Chat GPT

ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a powerful, cutting-edge language model developed by OpenAI that uses artificial intelligence to generate text that is similar to human writing.

Its ability to understand and respond in a naturalistic way to language input makes it a useful for a variety of tasks, especially in the field of higher education. It can be trained to do specific tasks, like completing a sentence you've started, or answering questions. ChatGPT can be used to help you with your writing, acting as your research assistant, offering individualized feedback and helping you communicate with others more effectively.

Source: Atlas, S. (2023). Chat GPT for higher education and professional development: A guide to conversational AI. The University of Rhode Island College of Business Faculty Publications. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cba_facpubs/548

"ChatGPT is scary good. We are not far from dangerously strong AI," said Elon Musk, who was one of the founders of OpenAI before leaving. Sam Altman, OpenAI's chief, said on Twitter that ChatGPT had more than 1 million users in the first five days after it launched. 

According to an analysis by Swiss bank UBS, ChatGPT is the fastest-growing app of all time. The analysis estimates that ChatGPT had 100 million active users in January, only two months after its launch. For comparison, it took nine months for TikTok to reach 100 million. 

Source: zdnet.com

You can access Chat GPT by visiting chat.openai.com and creating an Open AI account.

Once you sign in, you can start interacting with Chat GPT.  Because this technology is still in its research stage, it is free to use.  This may change in the future.

D’Agostino, S. (2023, January 12). ChatGPT advice academics can use now. Inside Higher Ed.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/01/12/academic-experts-offer-advice-chatgpt

• D’Agostino solicits advice from eleven leading academics for their thoughts on ChatGPT and learning, both the risks posed and opportunities offered by the technology.

 

Eaton, S., & Anselmo, L. (2023, January). Teaching and learning with artificial intelligence apps.
Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.
https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/teaching-with-AI-apps

• Advice on using AI apps in the classroom.  “If we think of artificial intelligence apps as another tool that students can use to ethically demonstrate their knowledge and learning, then we can emphasize learning as a process not a product.”  

 

Johnson, S. (2022, April 15). A.I. is mastering language. Should we trust what it says? New York Times Magazine.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/magazine/ai-language.html

• This longform piece from the New York Times Magazine provides a useful overview of large language models (LLMs) and the history of OpenAI, the company behind GPT-3 and DALL·E 2.

 

Kendon, T. (2023, January 10.) Articles and Resources for ChatGPT. ELEARN @ UCALGARY.
https://elearn.ucalgary.ca/articles-and-resources-for-chatgpt/

• A growing list of reading and other resources relating to ChatGPT.

 

Office for Faculty Excellence (n.d.). Practical responses to ChatGPT. Montclair State University.
https://www.montclair.edu/faculty-excellence/practical-responses-to-chat-gpt/

• Tips and suggestions for classroom approach and assignment design with ChatGPT in mind.
   

Poisson, J. (Host). (2022, December 14). AI art and text is getting smarter, what comes next?
[Audio podcast episode]. In Front Burner. CBC.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/ai-art-and-text-is-getting-smarter-what-comes-next-1.6684148

• A 25-minute podcast episode featuring Will Knight of the magazine WIRED discussing AI art generator DALL-E 2 and the chatbot ChatGPT.

 

Stachowiak, B. (Host). (2023, January 12). How artificial intelligence is impacting higher education [Audio podcast episode]. In Teaching in Higher Ed. Teaching in Higher Ed.
https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/how-artificial-intelligence-is-impacting-higher-education/

• This 43-minute podcast interview with Dr. Cynthia Alby overviews AI in higher education and the way that tools like ChatGPT may change instruction methods and assessment.

 

Trust, T. (n.d.). ChatGPT and education [Google slides].
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Vo9w4ftPx-rizdWyaYoB-pQ3DzK1n325OgDgXsnt0X0/edit?usp=sharing 

• This Google Slides deck provides an overview of what ChatGPT is, what it can and cannot do, and what educators can do about it. It also includes links to additional resources at its end. Screenshots of the ChatGPT interface are also provided as illustrations of tasks it can perform which can be useful to refer to or provide to others in cases when the Open AI ChatGPT website is at capacity.

 

Warner, J. (2023, January 4). How about we put learning at the center? Inside Higher Ed.
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/how-about-we-put-learning-center 

• Writing instructor John Warner discusses ChatGPT, seeing it as an opportunity to reflect on writing tasks performed by students and the learning in higher education more broadly.

Thank you to the University of Calgary and Bronte Chiang for the information in this guide.