S1E52: Is using Gen AI for schoolwork and tests cheating?

How should schools, educators and students adapt accordingly?

Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.

In June, three students at the Nanyang Technological University received zero marks for an assignment after they were found to have used generative artificial intelligence tools, or Gen AI, in their work.

They were penalised for academic misconduct as the assignments contained non-existent academic references and statistics or broken web links, the university said.

The case drew wider attention after one of the students posted about it on online forum Reddit, sparking debate about the impact of AI on academic integrity.

All six universities here generally allow students to use Gen AI to varying degrees, depending on the module or coursework. Students are required to declare when and how they use such tools to maintain academic integrity.

With Gen AI creeping into everyday life and gaining popularity among students, when is it wrong or right to turn to AI for help with your studies? 

Given its likely prevalence in schoolwork, how should schools, educators and students adapt for the future? 

In this episode of The Usual Place Podcast, my three guests - Singapore Management University’s Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Michelle Lee, final-year university student Zildjian Garcia and The Straits Times education correspondent Elisha Tushara, who is a former teacher - weighed in on the debate around AI tools for schoolwork and the future of learning.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:37 Was the initial punishment the three students received warranted?

5:36 How rampant is the use of Gen AI tools among faculty members and students?

7:54 Do educators have a love-hate relationship with Gen AI tools?

17:05 Why Elisha and Michelle are worried about their children losing resilience in learning

19:55 Zildjian points out that AI tool users “always forget” that they might not be accurate

22:13 Are Gen AI tools just a new way students are gaming the system to get their certificates?

27:02 Should AI literacy be made a compulsory module for Institutes of Higher Learning?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh & Natasha Liew

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

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