Your students are using ChatGPT

I’m probably not the first to suggest that your students are using ChatGPT, but if you’re not yet convinced, I’m here to give you a glimpse into how frequently and in what ways your students may be using ChatGPT. This will be most pertinent to those teaching data science and/or programming courses, but I’d venture to guess much of it’s applicable in the humanities and elsewhere as well.

tl;dr Summary

  • 60% and 72% of students in my large-enrollment data science and programming courses (respectively) reported using an AI-based LLM for school tasks
  • Daily use is not yet typical
  • Students more likely to perceive AI-based LLMs as supporting their learning than hindering it

Introduction

This past Spring term I taught two courses at UC San Diego: COGS 18 Introduction to Python and COGS 9 Introduction to Data Science. Very briefly, COGS 18 is an intro-level undergraduate, programming course (think: CS1). The vast majority of students are either cognitive science or psychology majors, for whom this (or an equivalent programming course) is required. COGS 9 is an intro-level, undergraduate survey course focused on introducing the concepts in data science to students while requiring reading, critical thinking, a deep consideration of ethics, and effective communication. This class is required of data science majors and minors; the majority of students are math, data science, economics, or cognitive science majors. This past term there were 345 students in COGS 18 and 295 students in COGS 9. In both courses, LLMs (like ChatGPT) were discussed in class and students were allowed to utilize them as a tool to support their learning throughout the term. In COGS 18, we had two in-class, closed-book exams where LLMs/the internet were not used/accessible.

Post-course Survey

At the end of the term, I included the same set of questions about students’ use of LLMs in their learning in both courses on their post-course surveys. Completing this survey was optional, but a small amount of extra credit was offered for completion. Before releasing the survey, I reminded students in class that ChatGPT was allowed in these courses and that I’m curious about their use and not trying to “catch” anyone; however, I’d imagine (as with all survey data) there would be some hesitancy in students responding with full honesty in some cases. In COGS 18, 223 students (64%) completed the survey; in COGS 9, 215 students did so (73%).

In response to the question Have you used an AI-based LLM (i.e. ChatGPT or Copilot) for school tasks yet (either in COGS X OR another course)?, 161 (72%) students responded “Yes” in COGS 18; 130 (60%) responded “Yes” in COGS 9.

Those who responded “Yes” were asked a number of additional questions, the responses to which are summarized/included below.

How often do you use ChatGPT (or a similar technology) for schoolwork?

Of the students who have used ChatGPT for schoolwork, they vary in their frequency of use, as we see below. I’ll highlight that in a technical programming course (COGS 18), we see a slight shift to more frequent use. Of course there are many reasons why this could be the case - different students, different majors, etc. - but I’d venture to guess that in most programming courses, its use is pretty regular by a large fraction of students. I’ll also note we saw office hours attendance and online questions asked nosedive this quarter. Our best guess: students are getting their answers elsewhere…via AI-based LLMs.

COGS 18

COGS 9

How do you think ChatGPT (or similar technologies) has helped you in your studies?

When answering this question students highlight a lot of really great ways in which tools like ChatGPT can help them: clarifications, explanations, rewording/improving clarity of student writing, testing their work, removing anxiety, getting started, additional practice problems, explanations, quick access to information, etc.

Full student responses from each class:

COGS 18
How do you think ChatGPT (or similar technologies) has helped you in your studies?
It helps my come up with concepts but I do the work.
It explains things in layman’s terms and breaks everything down in smaller steps whereas other study tools might skip steps or just give answers which doesn’t help with learning.
There were times when doing either the lab or the assignments where I truly had no idea where to begin and ChatGPT helped me get started. Once I was given some help I would go back to my notes to try to understand the code or I would ask ChatGPT to explain something if I don’t understand. It was my first time using ChatGPT and it was a pleasant experience
I had trouble with one assignment when looking for the specific method that I needed to use. I think ChatGPT definitely helps when looking for and describing specific programming methods, libraries, or other modules that you’re looking for. While I haven’t used it for writing, I definitely think it could help provide the bones of an essay or paper, which would otherwise take hours to write.
Sometimes it can be hard to find answers from Google if my questions are too specific, but ChatGPT can get some of them right away
I can get some sort of explanation right away, instead of waiting.
Yes
ChatGPT was able to give me a neutral perspective on my work and guide me in the right direction if needed.
I think for some things it makes it easier to learn and for some it just does the problems for you, depends on how much I care
A lot, helped narrow searches
I think it is a great tool for simple things, but I would never use it for analytical work. I think professors should teach more about the flaws of chatgpt and how to check what chatgpt says as well as how to determine when it is wrong and what kinds of things you should/shouldn’t use it for. that being said, I frequently use it for things like cracking code errors if I’m at my wit’s end, rephrasing things, and brainstorming, but I think that students need to know that you need to do the work yourself first and have a good idea of where it’s going because it makes a lot of mistakes and can’t really do the heavy lifting.
I think it’s a great thing to lean on when you need help and can’t get it anywhere it else, especially explaining concepts and topics comprehensively in one place.
It has made it easier to access information, while also explaining concepts while giving answers
It has helped in a big way, because you don’t really need to scour Google or YouTube to find information on specific concepts anymore. I mainly use ChatGPT to get me on the right track when it comes to doing a problem, but I’ve never just told it to do a problem for me because it’s usually very wrong.
Breaking down key concepts so that I can learn them
ChatGPT explains things pretty well and it is faster than Google.
It has helped expand on knowledge surrounding computers and programming in general
I think if I need to find an error I put my code in chat gpt and ask it to point out a typo or something else
Yes, it helped explain concepts I needed more explanation for.
I think it gives easy access to explanations and delivers it in a quick manner. Instead of going to office hours at perhaps inconvenient times, I can just paste my code into the application and ask why my code is not performing correctly.
It would help clarify or gives me new ways to learn material
With every writing piece, I copy and paste it into ChatGPT and ask what I can improve and usually it gives me some solid ideas of what to revise or change. This is probably the biggest help I have found out of ChatGPT, as sometimes if you ask it to explain things it’s wrong.
I personally have mainly used it to help me with readings in my history class! It helps me understand a certain portion or paragraph if I end up not understanding its significance, etc. Additionally, when it came to essays or writing prompts (for applications) it’s helped me with introductory paragraphs and grammar.
I think ChatGPT has just helped me be more efficient. I use it for ideas and other things I would otherwise have to search the internet for a long time for. Like brainstorming essay topics and what not. In this class, I used it to help me solve coding problems that I couldn’t figure out after trying for a while and checking the lecture notes. If I still couldn’t solve a problem after that, I would ask ChatGPT to make me a similar example so I could see the concepts we needed in action and that would help me figure out what I needed to do.
It has helped me better understand certain concepts and answered any questions I had
It helps explain topics in a different way. You can questions regarding a topic and it can provide you a lot if information to help you understand it better.
Honestly, I have seen an impact on learning with chatGPT, it has helped me get a deeper understanding of class topics when I needed it.
It has helped me in checking my work for errors and/or to improve it
If I don’t understand what a module does, or if I keep running into errors, I use ChatGPT to check my logic/ code.
It helps with identifying different errors and explaining how I can improve very clearly.
Gave me confidence in my own code, and helped me with troubleshooting if I encountered errors
I simply use it to double check my work so it takes a layer of anxiety away.
Has helped me check my understanding and make sure that I’m going on the right path
I think it was just a way for me to ask my questions. Even if it gave me the completely wrong answer I would try my best to use the answer if possible to find the error in my own code.
It usually helps get me quick answers to simple questions. Sometimes with search engines, like Google, you have to scroll and click on multiple link to find what you are specifically looking for. ChatGPT is typically quick and accurate.
Whenever I was stuck or just needed inspiration, I used ChatGPT because the AI model is very good at explaining these concepts, providing examples of the code, and providing examples of how to implement and use the written code.
It helped me confirm my understanding and tweak the few mistakes I would have in my code. This helped me enjoy the subject more since I felt like my grade wasn’t always in risk as I could catch some of my mistakes through chatGPT. Otherwise, I used it a few times when I was completely stuck to guide me in the correct direction alongside the help of practice problems from lecture notes. This allowed me to get more practice with the material as I figure out how they wrote the code versus how professor explained it in class.
I struggle with asking questions when not in-person, I feel self-conscious, and ChatGPT allows me to ask questions/get clarification without feeling that.
It helps to explain complex concepts in more simple terms, and I am able to have what’s basically a tailored lecture based on my questions and what I don’t understand.
They helped me by explaining the process of solving or writing code.
the first time i ever used chatgbt was in this class, and it helped because it not only gives you an answer to your question that you have but it provides detailed and sometime step by step explanations that can really help you understand the material.
Made me understand a bit better when studying for coding.
it helped explain things that I was struggling with
I think it helped me with explaining obscure concepts that I learned in class that may not be easily accessible with a google search, just to that I can understand it a lot better.
I suck at interpreting instructions sometimes and chatGPT would help me to decipher instructions
Saved me time and allowed me to easier paraphrase long articles that I would have otherwise had to read.
It helped provide a solution with an explanation when I was stuck. From that point I was able to visually see what I did wrong and understood what it should look like in the future.
I think it has helped test my knowledge and I try to fact-check ChatGpt (for this class I would usually use stackoverflow and chatgpt and compare the two)
Since terminology is heavy in CS, having access to everything labeled and defined for reference within the context of specific examples facilitates reading/speaking in CS terminology rather than having someone explain verbally and fluently assuming someone new to CS understands the terminology perfectly. Its simply more efficient, despite spending relatively more time on an assignment for more exposure to examples through ChatGPT
mostly for checking my answers and explaining my mistakes
ChatGPT has been very helpful explaining when my code gets errors that are more complicated than the ones we’ve gone over in class.
ChatGPT provided a step-by-step explanation for codes that didn’t make sense to me. It also helped me check my work.
I think it helped me figure out how to write certain code which I was later able to go over and study and understand why specific things were written.
It has helped me edit my work, as well as understand course concepts better.
I only use it for this class because there are sometimes when I don’t know how to start my code and using chatgpt was very helpful for me to explain/check my understanding of concepts in class. I do try to understand the code it provides .
When I was really stuck chatgpt helped me get my thinking going.
I think it was very helpful in introducing me to specific python libraries that were necessary to my project! (That I didn’t up doing anyways…)
especially for cog neuroscience class, there are a lot of concepts or ideas that are difficult to understand. I use chatgpt to make sure that I fully grasp the idea and the material I am supposed to know for the exam.
I think ChatGPT has helped my learning, as it is able to expedite the searching process for information, however I can see how it can be used to just complete work. I use it primarily to avoid wasting time searching and getting wrong information, with that said ChatGPT is also sometimes incorrect, so it is smart to use it as a tool, but not rely on it as a crutch.
It is definitely very helpful in learning python, and it was my main tool used outside of the lecture notes. It also helps in other courses because a simple question is replied with a full explanation with information that helps give context to the problem I am working on.
I think the most helpful thing that ChatGPT helps me is ChatGPT can let me know where and why I made a mistake, and also can explain to me or give me some solutions.
I think it helped because if often pointed out mistakes I didn’t realize I was making, which saved a lot of time. It also helped me figure out where to start when I was stuck on certain things. It was also helpful because it explains everything to me in the moment, so it was easy to understand concepts that I was struggling on. It also saved a lot of time because I usually do my assignments at night when the TAs and professors are not available to answer my questions.
In this class in particular I found this technology very helpful to my understanding. I sometimes have difficulty speaking up and asking questions in class so being able to have unlimited access for all of my questions makes understanding concepts a lot easier for me. I like being able to ask ‘stupid’ questions or asking it to explain concepts very simply/broken down that I normally wouldn’t ask another person.
I use chat gpt to create practice tests for me to test myself before tests
Yes, it expanded on a lot of things I was confused about.
I think it helped explain what the reasoning behind code and what certain python elements were when I didn’t understand.
It was almost like another teacher, harder to understand, but can teach way more an explain to the very small details so if you have patience with it, you can learn from it.
Yes. Sometimes I have an idea of what to say, but don’t know how to word it the way I want it, so ChatGPT gives me a better idea. I never fully copy from the site, but it does help me brainstorm more of my thoughts. In specific relation to COGS 18, it really helped me with writing code when I was a teensy bit off. I also used it to double check that my code was working as intended.
They work as tutors when that resource is not available to you (explanations, examples, concepts, etc)
It has helped me when I’ve felt completely lost.
probably like explanations? like they good at giving you definitions concepts and such, and sometimes it great when u can paste code in chatgpt to check your work, i learn that chatgpt love to add stuffs so lots of the time it will give you more than you need which will not pass the assert or what the assignments demand, and sometimes it can make your answer more confusing like i paste my original code and it add more a bunch of stuffs, yet it good at giving you example and such
I think it helped me a lot in understanding certain things and especially when I was stuck with an error I would ask what was wrong with my code and it would tell me what I did wrong.
ChatGPT allows me to describe what I want to do without having the exact terms, I just describe the scenario and it makes a good guess
It has helped me a lot in double checking my work and making sure I am doing it right
I think it helps me in the ways I can ask for examples of certain concepts I have yet to understand.
ChatGPT really helped explain code that was difficult to understand and helped me work through problems by comparing my initial answers to the answers ChatGPT provided.
It has been like an on-the-spot tutor for me.
I think it really helps me lead me to the right direction. I started using ChatGPT this quarter to check what was wrong with my code that wasn’t working properly or to help me find a way for my function to follow the direction properly. It mostly helps me realize where I messed up.
It has helped give me a clearer understanding of topics
It has helped me improve code that was not functioning as intended
Yes . It really helps me to effectively learn.
If there was an error in my code, ChatGPT helped list reasons why there could be an error. Then I would go through each reason to see whether it fixed my code.
When I need a overview
COGS 9
How do you think ChatGPT (or similar technologies) has helped you in your studies?
explaining concepts
Due to it being wrong a lot, I used it to help cement my mastery over ideas that it gives me the wrong answer to when I am doing my assignments or studying.
Good for quickly getting clarification on a specific question, especially for questions that are kind of complicated or wouldn’t get me very far in just the google search engine. I know I’ve asked for a comparison between two movies, for example, or a summary– not necessarily in order to write a summary myself but just to get to know what I’m reading before fully engaging. I think it’s also good for when I have follow-up questions because answers are based on/involve what’s previously been asked in the conversation.
Just gives outlines
Chatgpt has helped my writing improve and I always make sure that my writing makes sense
Many I haven’t been asking the right questions, but sometimes it gives me wrong information. More often that not, I would ask a question on ChatGPT and then I would look at another source yo recheck it, and most times the answers do not match.
It helps to provide basic structure of the writing.
Throughout this class, not much. I used it to get a deeper understanding of things within myself.
sometimes I use ChatGPT to translate my sentence and make it better
Sometime it’s helps me with concepts I am confused on when I am too lazy to go to office hour
Catches mistakes i forget and help me in outlining essays
If I’m studying and forget the specifics of a concept, I’ll search it up on ChatGPT to remind myself of minor details. Or, I’ll give ChatGPT information I’m reviewing then ask it to generate questions back to me so I can test my knowledge.
It helps to make the concepts more clear to me.
Mostly giving examples or feedback
Helps me double check my thoughts and ideas
Helps me hear multiple ideas before exploring one more deeply
It has saved me time from looking through various power points or watching a lecture i might have missed
It provides me some general thoughts on the topic I struggled with. It also did a great job in explaining things that I do not understand.
a lot, saved me a lot of time doing research
I think it help me to explore so areas I haven’t thought about especially when I asked for reasoning for a certain viewpoint
I’ve been working with a large codebase all quarter so I’ve been using ChatGPT to help explain what individual modules do and how they interact with other code modules.
It has helped me understand difficult concepts in a simpler, more straightforward explanation. Any questions or areas that I am confused about can be replied more in depth.
When ChatGPT gave a different answer than mine, I had to look up more information to refute myself or ChatGPT
It provides related topics that I could dive in deeper myself.
Very good at writing code, though sometimes fail at stuff conceptually, it can catch minor errors which can be timely to debug. Good at brainstorming ideas, gives a bunch of stuff that covers the topic well. Good vocab bank that makes writing seems professional.
Just by giving tips
When i have writers block or get stuck it helps put me on back on the correct path.
It has helped a lot in explaining some concepts and how they relate.
It has helped clarifying certain doubts.
A lot
explains concepts in simple terms
Allows me to ask clarifying questions on concepts that I know about but am “iffy” on.
To give me an example to the concept that I cannot understand in Math.
It has provided more concise and easily understandable explanations.
I basically just use it to quickly learn a concept or get a foundation on a concept I don’t know. “What is EDA” is one example of a query on ChatGPT.
I found it more helpful when I simply want definitions of some terms but not that useful when I want it some ideas about coding.
I think it can be helpful in trying to understand something. It is wrong most of the time, but it usually gets a tiny bit right, that helps me figure out what to Google and actually learn.
Yes but I found that understanding the concepts are important since chagpt May give wrong answer.
Check work
ChatGPT does a great job of summarizing a reading for me as it would list it all the main points for me. In addition, ChatGPT is also effective in creating outlines for topics you are interested in which can be a big help in starting things off in the write direction.
I think it has. It can sort of function as a quick tutor on certain topics you’re unsure about. For one thing, it helped a bit with learning assembly for one of my classes.
IT helos clear a mind block. It also quickly retrieves answers instead of me spending so many hours doing the same thing.
I think ChatGPT has helped give me confidence in my answers without having to check in with the professor or TAs. While I know these resources are available to me, ChatGPT is also readily available to answer and questions or clear any confusion I might have. It’s been really beneficial for gaining insights into my research topic for my writing class, as well as providing a bare bones implementation of something for programming.
if im in the wrong about a concept or have an error in code
It has deepened my knowledge
I believe ChatGPT has made me more productive. It seems to give rapid and correct results when I ask about a topic. Rather than going through multiple links to find a clear explanation, ChatGPT explains clearly and quickly.
It helped double-check if my understanding of some topics was correct or not. I also used it to help me understand some topics that were difficult for me.
able to come up with more in depth reasonings
A lot especially in history course, where the class is not recorded and my notes are only bullet points. ChatGPT is able to use my bullet points and elaborate on the content.
Chapgpt helps me to review coding concepts

How do you think ChatGPT (or similar technologies) has limited your ability to learn?

In response to this question, many students said that it has not limited their ability to learn. Others said that they’ve become too reliant on it, that they go to ChatGPT immediately rather than thinking on their own, that they accept generic responses too easily/limits creativity, and that it’s not always correct.

Full student responses from each class:

COGS 18
How do you think ChatGPT (or similar technologies) has limited your ability to learn?
It hasnt
I don’t think it has, if anything it has increased the efficiency of my learning.
I have to try not to use it so often. I don’t always use it to write code itself but because it is so easy to do so I have to refrain from using it for that sole purpose. I have now begun to try to use it more to just explain topics that I do not understand. However, I do believe that people can become dependent on it.
Since I have a strong philosophy of self-improvement, I don’t use it unless I’m truly stumped or the specific task I have to complete is solely based on tedium. That being said, avoiding struggles naturally makes solidifying knowledge more difficult.
I end up relying on it instead of going back and learning everything on my own.
I have found that I used it more frequently when I am crammed on time.
If anything it has expanded it. When writing papers or code I would ask question that would not give me the exact answer but rather hints in the right direction. Thinking about the right questions to ask made me think harder about what it is I was trying to get out of my assignments, this process also helped in the future as well as I could replicate this process without ChatGPT.
not too much
spending less time brainstorming when stuck
I don’t really think it has limited my ability to learn, because I see it as one of many tools at my disposal and I feel confident that I know its limits.
It’s not perfect and sometimes it gets things wrong.
It definitely has the potential to make me lazy when it comes to studying/schoolwork, so I limit my use.
Sometimes I get lazy and look at answers before I do them. This makes me dependent.
It is not always correct and is not a reliable source for information. I use it as a starting point to learn about a topic
ChatGPT is an easier way to get and fast forward our thinking a bit than the amount of time I would spend trying to figure out problems.
In the same way it gives quick access to help, it also can give quick access to answers. There’s always a bit of an underlying feeling that I can just get the answer, but I always have to remind myself I’m just cheating myself out of learning. It also reduces the amount of attempts I make before checking my answer. I’m glad I don’t have to dwell on a single problem for hours, but it sometimes reduces my motivation to make several attempts instead of just a few.
It is very easy to depend on
I personally don’t use ChatGPT to actually do my work for me so I don’t really think it has limited my ability to learn.
I think you can abuse a resource or you can use it to your benefit. It is always a choice. I don’t believe it has limited me and only pushed my ability to understand things better,
No, it has helped me further understand because I can ask for explanations and more in depth details. (but definitely need to check chatGPT work after asking)
Honestly, I probably would have improved my problem solving skills if I really needed to debug a problem, but other than that it was a really useful tool that helped me self learn.
I feel like going off of how it helps, by pointing out what I need to fix, it’s less of me figuring that part out which I know is valuable to learning.
Makes is easier to not learn by just inputting code from ChatGpt
I think it’s limited the social aspects but it’s made it easier to understand concepts.
Has made me dependent on it as I’m less sure of myself now.
I think the way I use it, it didn’t limit my ability to learn. This is because before I even try using ChatGPT I try to find the answer on my own. I only use it as a last resort, when I feel that I’ve tried everything or when I’m just curious about how something works.
When you are struggling, it is easy to be tempted to ask ChatGPT to quickly assist you.
n/a
This is something I’ve definitely thought about. There is something to be said about not trying enough times before consulting ChatGPT. Personally, it’s been extremely helpful for me, but I think a drawback is that I may have learned a bit less in the process.
Sometimes I let it help me without really trying to understand it! Not for this class, but for another class I use it for.
It’s easy to just use the code and not know what it’s actually doing. I asked it to explain each line of code or why my code didn’t work. While I was reading it, ot made sense and I understood, but I found that I had a hard time replicating it.
It may have caused me to rely on it rather than challenging myself.
I started becoming a little dependent on it
Depends on how you ask your question, but there are some questions that should think about critically, that ChatGPT answers right away, taking the critical thinking portion away from you.
I don’t think it has.
It lets me take the easy way in digesting information instead of taking it all in.
I think sometimes I resort to asking chat gpt for help instead of trial and error but I felt like it helped me learn faster.
I sometimes use it as a safety net
its fascinating efficiency actually gave me more reason to spend more time absorbing CS content whereas without it I would get more frustrated and spend less time trying to gain muscle memory on my own
sometimes made me more confused
I actually think that ChatGPT makes me feel more confident to try new things with code, because there’s always help if I get stumped.
Just like we don’t have to memorize phone numbers anymore (thanks to phones), I felt like with ChatGPT out there, it is so tempting to let ChatGPT do all the “thinking” I am supposed to do.
I think it lessened my trial and error time which is partly important for learning but then again, in the end, I think it was more helpful.
I do not believe it necessarily has.
sometimes the explanations it gave me weren’t accurate
Not much, though I use it in a limited nature.
I think it has sometimes made it feel to easy to obtain the information, like I didn’t work to gain it.
Since ChatGPT is so useful, it gave me a lot of information about what I requested. In this case, it might limit my thinking abilities.
No, I think it made me see different solutions and possibilities to things
No, I do not use it frequently enough.
I think that it helped me a lot just with understanding code. I didn’t depend on it a lot and only used it closer to the end, but if I used it, I did make sure to understand what it was doing.
Increased my ability to learn.
I think that when I’m extremely lazy or running out of time, I use ChatGPT to just give me the answer without fully understanding the code.
It is an AI, not another human,, person. It feels like its approach is the ‘common way’ rather than obtaining the one of many experiences from interacting with another person (who may present a topic in an easier way if they come from a similar background or thought process as you).
probably to brainstorm or make your brain working, it make us lazy, but not for me I’m an overthinker, i think a lot
I think it might have made me rely a bit too much on it but I still think it is a great tool because I feel like I still learn a lot from it.
It has helped me !
It makes it too easy to get the right answer, and gives a very easy way to copy and paste the question in for an answer that is usually a 100%
no
It hasn’t. Instead, there actually have been numerous times where I had to correct ChatGPT to give the right answer.
No I think it helped a lot when I got stuck
Not at all
I may become to reply on it solve problems and being less actively thinking.
Not at all
COGS 9
How do you think ChatGPT (or similar technologies) has limited your ability to learn?
makes things too easy
not really
Not always giving the correct info
Sometimes I rely on chatgpt too much that whenever I have a question in my mind, I just straight up asking chatgpt without thinking more about the question.
It’s an easy way to obtain answers.
Gpt is wrong 50% of the time
I spent less time debugging rather i just put it into chat gtp
I am no longer dependent on my own knowledge but now rely on ChatGPT as an extension to help. Like mentioned above, instead of working to remember those forgotten details/ going back to lecture notes, I now proceed to just ask ChatGPT to save myself the trouble.
It hasn’t, its just a tool and it depends on how you use it
Allows me to pursue generic solutions
Sometimes I need to remind myself to solely rely on it for learning since it can have errors
Not really
sometimes i replied to this too much and it limited my studying ability
I don’t think it has limited my ability to learn because I am aware that chatgpt sometimes provide false information. I would still do my own research before/after chatgpt.
I only use it when I really need to, so I don’t think it has limited my ability to learn in any way
I can see why others would rely on ChatGPT since it’s quick response allows the user to ask questions without waiting for a long response. It has always been thought of as a “fall back” if I am struggling with concepts. I tend to ask more questions to ChatGPT than asking my professor/instructor/TA.
I think it makes it easier for me to learn things
I find myself relying on it more, often wanting to use it instead of simply working on stuff alone.
not really
I dont think it has limited me at all.
It is wrong, a lot of the time so I don’t really use it for anything more complex than just explaining something.
I don’t really use it that much so I don’t necessarily think that anything has changed.
i dont think it limits your education if you have discipline(i have it :3)
it definitely reduces some of the friction to learning - i still have to learn and understand concepts, but sometimes having it at my fingertips can take away the active part of going to look for the answers in a textbook or in my notes. also sometimes too simple
Before I use it, I need to search a lot to understand the concept, but this process makes me can learn it deeper, but Chatgpt is to easy to get the answer, which limited my understanding.
If you use it as a crutch, it will certainly limit your ability to learn; however I do not rely on it and sometimes I don’t really trust it.
If I use it too much it stops critical thinking (kinda)
A reliance on it can discourage actually thinking for questions and can be a crutch if I don’t use it to learn but for answers.
I think by relying on it too much, you don’t let yourself critically think about something for a while. I think having answers readily available to you like that prevents a lot of developmental thinking, which would be really beneficial for harder classes.
gives the answer, though with reason, too easy
no
It makes learning something a lot faster, which sometimes does make it easier to forget the things I learned.
Chapgpt sort of puts a limit on my creativity

Discussion

Overall, I was really happy with my students’ responses recognizing both the strengths and limitations of these technologies. Generally, I do believe my students want to learn, which is important. However, I also know that my students are often time-poor and under a lot of stress. In these situations, I worry about the decisions my students will make and the shortcuts they’ll be willing to accept. That said, I’m excited to re-work my courses going forward to make better use of this new technology while continuing to try and figure out how to ensure my students are actually learning while teaching about ethics and fostering an environment where students act with integrity.

Also, this is just a quick summary of what my students said in two courses in a single academic term at a single university in the US. It’s certainly not a deep-dive or rigorous study, but lots of people are working on or have already published these. For example, if you’re looking to read more about what people are thinking about when it comes to teaching computing with AI1, considering whether AI is the new pair-programmer 2, or want to know more about how well these LLMs explain their code (in comparison to humans) 3, there is actual research out there.

  1. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2306.02608.pdf↩︎

  2. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2306.05153.pdf↩︎

  3. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2304.03938.pdf↩︎