As artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Gemini become more prevalent in education, high schools face the challenge of integrating this technology while maintaining academic integrity. At Prospect High School, part of the Campbell Union High School District, educators grapple with the dual nature of AI as both a potential tool for misconduct and a valuable educational resource.
Developing Policies in Real-Time
“We’re definitely playing catch-up,” admits Spencer Swart, an AP Government teacher at Prospect High School. Discussions about AI’s role in education are frequent in staff meetings, yet a formal district-wide policy remains elusive. Instead, different departments at Prospect have independently established guidelines for AI use. To combat potential misuse, the school employs Turnitin, a plagiarism detection tool that claims to identify AI-generated content accurately.
Despite these efforts, Swart notes that the school’s cheating and plagiarism policies have not significantly changed with the advent of AI technologies like ChatGPT. Turnitin provides a percentage score for each submission, estimating the likelihood of AI involvement and highlighting suspicious phrases. However, reliability remains a concern.
False Positives and Student Concerns
Samantha Ko, a senior at Prospect, recalls being falsely accused of using AI for an English assignment. After submitting her essay through Turnitin, Ko was confronted with a high AI score. Despite her insistence that she did not use AI, the experience left her wary. “I was so confused,” Ko said. “It definitely made me more cautious.”
Swart acknowledges the temptation for schools to ban AI entirely, but he understands why students might utilize it. “School is about ‘products and process,'” he explains, emphasizing the importance of the learning journey, not just the final product. He hopes to shift focus towards valuing the process of learning over merely the end results.
AI in the Classroom
While departments at Prospect continue to address AI usage, teachers are also exploring AI’s potential in education. The Campbell Union High School District recently acquired a year-long contract with “Magic School,” an AI tool designed to help teachers generate discussion and quiz questions. Although Swart has yet to try it, he has experimented with other AI programs this year. These tools assist him in evaluating whether his teaching materials cover all major points and even aid in grading practice essays. Swart estimates that approximately 25% of Prospect teachers regularly incorporate AI into their teaching materials.
Students Embrace AI for Learning
Students, too, are leveraging AI for educational purposes. Ko, for instance, used ChatGPT to prepare for her AP Physics exam by summarizing her textbook and slides. “I didn’t want to go through all the whole textbook and all the slides,” Ko explained. “So, I gave ChatGPT the textbook name and linked-in all my slides. It was able to quickly summarize everything.”
While Ko finds AI generally helpful, she cautions that it can sometimes provide inaccurate information. Reflecting on AI’s role in education, Swart acknowledges its complex nature. “I’m going to say a bad thing but there is good within it,” he said, highlighting the dual potential of AI as both a challenge and an opportunity in educational settings.
Conclusion
As AI continues to evolve, high schools like Prospect are navigating its integration with caution and curiosity. By balancing the benefits of AI as a learning tool with the need for academic integrity, educators aim to harness its potential while safeguarding the educational process.
Note: This article is inspired by content from https://losgatan.com/artificial-intelligence-use-grows-at-prospect-high-school/. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.