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As someone in my late 30s, I have come to the point where I am now comparing my generation to today’s youth. I wouldn’t say I liked this growing up, as I always felt the older generation had something against us. Now, it is slowly creeping up in my thought process. Many of my comparisons and concerns are around the unique challenges of teaching students. I suggest unique challenges as there is a familiar beast but advancing at a rate so fast many of us need help to deal with it. That beast is technology. Technology has been an ongoing discussion for some time now. COVID ensured technology was put on ice for a while; however, the COVID discussion is less intense than last year and the year before; new technological advancements such as Chat GPT have reignited the debate around technology. This has been on my mind for some time, and I am ready to share it with you.
Google it!
I recently went to a small group discussion about the impact of technology. We were asked by the host to consider some of the challenges we face with technology. I will attempt to remember what I said word for word. Technology has been a challenge for some time now. I do think that one of our biggest problems as humans is that we are very reactionary. Chat GPT came out of nowhere and sparked a massive debate on how students will develop a relationship with it. While I have first learned how Chat GPT is used amongst the student community, I want to take you back to the phenomena of Google. I believe that Google has replaced the thinking time for many.

Please close your eyes and think about this scenario. It is a child who is doing their school homework. They have hit a barrier and have asked their parents for assistance. “Dad, I do not know the definition for this key term. Do you have any idea,” says the child. “No, son, just Google it”. Mum is in the other room and may have known the answer, but Dad did not think that way. He went to his default answer. I once heard someone say that a child’s inner voice before they develop their own is their parents. Imagine their inner voice saying, “Google it” when they need to find something out. This is not to criticise Google because it is one of humankind’s greatest inventions. However, it does have me wondering about the amount of dependency we have on Google.

Another angle is when we have learned something in the past. Retrieval practice is a massive part of my teaching pedagogy. As I mainly teach exam groups, it is essential that students can retrieve information from previous lessons. Whilst that can be controlled at school, my biggest issue is what they are like at home. For example, sometimes we forget a piece of information, and we try to remember it. While frustrating, I want to see if I can remember it, and when I do, it gives me a minor dopamine release. Now, all you do is type everything you can place around the topic, and then Google will do the rest. Over some time, the skill of retrieval practice will diminish. Only some have a good memory; therefore, most must work on it. This is something we are losing with the “Google it” era.

Chat GPT
One thing that always stays the same is students trying to reduce their workload. I have had some excellent examples of students who have tried the most innovative things. Now, they don’t need to be creative; what is interesting is that they are bold. One day, I was in class, and Student A said to Student B, “Have you completed the assignments sir gave us? Student B answered, “No, I have not started”. Student A: “Why not? The deadline is coming up” Student B: ” Why would I need to start so early when Chat GPT can do it in minutes? I will start looking at it the night before the deadline”. Chat GPT is okay because many people in their respective fields use it for assistance. The audacity is where students will make no effort; their only challenge is getting the prompt right. To go further, students make no changes from the prompt and hand it in as their work. I do my best to know my students. This means I know what they can do, and I say this cautiously to avoid putting a ceiling on them. However, when students have sentences complete of complex words with no real context behind them, suspicions begin to occur. My favourite way of identifying the use of Chat GPT is when I question the students about their work, and they look at me with a blank stare. This is a real problem, especially in education.
Some people are good at the prompts they give to Chat GPT. Some teachers may not be able to tell the difference. I know this because a friend recently asked me to help him with a questionnaire for a government-funded project. My prompt was long but clear in what I wanted, and it was perfect for my friend’s project. How many people in years to come will have gotten a grade they did not deserve because Chat GPT did it for them? How many people will be in positions for qualifications they have received but have been assisted by Chat GPT?

You are the problem, not technology!
Despite my concerns regarding technology, I was reminded by a friend that the focus should be on ourselves and how we use it. I will paraphrase what she said. “Technology is neither positive nor negative. It is neutral, and how we use it determines our stance. For example, the way students are using Chat GPT, in my opinion, is harmful because they can be unfairly given top grades when they have not worked hard for it.
On the other hand, if students wanted to understand a concept better, then using Chat GPT could benefit them. It is challenging to develop solutions that will change people’s behaviours and attitudes towards the use of technology. This journey is personal, and those aware of the possible harmful elements can change. Those who do not see the problem or are unaware of it will not change. Some of you reading this may have some resistance to my concerns about technology as you may have utilised it to enhance your skill set. For example, Chat GPT can be used to acquire language. For example, my friend is currently learning Mandarin and wants to learn how to read it and communicate verbally. He has used AI technology to prompt it to create a 300-word story in Mandarin about a young boy who wants to be a footballer but lacks confidence. This type of use is helpful as he gets to practice his reading. Another example is when I asked it to give me the top Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) gurus; I am now listening to Neil Patel. Most definitely, it has some good uses.

Concluding thoughts
I am not anti-technology. I would be a hypocrite if this were the narrative that would be perceived when reading this because I use all forms of technology to help me in everyday life. Technology generally offers utility to many of us in so many ways. I want to communicate the message from a teacher’s perspective and what I am experiencing. Thinking time is such an essential element of intelligence. Intelligence is not just about having knowledge and wisdom. It is about giving oneself time to think about a concept and, through that tiny window, get your answer, then have the ability to articulate the thoughts. Some people are robbing themselves of that time by just using technology to help them with brain fog. Changing the environment can help somebody remember a specific item that was on their mind. Doing some deep breaths can also help. Technology is only sometimes needed, and its dependency is a significant concern. I hope this feeling will change over time; however, as I write this, I am unsure if this feeling will ever ease.