The Problem
So, imagine this: a student turns in an English essay that’s polished, insightful, and—let’s be honest—a bit too perfect. The teacher is impressed at first, but something feels off. It’s not just the perfect grammar or the smooth phrasing; it’s like she’s read this exact essay before. A quick online search reveals the truth: the entire thing was copy-pasted straight from Chat GPT!
Now, don’t get me wrong—Chat GPT can be a real game-changer for students facing challenging assignments. It’s great for sparking ideas, getting past writer’s block, and even helping with tricky topics. It’s like having a tutor who’s always on call, ready to help 24/7. But there’s a flip side. If students rely too much on AI, they might miss out on developing their ideas and critical thinking skills. Plus, let’s not forget the risk of plagiarism if they’re not careful about citing sources properly.
As chatbots like Chat GPT become more common in schools, it’s super important that students learn how to use them the right way. Teachers need to show them how to use these tools as a boost to their learning—not as a replacement.
Ideas to Help
Here’s an acronym I developed — FORK — to help students better understand chatbots such as Chat GPT and how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools effectively. The FORK acronym introduces four ways chatbot programs such as Chat GPT can assist students with the research writing process:
F – Foundational Information
Students can use Chat GPT and similar chatbot programs to build foundational knowledge about a research topic.
Chat GPT is a valuable tool for students starting research on a new topic. It can quickly provide background information, explain complex concepts in simple terms, and offer an overview of key ideas, theories, and historical context.
o – Outlines
Students can use Chat GPT and similar chatbot programs to generate outlines, which will help them organize their ideas and identify key subtopics related to their larger topics.
Chat GPT is an excellent tool for students to organize their ideas and create outlines for essays or research papers. By generating a clear structure with main points and subtopics, Chat GPT helps students organize their thoughts logically and ensures they cover all the essential aspects of their topic.
r – reliable sources
Students can use Chat GPT and similar chatbot programs to identify reliable sources of information.
By suggesting relevant books, articles, websites, and even specific keywords to search for, Chat GPT helps students discover reliable sources of information. It can also guide them on where to find academic journals or databases that are most relevant to their topic. While it’s important for students to verify and evaluate the quality of these resources, Chat GPT can significantly streamline the process of gathering the materials they need for their projects.
K – Keywords
Students can use Chat GPT and similar chatbot programs to generate keywords that they can enter into online search engines and databases to locate relevant and current information.
Chat GPT is a useful tool for helping students identify the right keywords for their research topics. By analyzing the main concepts and themes within a topic, ChatGPT can suggest relevant keywords and phrases that students can use to search for information more effectively.
Click here for access to a FREE anchor chart featuring the FORK acronym that you can use with students to help them understand how Chat GPT and other AI chatbots can effectively assist with writing a research paper, essay, or report.
More importantly, it is essential that students practice writing chatbot prompts that are clear and specific to generate the best results. This may require students to rewrite and revise chatbot prompts and engage with the chatbot by asking follow-up questions when needed.
Support Resources
If you are short on time or energy to create learning materials to help students master the concepts and practice the skills to use Chat GPT and AI tools effectively, purchase How to use Chat GPT and Chatbot Prompts for Research Papers, Essays, or Reports. It includes a highly engaging 18 slide PDF presentation and learning activities for students to identify situations in which they can use AI programs to assist with their research writing efforts and write effective chatbot prompts.