Computational linguistics expert Dr. Grok Academy, a charity that helps schools teach about digital technology. James Curran said that teachers often have a “complete misunderstanding” of what generative AI is useful for, and are equally confused about how it deals with students. Using in assignments.
“There is confusion (in schools) about plagiarism detection and tools that can detect if (text) is AI-generated,” he said.
“Technology fundamentally doesn’t allow this in a profound way, and anyone who’s selling you technology says it’s off track.”
Dr Curran said he had experimented with using ChatGPT to take the NSW HSC exam and found the old, free version scored 48 per cent of the test while the new version, which costs $US20 ($31), scored 78 per cent. .
“And there are two questions where the AI gets an answer that I think is more appropriate than the HSC marker for that particular year.
“So if you want to pay $US240 a year as a parent, that gives you at least a 30 percent increase in the results the system can deliver,” he said.
Professor Leslie Loble, a former deputy secretary in the NSW Department of Education who is now chair of the National Council on Early Childhood Development, said generative AI was raising technology-access equity issues in the education system.
“Already we see inequality in the distribution of access to resources. If it’s $US240 for ChatGPT but there’s no progressive pricing system (and) you’re looking at a school of a thousand kids … that’s a quarter of a million dollars.
“That equates to three teachers,” she said.
But if used carefully, as part of a well-thought-out curriculum, tools like ChatGPT can help address equity issues in schools, she said.
“In Australia, 20 per cent of students in disadvantaged schools lack quality curriculum support and learning materials, compared to 1 per cent of students in more advantaged schools,” Professor Lobal told the committee.
“Potentially, that’s a very positive result of what this technology can do, because if we can raise that level by making materials and support available in a way that’s easy, accessible, affordable and safe, that’s a potential opportunity.”