ChatGPT is a competent language processing tool driven by AI technology that can generate well-formulated reasoning and answer questions. The opportunities and challenges that ChatGPT and similar AI tools offer raise a whole new set of questions and ideas, both from the University's and the student's point of view. At Umeå University, frequent discussions are held between faculty director of studies, departments, student unions and the Centre for Educational Development (UPL) to follow AI developments both nationally and internationally.
Cathrine Norberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.
Photo: Mattias Pettersson
A burning question right now concerns unsupervised exams, such as take-home exams. Through faculty and department discussions, and through talking to individual teachers, I know that many of us are concerned about how we can ensure that students have reached their own conclusions and written the answers themselves in their written assignment. This also proves more challenging in certain disciplinary domains than in others. Hence, I can certainly understand the need for guidance and support. I do, however, believe that AI – just like all new technology – is something we need to consider, deal with, learn from and problematise between each other and with our students. ChatGPT is a part of society and, when used correctly, it can also be used to strengthen students' learning.
We also know that ChatGPT and similar tools are not always reliable. These tools are advanced and base their output on big data they continuously learn from. Consequently, the human understanding of referencing and applying source criticism becomes more important than ever before. Cheating on an exam is a breach of rules which sadly occurs, and this is something Umeå University always works to prevent. Umeå University has currently not drawn up any new policies on cheating and plagiarism as a consequence of AI. Our established rules and routines to prevent cheating and plagiarism apply as they are. As a university, it is our role to give students clear instructions for all forms of examinations, and I know that teachers regularly talk to their students about what is allowed and not when taking an exam.
There is currently no procured software solution that can check if a text is AI generated or not. Simultaneously, it is important to keep in mind that such a software system to detect AI-aided cheating is not the solution. We need to adopt an examination strategy that ensures that examinations are legally certain and of high quality. It is also important to remember that a vast majority of students want to learn and develop. Only a few choose to cheat to achieve a passing grade.
Increasing worries about the opportunities ChatGPT provides have resulted in the need for discussing the matter at the Strategic Council for Education, which in turn decided to appoint a working committee to focus on the issue of examinations and AI. The committee has been tasked with discussing and problematising the issue, and with proposing examination formats and setups that counter cheating. These formats must still be meaningful for the students' learning and acquiring of knowledge as well as their ability to reflect critically and write academically and creatively. The committee will review guidelines and provisions based on the new circumstances that AI technology has placed us under.
To me, it is natural that we remain open to using modern technology and that we approach development in a positive way, and that we equip our students with the right tools based on the qualifications required for their specific field. We also need to be humble in knowing that AI is a relatively new and unexplored territory where I, and many with me, raise concerns regarding the ethical aspects regarding the data the tool uses. There are examples when the use of AI has produced very adverse effects, for instance when used in recruitment purposes.
In other words, Umeå University needs to keep discussing AI and exams together with other stakeholders in higher education, both on a national and an international scale. Research and development are still ongoing in this field, and we should follow developments and make adaptations based on new knowledge and tested methods that we produce together. It is also critical that legislation and regulations are regularly revised to follow, and to a certain extent steer developments in a responsible direction.