The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas students say ChatGPT has improved their academic performance but admitted that some have used it to cheat.

Launched in November 2022 by an AI research laboratory, ChatGPT allows users to engage in human-like conversations. The platform can write essays, solve mathematical problems, and help with research.

While many industries have embraced it, some educators are weary that it compromises academic integrity by encouraging new forms of cheating and plagiarism.

Jerenicka Albury, 21, a senior nursing student, said she discovered ChatGPT this year and primarily uses it to help prepare for tests. She said she uploads PowerPoint presentations from her classes and asks ChatGPT to create multiple-choice revision tests based on the notes. She said using these tests has improved her grades, allowing her to receive mostly A’s.

She said ChatGPT also explains correct answers, helping to deepen her understanding.

Jermaine Jolly, 24, a sophomore biochemistry major, said ChatGPT is useful for simplifying complex topics. Although he warned students against “copying and pasting” answers from the platform, he said some professors who lament the advent of the tool are hypocritical, noting they use it to help outline syllabuses or plan lessons.

Mickell Smith, 21, a senior English major, said her professors strongly oppose using ChatGPT and design unique assignments to reduce the likelihood of students duplicating content through the platform.

“I feel like the literacy skills in The Bahamas are already not there, and you can’t use the internet to write for you,” she said. “How would you ever learn? I feel students should learn how to write. They could use ChatGPT for ideas, but if ChatGPT is giving you the correct grammar, how would you learn what’s right from wrong?”

She also expressed concern about educators relying on ChatGPT to create lesson plans or assignments, believing this undermines the role of teachers, who are trained to develop detailed lesson plans tailored to their classes.

Kianna Oliver, 17, a freshman business management major, said while she uses ChatGPT to generate ideas and research topics, many students now use AI for essays, with some even letting ChatGPT write entire pieces.

“You should just want to do your own work and feel good that you got the grade because you did the hard work on your own,” she said.