ChatGPT Yawns and Smiles

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Do you hear whispers and full-blown conversations about it at your job? Everyone is talking about ChatGPT.

I see the efficiency perks with ChatGPT, but I am not convinced of its value. Although, I do use Grammarly to help with editing, and it taps artificial intelligence (AI) to suggest changes.

In January, a Capoeira student of mine asked me about ChatGPT. He wanted to know my opinion and if I used the service to support my university work. Unfortunately, I let him down and admitted that I knew nothing about ChatGPT.

He described how it's an artificial intelligence-driven engine that helps him write proposals, letters of recommendation, emails, and other essential business tasks.

With his ownership of a software licensing company, the excitement about ChatGPT made sense to me. So I nodded and listened as he attempted to sell me on the features.

Not long after the conversation in Capoeira class, I received information from academic colleagues about how they use ChatGPT. They talked about how it helped students to practice multiple-choice questions and review topics. Some expressed how they used it to create course syllabi, conduct research, and write academic papers.

Inside my head, I yawned, but I smiled on the outside.

And then I changed my mind.

I opened a ChatGPT account and experimented with a low-stakes task. I prompted it to write a social media post. It spit out some gibberish that I edited and uploaded online alongside a video. The post did not receive any more likes and comments than previous posts, but it saved me time.

ChatGPT can alleviate frustration with menial tasks. Whispers and full blown-out conversations tell me the updated version is phenomenal.

But, regardless of AI’s capabilities, I am not always interested in easy. Authentic joy thrives in the struggle of working hard in collaboration with your creative genius to accomplish a goal. Typing in a few words and receiving exactly what you want in seconds doesn’t deliver the same reward as conquering something difficult.

If you love ChatGPT, all power to you. I hope you don't hear judgment in the tone of this blog post written by me, a human and not an AI bot.

Life is hard. Everyone is looking for something that will make stress more manageable. AI developers know their market and will continue to add features that serve as solutions to problems.

Interest at a minimum or awareness of an undeniable need is necessary to make something enticing. Supply, demand, and marketing play intricate roles in the success of a new product or service. Investments happen when we attract desire or fill a fundamental need.

Let’s explore one more brief example of technology in education this week.

What do you know about Elearning? In general, Elearning refers to academic content delivered in a virtual classroom or learning management system. Sometimes an instructor is present; other times, the student is alone to learn from the self-regulated modules.

Several options, from interactive videos, rolling texts alongside images, and gamification strategies, make Elearning enjoyable. Engagement resources support the necessary motivation to learn without supervision.

Learning objectives aligned with a collaborative curriculum make an Elearning experience complete.

The marriage between technology and learning is permanent. No judge will grant a divorce.

What are your thoughts about ChatGPT? The tech industry and artificial intelligence services will occupy space in educational and healthcare environments for the foreseeable future. See the video at the end of this blog post for evidence.

Tell me how you feel about technology in education below and subscribe to this blog here. In your inbox, you will receive my ebook, weekly blog posts, and other resources to support teaching and learning in exchange for your email address.

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