ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLM’s) are popping up everywhere. With their widespread availability, they have quickly been integrated into the study habits of students across the country. But how useful is ChatGPT for studying? Does it even help students develop an understanding of topics, or does it actually hinder them?
MIT came out with a study that showed significant evidence to suggest that the use of LLMs for essay writing is linked to lower brain activity, and worse recall in users compared to traditional methods. Although that may be alarming, there are several tips that can turn ChatGPT into a productive tool, instead of one that dulls the mind.
ChatGPT as a Starting Point
There’s nothing wrong with using ChatGPT as a starting point to learn about a new concept, generate ideas for an essay, or get an answer for a problem. The issue starts when the answers ChatGPT gives you are blindly accepted. ChatGPT hallucinates references at least a quarter of the time. Yes, your robot can make things up and act like they are real. So ChatGPT is just your starting point, a vast resource of concepts and ideas that you can explore further.
Ask Why Instead of Simply Accepting an Answer
It’s one thing to be able to follow along with an answer ChatGPT gives you, it’s a completely different thing to understand how it came up with the answer. Asking why, or how it answered a problem is a key component of using ChatGPT properly for studying. For example, if I gave it a physics problem, and it set up an equation, I might be able to follow along with the math. This gives students a false sense of knowing how to do the problem, but how are you supposed to know when to apply the equation to other problems? This is where asking why, or how ChatGPT did something comes into play. In my physics example, it would tell me some underlying law that the equation came from, and I could then go look up that law in a textbook, on youtube, or a simple google search.
Engage with the Information
The next step is to take your studying away from the computer screen. Recall was shown to be much worse using ChatGPT, and that’s partially due to only interacting with a screen. The kinetic process of using a physical book, or handwriting notes does two things that using digital space does not. First, it activates more parts of your brain, creating more connections and stronger pathways. Secondly, it creates a physical location that you associate with the information you’re learning. This also helps create another strong connection for recalling information that you lose when working with screens. To truly learn you must take the information you’re reading and consolidate it into notes, flashcards, or something more creative. The point is it must be produced by you, not ChatGPT.
Generate Targeted Practice
Here’s one of the great things about ChatGPT, now that you’ve gone beyond it to learn about a new concept, you can come back to it and ask for targeted practice. You can get as specific as you want – AP style, final exam style, multiple choice, free response, challenging, easy, etc.
At the end of the day, ChatGPT is just a tool like every other piece of technology. What you get out of it is completely based on how you use it. When used properly it can be a great tool for students to quickly identify where their gaps and shortcomings are, point them to the concepts they need to review, and give them an opportunity to practice their new knowledge.
