Nigerian Students Turn to aI For Tests Answers, Lecturers Raise Alarm
Expert System (AI) is revolutionizing education while making discovering more available however likewise sparking disputes on its effect.
While students hail AI tools like ChatGPT for boosting their learning experience, speakers are raising issues about the growing reliance on AI, which they argue fosters laziness and weakens academic stability, specifically with lots of students not able to safeguard their tasks or offered works.
Prof. Isaac Nwaogwugwu, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, in an interview with Nairametrics, revealed aggravation over the growing dependence on AI-generated reactions amongst trainees recounting a current experience he had.
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"I provided an assignment to my MBA students, and out of over 100 trainees, about 40% submitted the specific very same answers. These students did not even understand each other, however they all utilized the very same AI tool to generate their reactions," he said.
He kept in mind that this pattern is common amongst both undergraduate and postgraduate students however is specifically concerning in part-time and distance knowing programs.
"AI is a serious obstacle when it comes to tasks. Many trainees no longer believe critically-they just go online, create responses, and submit," he added.
Surprisingly, some speakers are also accused of over-relying on AI, setting a cycle where both educators and students turn to AI for benefit instead of intellectual rigor.
This debate raises vital questions about the function of AI in academic stability and trainee development.
According to a UNESCO report, while ChatGPT reached 100 million month-to-month active users in January 2023, just one country had released regulations on generative AI as of July 2023.
As of December 2024, ChatGPT had over 300 million people utilizing the AI chatbot each week and asteroidsathome.net 1 billion messages sent every day around the world.
Decline of scholastic rigor
University lecturers are progressively concerned about trainees sending AI-generated assignments without really comprehending the content.
Dr. Felix Echekoba, a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, expressed his issues to Nairametrics about trainees progressively relying on ChatGPT, only to have problem with answering fundamental concerns when evaluated.
"Many students copy from ChatGPT and submit sleek assignments, however when asked standard concerns, they go blank. It's frustrating since education has to do with discovering, not just passing courses," he said.
- Prof. Nwaogwugwu pointed out that the increasing variety of superior graduates can not be entirely credited to AI but confessed that even high-performing students use these tools.
"A superior student is a first-class student, AI or not, but that doesn't imply they don't cheat. The advantages of AI may be peripheral, but it is making trainees dependent and less analytical," he said.
- Another speaker, Dr. Ereke, from Ebonyi State University, raised a different issue that some speakers themselves are guilty of the same practice.
"It's not just trainees utilizing AI slackly. Some lecturers, out of their own laziness, create lesson notes, course lays out, marking plans, and even examination concerns with AI without evaluating them. Students in turn utilize AI to create responses. It's a cycle of laziness and it is killing genuine knowing," he regreted.
Students' point of views on use
Students, users.atw.hu on the other hand, akropolistravel.com state AI has actually improved their learning experience by making academic materials more reasonable and accessible.
- Eniola Arowosafe, a 300-level Business Administration trainee at Unilag, shared how AI has substantially assisted her knowing by breaking down complex terms and supplying summaries of prolonged texts.
"AI assisted me understand things more easily, specifically when dealing with complex topics," she described.
However, she remembered a circumstances when she used AI to send her task, just for her lecturer to immediately acknowledge that it was produced by ChatGPT and decline it. Eniola noted that it was a good-bad impact.
- Bryan Okwuba, who recently finished with a first-rate degree in Pharmacy Technology from the University of Lagos, securely believes that his scholastic success wasn't due to any AI tool. He attributes his exceptional grades to actively appealing by asking concerns and focusing on locations that lecturers stress in class, as they are often reflected in exam concerns.
"It's all about being present, paying attention, and taking advantage of the wealth of understanding shared by my associates," he stated,
- Tunde Awoshita, a final-year marketing student at UNIZIK, admits to occasionally copying straight from ChatGPT when facing numerous due dates.
"To be sincere, there are times I copy straight from ChatGPT when I have several deadlines, and I understand I'm guilty of that, a lot of times the speakers don't get to go through them, but AI has actually likewise assisted me learn faster."
Balancing AI's function in education
Experts believe the solution depends on AI literacy; teaching students and speakers how to use AI as a learning aid rather than a shortcut.
- Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, highlighted the combination of AI into Nigeria's education system, worrying the importance of a balanced method that preserves human involvement while utilizing AI to improve finding out outcomes.
"As we navigate the rapidly progressing landscape of Expert system (AI), it is important that we prioritise human firm in education. We should guarantee that AI improves, rather than changes, teachers' important role in shaping young minds," he said
Concerns over AI in Learning
Dorcas Akintade, a cybersecurity transformation specialist, dealt with growing issues concerning using expert system (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and their prospective dangers to the educational system.
- She acknowledged the advantages of AI, however, highlighted the requirement for caution in its usage.
- Akintade highlighted the increasing resistance among teachers and schools toward integrating AI tools in learning environments. She recognized 2 main reasons AI tools are dissuaded in instructional settings: and plagiarism. She explained that AI tools like ChatGPT are trained to react based upon user interactions, which may not line up with the expectations of teachers.
"It is not taking a look at it as a tutor," Akintade said, explaining that AI does not cater to specific teaching techniques.
Plagiarism is another issue, as AI pulls from existing information, typically without appropriate attribution
"A lot of people require to understand, like I said, this is information that has been trained on. It is not simply bringing things out from the sky. It's bringing details that some other individuals are fed into it, which in essence implies that is another person's paperwork," she cautioned.
- Additionally, Akintade highlighted an early problem in AI advancement called "hallucination," where AI tools would produce info that was not factual.
"Hallucination suggested that it was drawing out info from the air. If ChatGPT might not get that info from you, it was going to make one up," she discussed.
She suggested "grounding" AI by offering it with particular details to prevent such mistakes.
Navigating AI in Education
Akintade argued that banning AI tools outright is not the option, especially when AI presents an opportunity to leapfrog standard educational techniques.
- She thinks that consistently enhancing crucial information assists people remember and avoid making mistakes when faced with challenges.
"Immersion brings conversion. When you tell people the exact same thing over and over once again, when they will make the mistakes, then they'll keep in mind."
She also empasized the need for clear policies and treatments within schools, keeping in mind that lots of schools should address individuals and process aspects of this use.
- Prof. Nwaogwugwu has turned to in-class projects and tests to counter AI-driven scholastic dishonesty.
"Now, I primarily use projects to ensure trainees provide initial work." However, he acknowledged that managing big classes makes this technique tough.
"If you set intricate questions, trainees won't have the ability to utilize AI to get direct responses," he explained.
He emphasized the need for universities to train speakers on crafting test concerns that AI can not easily solve while acknowledging that some speakers battle to counter AI abuse due to a lack of technological awareness. "Some speakers are analogue," he said.
- Nigeria released a draft National AI Strategy in August 2024, focusing on ethical AI development with fairness, openness, accountability, and privacy at its core.
- UNESCO in a report requires the policy of AI in education, encouraging institutions to examine algorithms, information, and outputs of generative AI tools to guarantee they satisfy ethical requirements, protect user information, and filter improper content.
- It worries the need to evaluate the long-term impact of AI on critical skills like thinking and creativity while producing policies that align with ethical frameworks. Additionally, UNESCO recommends executing age constraints for GenAI use to safeguard younger trainees and secure vulnerable groups.
- For governments, it recommended embracing a collaborated nationwide method to managing GenAI, consisting of developing oversight bodies and aligning guidelines with existing information defense and privacy laws. It highlights assessing AI dangers, implementing more stringent guidelines for high-risk applications, and making sure nationwide information ownership.