Artificial Intelligence in the classroom: NC teachers, students navigate the benefits and risks

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Artificial Intelligence is everywhere you look, and schools are no exception.

Earlier this year, North Carolina became one of the first states in the country to develop statewide guidance for the use of generative AI in public schools, and teachers say they are constantly adapting to the developing world of artificial intelligence.

The start of a new school year means filling backpacks with pencils and notebooks – learning tools students have been using for decades– but as Kim Mackey packs these simple supplies for her children, she knows the high school students she teaches are turning to a much newer, high-tech resource.

“We’ve been exploring using AI in the classroom together,” she explained.

Mackey, who teaches social studies in Wake County, says teachers and students are working to navigate the rapidly developing world of artificial intelligence.

“I think right now we’re trying to deal with –  is it taboo or is it a tool,” she explained.

“Just in the last year, it really is like the wild west. It just kind of exploded,” added Kristen Jackson, a social studies teacher at a different Wake County high school. Jackson says she’s seen changes since AI became easily accessible to students. “I think the biggest factor has been the dishonestly piece,” she noted. “Students are really tempted to resort to AI to write their papers or even do their math problems.”

She showed us how easy that can be, using a project she assigns her students as an example. She typed into Chat GPT “Create an American-history-themed amusement park,” and within seconds, the chatbot generated a complete plan that she says a student could easily copy.

“That project is designed to take like two weeks, and if they did this and they just translated it and drew it they could be done in a day probably,” she said. “So this is where you have to monitor students.”

Teachers say there are ways to recognize when students are trying to pass off AI-generated content as their own.

“I have had some students who have used it to cheat, but by forming those personal relationships and getting to know them individually we really learn what is their voice when they produce work,” said Mackey.

“That’s one thing we discussed in our professional learning community,” Jackson added. “In the first week or two, collect a writing sample from each student so that way we have a comparison to what their baseline is, versus what might be spun out by an AI generator,” Jackson said she also has students handwrite essays and tests to avoid the temptation for students to use artificial intelligence.

While it can be tempting for students to rely too much on AI, many educators believe there is a role for AI in the classroom. Earlier this year, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released guidelines for school districts. Vera Cubero is the emerging technologies consultant for NCDPI.

“When ChatGPT came out, things started progressing very, very rapidly, and many other apps came out and schools were just kind of at a loss [as] to what to do,” she noted. “Some folks were kind of open to it and allowing people to use it. Some had it blocked entirely, even for staff.”

Cubero emphasized that knowing how to use AI is a vital skill, especially as it becomes more prevalent in the workplace.

“I feel like we’re doing a disservice to our students if we’re letting them graduate into the world with no knowledge of AI,” she said. “They are the ones who have the potential to make the world a better place using AI technologies, and to be wise in what they see and share.”

NCDPI guidance offers examples of appropriate and inappropriate use of AI, information on how to cite it as a source, and training resources for educators. It also stresses the importance of protecting private information, avoiding biases, and teaching that AI can provide false information.

“The deep fake issue is also becoming a really large concern,” noted Cubero. “And education is our best weapon.”

Jackson conducts an exercise with students to show them the limits of generative AI.

“We will have AI write an essay, and critique it based on our rubrics and our standards,” she said. “Nine times out of ten, if not more, it’s not going to hit the mark.”

Mackey added that it’s important for students to have some knowledge of their subject matter before they use AI.

“That way they’re able to vet it against things they have learned in more reliable academic environments,” she explained.

With that understanding, and in the right context, these teachers say AI can be a learning tool, like a study guide, or a starting point for research.

“It lets them think outside of the box with what are some of the other things for them to consider as they form their opinions,” Mackey said, showing us how a student might research fiscal policy using ChatGPT. “Maybe they didn’t know Opportunity Zones existed until they got here, so now they may want to figure out well what are the pros and cons of Opportunity Zones,” she pointed out. ‘It would still require them to narrow down deeper what are some of the statistical reasons proving it’s a good or bad idea.”

As AI continues to develop and change, so will its role in education, but teachers emphasize will never take the place of critical thinking, rather, it may make it even more important.

“This is a tool, but this isn’t a replacement of you or any other person,” Mackey said.

“It’s here, it exists. It’s not going to go away,” Jackson added. “We’re just going to have to learn how to live with it and how to use it properly.”

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