In recent decades, technological advances have transformed the way in which teaching and learning are taught in universities. Although these innovations have contributed significantly to the development of higher education, they have also presented important challenges for universities. One of these challenges is student plagiarism, which has become easier to commit due to available online tools, artificial intelligence, and the low ethical awareness of a large number of college students.
The first challenge on the list, plagiarism, is a major concern in higher education, especially since as technologies have become more advanced, so have the ways in which students can copy and paste text and other content from online sources without giving proper credit to its authors. Because of this, professors and university managers are forced to adapt to these changes in order to design new ways to detect plagiarism and, likewise, warn students about the consequences of dishonest behavior.
Some universities have invested in advanced plagiarism detection technology that can analyze text and compare it against an online content database to identify any similarities. Additionally, some instructors use online tools that allow submitted assignments to be checked for plagiarism, such as Turnitin, Urkund, or PlagScan.
In addition to these measures, educational institutions have developed clear policies that establish academic integrity expectations and sanctions for students who commit plagiarism. Some universities have created online tutorials and other educational resources to help students understand how to avoid plagiarism.
In the case of Open AI’s ChatGTP language model, even Chomsky has called it “high-tech plagiarism”
An exemplary action, in this vein, is the case of a Spanish university that allegedly stripped three graduates of their degree, who produced a video indicating that they had graduated without having learned anything, since all their tasks were carried out by the model of Openai’s ChatGTP language. Whether this is true or not, for those of us who dedicate ourselves to the profession of learning and teaching, the true fact is more than evident that there are students who, although they can circumvent the system protected by the misuse of technology, will later be the system that He will make fun of them when they need to put their intellectual and communication skills into operation, sensu lato.
In some cases, students can even evade plagiarism detection by using more sophisticated techniques, such as machine translation or rewriting. In addition, it can be difficult to determine when plagiarism is intentional or simply the result of a lack of understanding of academic standards, or even simply when it is or is not plagiarism.
Online classes and distance education are also a challenge for students who struggle to stay motivated and committed to their own training, especially those who do not have the environmental conditions and connectivity to make the most of the program content. Technology has also transformed the way in which student learning is assessed and measured, which may require changes in the way in which classes are taught and content is dosed.
Technological advances have definitely transformed higher education, but at the same time they have brought important challenges for universities. One of these challenges is student fraud, which has become easier to commit thanks to online tools and the lack of strong personal and family training in values.
Universities have implemented measures to address the plagiarism problem, but there is still a long way to go. In addition to plagiarism, universities face other technology-related challenges, such as the increasing rise of artificial intelligence with the ability to write essays and solve math problems with greater accuracy than the average high school graduate. In the case of Open AI’s ChatGTP language model, even Chomsky has said that it is “high-tech plagiarism”, a phrase with which he establishes his rejection of this artificial intelligence. Now, is this the whole truth about this AI robot?
Finally, some renowned intellectuals believe that virtual teaching has been “the coup de gracias” that education needed to finish disappearing as such. And you, what do you think?
Gerardo Roa Ogando at Acento.com.do