ChatGPT-Enhanced Learning

Module 5: ChatGPT-Enhanced Learning

Student’s Guide to Using ChatGPT in Academia

by Burak Senel

Comparing ChatGPT and the Modern Student 

Although one of the most advanced tools ever developed at this point, ChatGPT comes with some limitations. Let’s take a moment to draw a comparison, placing you, the student, and ChatGPT side by side.

First, ChatGPT currently has a cut-off date for its knowledge. Think of it like a book written up until September 2021. If something new and important on your subject came up after that time, ChatGPT wouldn’t know about it. However, as a student, you’re always learning new things, which gives you the edge.

Second, ChatGPT is a text-only buddy. It doesn’t understand videos, sound, or any non-text information, which are often important in studying complex topics. As a student, you can use these multiple modes of information to gain a fuller understanding of your subject—and reality.

Also, sometimes ChatGPT can come up with things it hasn’t been trained on, which may not be accurate. This behavior is known as “hallucinating.” ChatGPT doesn’t cross-check facts like you can. As a student, your ability to question, investigate, and verify information is an important asset in your learning journey—and life in general.

Lastly, ChatGPT doesn’t have the moral understanding that you do. It doesn’t hold personal values or ethical considerations. You, as a student and a human being, have a moral compass. You can judge right from wrong and understand ethical issues. This not only helps you academically, but also shapes how you interact with the world and others.

Needless to say, ChatGPT doesn’t look well-equipped to go it alone in academia, particularly compared to you.

Maximizing Your Learning with ChatGPT: The Right Approach

How do we make the most of ChatGPT, then?

The answer: by using it as a tool to enhance our learning, and not as an all-knowing doer that “helps” us “do” the assignments.

But ChatGPT is a communcation-reliant tool, that’s what sets it apart. It follows that we need to know how to talk to it.

ChatGPT-COMM101: The Art of Communicating with ChatGPT

Effective interaction with ChatGPT is a skill, and, like any skill, it improves with experience. Just as you’d adjust your approach while communicating with different people, honing your prompts for different tasks can yield significantly better results.

When crafting your prompts, think of them as clear, concise instructions, especially in the beginning of the conversation. Here are four useful, tried, and tested prompting tips:

1. One Topic at a Time: Ensure that your prompt is centered around one topic at a time. For example, if you’re asking for an explanation about quantum physics, don’t mix in a request for a recipe recommendation. A prompt like “Explain quantum entanglement and suggest a good pasta recipe” will confuse ChatGPT and likely lead to an unsatisfactory response.
2. Define Roles and Expected Outputs: Let ChatGPT know the role it’s supposed to play and what you expect from it. If you’re seeking a summary, specify it. If you want a detailed explanation, mention it. A prompt like “As a helpful Spanish tutor, can you explain the Spanish future tense to me in the form of a table?” gives the model a clear role and expected output.
3. Use Examples: Examples guide ChatGPT’s response and help it understand the format you’re looking for. For example, if you’re asking it to write a poem about spring, you could say, “Write a poem about spring, like Robert Frost’s ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ focuses on winter.”
4. Provide External Information: ChatGPT doesn’t have the ability to access or understand specific information outside the context you provide in your prompt and conversation. For instance, if you’re asking for an analysis of a recent news article, you would need to provide the text of the article within your prompt. The more context you provide, the better it can tailor its responses to your needs. (Keep in mind your data might be visible to OpenAI.)

Best Practices for Using ChatGPT in Your Academic Journey

If you intend to use ChatGPT for academic purposes, here are four best practices: 

1. Ask first: If you intend to use ChatGPT in class, always consult your instructor. Ensure it’s permissible and understand how to use it within the context of your class. Remember, proper citation is still required. (Check OpenAI’s publication and sharing policy and APA and MLA citation guidelines.)
2. Reflect on it: Don’t forget to take a step back and reflect on your usage of ChatGPT. How is it aiding your learning process? Are there ways you could use it more effectively?
3. Have it cite sources: When relevant, make sure to ask it to provide sources for its answers. This not only helps you verify the information but also aids in building a healthy practice of citation and respect for intellectual property.
4. Have it justify its answers: Lastly, ask ChatGPT to justify its answers. This doesn’t just help deepen your understanding, but also allows you to critically engage with the information ChatGPT presents, in consideration of it's potential to hallucinate from time to time.

Unlocking Success with ChatGPT: A Toolkit for Learning

ChatGPT unfolds its educational potential in a multitude of roles you can assign to it. My personal favorites are:

1. ChatGPT as a Tutor: One of ChatGPT’s remarkable roles is as a tutor. Be it a language, coding, or even preparing for an exam, ChatGPT can help you learn content. I use it to practice my German and decipher that tricky JavaScript problem I encounter, always double checking its answers.
2. ChatGPT as Outliner: ChatGPT can help you outline your thoughts. Whether it’s a research paper or a class presentation, ChatGPT can assist in organizing your thoughts systematically.
3. ChatGPT as Evaluator: ChatGPT can also provide some level of feedback. From reviewing your essay draft to checking the coherence of your topic sentences, ChatGPT can provide a fresh pair of “eyes” on your work.
4. ChatGPT as Idea Generator: Ever been stuck trying to come up with a catchy title or an intriguing opening sentence? ChatGPT can generate some options and give you inspiration.
5. ChatGPT as a Reading Companion: This one is my favorite. Reading a complex text? Try using ChatGPT as your reading buddy and have it ELI5 the complex terms to you. It can explain tricky concepts, summarize long passages, and make your reading process much smoother.

Revisiting the True Purpose of Education: The Role of Experience and Discomfort

Before we part ways, let’s remember one crucial thing: the purpose of education is to learn. And to learn, we need to experience doing. Want to become a singer? You need to sing. A writer? Write. A fisher? Fish.

Assignments aren’t arbitrary burdens; they’re intentional stepping stones designed to help you practice, integrate, and apply new knowledge. These little controlled experience packages enable your learning.

When you use tools like ChatGPT to sidestep this process, it’s like short-circuiting your own intellectual growth. This growth is where your brain’s neurons fire, form new connections, and genuinely broaden your mental landscape.

Who would willingly choose the steeper, rockier path when a smooth, paved road lies just beside it? Many of us, naturally, might gravitate toward the easier route. But, paraphrasing the wise words of Vygotsky, your next level of development lies just a step beyond your comfort zone, often represented by that challenging path.

If we understand that growth and learning often come with some discomfort, we may start to question whether the easy road truly leads us to our intended destination. So, as tempting as it may be to let ChatGPT do your assignments for you, first ask yourself this: the road looks easier, but is there growth for me at the end of it?