This change does not suit every programme. Some subjects will be reverting to skills-basedĪssessment as part of final coursework, with the masters essay removed from theĪnother method is to require students to write reflective assignments closely based on the module themes. Universities are adjusting their assessment Online chatbots during a masters is becoming harder to weed out. Changes in assessment to detect AI written Content In the long run getting the right assessment makes the difference between a top grade and an average one. As a result all assessed work is checked for originality. The Turnitin app is included in the process of submission. In reality almost every student assessment is checked by Turnitin through a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). The most widely used tool to spot plagiarism in UK universities is Turnitin. There are a number of online software applications that check for originality, such as Grammarly. New tools help keep up with demand and streamline grading to improve student outcomes.
Traditionally, academic staff spot a repurposed article or passage. For the most part it’s the difference between adapting parts of a published text whilst referencing correctly, and lifting it wholesale and claiming to have written it. The problem of plagiarism is passing off a piece of research as your own. In effect they could copy and paste large chunks of published text and try to submit it as their own original work. When academic study resources moved online, it soon became apparent that a student might cheat the system. Plagiarism has been present on the university campus for many years. Equally important is knowing how to use research methods. Masters students spend a lot of their study time completing written assignments of one kind or another. The challenge for universities is to adapt to this new technology, and work out at the very least how to guard against students gaining unfair advantage by using online chatbots during a masters. This is leading universities to rethink their teaching and assessment methods with questions being raised around AI and plagiarism. Essays written by the tool are very sophisticated and hard to spot. As a result it is much harder to tell the difference between an essay written using artificial intelligence and a human. ChatGPT is the new AI chatbot that is causing a stir, designed by US tech company OpenAI.ĪI software now exists that can mimic an academic writing style. This has led to a convergence of AI with the process of essay writing. The latest generation of AI services has reached a high level of sophistication.
Artificial Intelligence is the way forward As a result, universities use strict controls to filter out these submissions, and any essays provided in this way are rejected. These so-called ‘essay farms’ targeted students needing help with a subject or looking to get unfair advantage, or even a place at university. Now they can do a lot more.Īt the same time, online services have existed to provide essay answers for a fee. Until recently most of these chatbot services have been primitive, and only capable of providing limited answers to basic questions. What is the link between a chatbot and writing essays? Nowadays they use sophisticated AI to mimic the style of a support person. They offer live interaction with a user via a pop-up, and they are designed to help customers with their enquiries. It is a simple rule-based tool and it provides a set of predetermined answers to typical questions. What are online chatbots?Īn online chatbot is a very useful website feature. Are they smart time savers or do they give unfair advantage to students? Should they be banned in universities? Whatever the rights and wrongs of the technology there are important issues about using online chatbots during a masters.
There is a lot of interest at the moment in online chatbots.