The project in Denmark introduces artificial intelligence into schools

2024-01-14 20:59:32, Tech CNA

Since the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT became available last year to the general public, schools around the world have faced difficulties created by the use of this program by students and concerns created by copying of content. ChatGPT and other similar AI programs almost immediately became a convenient source of copying. However, five schools in Denmark are already encouraging the use of this technology in certain subjects, as part of a new two-year project.

With the beginning of the school year in Denmark, the students at the "Horsens" high school have a new tool available to use during the lesson - the ChatGPT program of the OpenAI company.

"As soon as it came out, people were talking about it and how they could use it," says 17-year-old student Jacob Yde Dideriksen.

"I think everyone takes his use as a copycat. It's a new thing that can give you all the answers you want in a few seconds," says 18-year-old student Fie Norskov.

English teacher Mette Molgaard Pedersen says it only took a few weeks for texts to land on her desk that were clearly produced by artificial intelligence.

“Within two or three weeks I received the first three essays created by ChatGPT. So the students started using it immediately," she says.

Instead of taking measures to block the use of the ChatGPT program, Ms. Pedersen began to design a project to use it in class.

"From my experience, students would use it without thinking too much and thus it becomes a barrier to learning. If we can change the way it is used, so that it becomes a learning tool, then we will have benefited a lot, giving the students a new learning tool, but also for the relationship we have with the students", she says.

Five secondary schools are participating in the already started project. Only in the "Horsens" high school there are about 1200 students, from 15 to 20 years old. Teacher Petersen underlines that the main purpose of the school is not to catch students who copy, but to teach them.

Students in her class already see artificial intelligence as a useful tool to use in the classroom.

"I think it's a good way to use it. It gives you some answers. If you have doubts about what the text is about, you can use it to understand it better", says student Fie.

“It's pretty much a tool like any other tool in the world. It's like a search program, but with which you can be more specific," says student Jacob.

Although the two-year project is still in its infancy, teacher Pedersen is already seeing the first fruits.

"They can ask for e.g. ChatGPT to make a list of the main points of the text they are struggling to understand, and then they can go back to that text to gain a better understanding, and that's helpful,” she says.

Many other educators have taken the opposite approach and even reverted to paper-based exams after years of testing in digital forms.

Other educators aren't too concerned and say that for those students looking to find ways to copy, this is simply the last option.

Education consultant Tine Wirenfeldt Jense is a member of the expert group that is advising the Danish Ministry of Education on the issue of the ChatGPT program. She says it is important to maintain an open dialogue with students.

"In many countries, the fact is that you can't even talk about it, as you are immediately considered a bad person, who is not at all interested in the formation of a healthy, curious and competent new generation," she says.

The immediate growth of artificial intelligence programs has created new questions for educators, who are dedicated to the work of ensuring that students not only get the right answers, but also understand how they should work for this purpose./ VOA