of AI literacy, prompt engineering, and critical thinking in modern education (2024) · cites this paper as Steele, 2023
Cites
GPT detectors are biased against non-native English writers
Liang, W., Yuksekgonul, M., Mao, Y., Wu, E., & Zou, J. (2023) · Patterns · doi:10.1016/j.patter.2023.100779 · Cited by 673 · see citing works
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Walter, Y. (2024) · International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education · doi:10.1186/s41239-024-00448-3 · Cited by 1,113 · see citing works
“…academic requirements but also to each student’s learning style, pace, and preferences. leads to a more dynamic and effective educational environment, where students are actively engaged and involved in their learning journey, rather than being mere passive recipients of information (Steele, 2023).”
Samala, A. D., Rawas, S., Wang, T., Reed, J. M., Kim, J., Howard, N.-J., & Ertz, M. (2025) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-024-12936-0 · Cited by 229 · see citing works
Generative <scp>AI</scp> in education and research: A systematic mapping review
Yusuf, A., Pervin, N., Román‐González, M., & Noor, N. M. (2024) · Review of Education · doi:10.1002/rev3.3489 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Challenges and Limitations of Generative AI in Education
Gökoğlu, S. (2024) · Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-1351-0.ch008 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
- Authors
- Steele, J. L.
- Affiliations
- American University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Steele, Jennifer L.
- ORCID
- Steele, Jennifer L.
- Venue
- Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023
- Volume
- 5
- Pages
- 100160
- ISSN
- 2666-920X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4385633461
- Cited by
- 97
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 4
- FWCI
- 22.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Computers and Education Artificial Intelligence (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- American University
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Educational Technology in Learning
- Keywords
- ChatGPT, generative AI in education, critical thinking, student empowerment, information accuracy, text comprehension, research skills, composition skills, educational equity, history of educational technology
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