Adapting to the AI Era: ChatGPT in the Classroom
By Jennifer Spindel, University of New Hampshire, and James Ackerman, The George Washington University
The rise of ChatGPT has raised profound questions about its impact on the traditional university experience. This article addresses the discourse surrounding ChatGPT by investigating the actual capabilities of AI writing at the undergraduate level. To study the strengths and limitations of AI in the classroom, we conducted a survey experiment involving faculty assessment of essays generated by ChatGPT. Contrary to concerns of diminishing academic rigor and standards, our findings suggest that ChatGPT’s effectiveness is influenced by user knowledge, indicating potential for symbiotic integration into pedagogical approaches. Rather than spell the end of the college essay, we suggest that ChatGPT offers opportunities to open discussions about information literacy and verification of information. For universities, our study suggests revising university AI-usage policies and incorporating AI into teaching and learning objectives.
The Journal of Political Science Education is an intellectually rigorous, path-breaking, agenda-setting journal that publishes the highest quality scholarship on teaching and pedagogical issues in political science. The journal aims to represent the full range of questions, issues and approaches regarding political science education, including teaching-related issues, methods and techniques, learning/teaching activities and devices, educational assessment in political science, graduate education, and curriculum development.