A workshop on ChatGPT, (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) was conducted recently by three English language lecturers from the Academy of Language Studies, UiTM Sabah Branch, Kota Kinabalu Campus for 98 undergraduate students enrolled in the ELC501 (English for Critical Academic Reading) course. Artificial intelligence, or AI, has taken the academic world by storm and there are many quarters that are either for it or against its implementation in the teaching and learning process. Fortunately, University Teknologi MARA encourages the use of ChatGPT for learning in the classroom (Academic Circular, No. 5, 2023).
Prior to the workshop, approval was obtained from the Academic Affairs Department, UiTM Sabah, to carry out the workshop during the designated lecture hours of the ELC501 course, and the Content Creator from the Academic Assessment & Evaluation Division was also contacted for permission to adopt and adapt their lesson plan for the workshop. The workshop took place on two sessions – June 13 and 15, 2023, in virtual and physical sessions, respectively. The participants came from diverse academic disciplines, and some had no prior experience with ChatGPT but had used other AI apps for academic purposes.
The main objectives of the workshop were to inform and equip the students with the necessary skills to use ChatGPT effectively in their academic pursuits while maintaining honesty, integrity, and good ethical conduct. The speakers expounded on several aspects of ChatGPT such as its background, purpose, and a strategy of using it. One of them introduced the Socratic Dialogue Technique of Questioning as a technique to generate rational prompts for the AI to answer. The second half of the workshop was the exposition of the ELC501 forum assessment and a hands-on activity for students. They were then encouraged to use ChatGPT in their respective forum discussion groups to generate information regarding their topics.
This practical experience gave the audience the opportunity to watch a simulation of using ChatGPT. Besides, the students’ knowledge and understanding of the topics were tested via online quizzes. The top three who scored the highest were given tokens of appreciation. These activities focused on the learner-centred approach. Besides, they encouraged camaraderie and healthy competition among the students.
Prior to sharing the introduction on ChatGPT, as well as the Socratic questioning technique to the audience, the first speaker, Jenna Desiree Robert, assessed the students’ knowledge and attitude toward ChatGPT via Mentimeter. Then, the first online quiz about session one was conducted via Quizzizz. The other speakers were Aries Henry Joseph and Lindey Easter Apolonius, who covered the pros and cons of ChatGPT, the criteria of scoring for ELC501 forum discussion, and portfolio and forum discussion dos and don’ts, respectively.
The students were seen to be enjoying themselves in the activities. During the Q & A session, they expressed their concerns over the issue of plagiarism and also queried about using ChatGPT optimally. All in all, the students found that the workshop was engaging and informative. They appreciated the simulation of using ChatGPT and the group activity, which allowed them to apply what they had learned. An online form was provided for the students to give their feedback on the entire session.
Overall, the workshop on ChatGPT was a success, and the students left with the necessary skills and awareness of the extent of safe usage of ChatGPT in their academic pursuits. The lecturers also gained insight into using AI in the T&L process. It is essential for universities to keep up with the latest technology trends and equip their students with the necessary skills to succeed in their academic endeavours.