By encouraging GenAI, we are directly undermining the principles we have been trying to instill in our students. Many years ago, I had a student whose written assignments were very hard to decipher. The language just sounded strange. It took me a while to realize that the student was lifting blocks of text found online (a definition from Wikipedia, for example) and replacing some of the words with synonyms, probably also generated online. This was obviously an attempt to circumvent plagiarism detectors. To that student: wherever you are, I hope you are getting credit for creating a precursor to ChatGPT.
The author argues that “by encouraging the use of GenAI, we are directly undermining the principles we have been trying to instill in our students.”
The author of this article seems to think there is any integrity left in academia. In the US, at least, it’s just another (albeit profitable) business.
I’ve got three degrees, including a Masters. And while there are many individual instructors that have integrity, the entire system pushes adamantly against it. The use of TAs, for example, pushes everyone toward academic apathy. As long as the money flows, the institution doesn’t care whether you learn anything (or cheat along the way). And as long as students get a degree, they don’t care either. Businesses aren’t critical of education or abilities (other than the credentials) because the HR process is bloated and broken to the point where anyone with any integrity isn’t getting an interview anyways. And even if you stay in academia, you’ll find it’s broken all the way up–the “publish or perish” mantra kills any integrity in higher academia. It all comes down to money, and money can’t care about integrity.
Unfortunately, I think we’re long past saving academic integrity. We’re probably better to invest in local colleges and trade schools, and try to minimize the time adults spend in the (typical academic) classroom.
The author of this article seems to think there is any integrity left in academia. In the US, at least, it’s just another (albeit profitable) business.
I’ve got three degrees, including a Masters. And while there are many individual instructors that have integrity, the entire system pushes adamantly against it. The use of TAs, for example, pushes everyone toward academic apathy. As long as the money flows, the institution doesn’t care whether you learn anything (or cheat along the way). And as long as students get a degree, they don’t care either. Businesses aren’t critical of education or abilities (other than the credentials) because the HR process is bloated and broken to the point where anyone with any integrity isn’t getting an interview anyways. And even if you stay in academia, you’ll find it’s broken all the way up–the “publish or perish” mantra kills any integrity in higher academia. It all comes down to money, and money can’t care about integrity.
Unfortunately, I think we’re long past saving academic integrity. We’re probably better to invest in local colleges and trade schools, and try to minimize the time adults spend in the (typical academic) classroom.