While ChatGPT has gained 100 million users, there is a surprising number of people who don’t use it for studying at UCT. This article is for those who are sceptical of using ChatGPT to study. We will explain how it works, how you can use it, and some caution you will need in using it.
When it comes to ChatGPT, most people either over-use it or under-use it. Those who over-use it end up plagiarising the work generated by ChatGPT, and those who under-use it either do not know how it works or do not know how to use it. The problem that the second category of people have is easier to solve, so let us dive into that.
ChatGPT: An Introduction
Contrary to popular belief, ChatGPT is not alive. Rather, it is a machine that follows a formula really well. All it looks for is the next appropriate word in a sentence.
For example, if someone asks me “Hello, what is your name?” the next appropriate word is “Hello.” After “Hello,” the next appropriate word is “my.” After “my,” the next word should be “name,” and then “is,” and then “Tim.” This is the formula that ChatGPT follows. It looks at the words you have given it and determines what the next appropriate word is.
Well, how does it determine what the next appropriate word is if it is not alive? You give it billions and billions of pages of sentences from the internet, and it will choose the most appropriate words based on how often certain words follow each other. This is why if you ask it any question, it can string words together based on the billions of pages of data, sentences, and information it has been given from the internet. It can determine that “Hello” “my” “name” “is” “Tim” are words that will follow each other.
The Uses of ChatGPT
ChatGPT can be used for studying purposes, with a wide range of uses – both in practical STEM-based subjects like maths, compsci, and physics, and theory-heavy, non-STEM-based subjects, like business science, languages, and psychology.
For theory-heavy subjects, you can use the Feynmann technique, where you ask ChatGPT to explain a concept to you as though you are a 5-year-old. You can also ask for examples and ask it to clarify points that you do not understand or are confused about. There are some examples of prompts that have been included at the end of this article, which you can just copy and paste and change to suit yourself.
For something like STEM-based subjects where there is a lot of practical work, you can copy and paste an equation or question into ChatGPT and ask it to explain the problem and how you can go about working it out. E.g. “I am struggling with this question: [copied-and-pasted question]. Please explain how I would go about solving this problem and explain each step that you are taking.” From there, you can ask it to clarify each step or explain anything you are confused about. You can even ask it for examples of questions to practice, especially if you are struggling with a particular concept related to your subject.
When using ChatGPT, it is best to structure your prompt/question using the following formula:
Context + Question + Purpose + Format (format is optional)
E.g. “I am an undergraduate computer science student at the University of Cape Town and I am a complete beginner at coding (context). You will explain coding concepts to me as though I am a five-year old and you will use examples when you explain (question). You will give me activities to test my coding knowledge and critique my code once I upload it (question/purpose).”
We asked Professor Jonathan Shock (a lecturer in the UCT Maths Department) what his opinion was of using generative AI such as ChatGPT and what he thought about the line between using ChatGPT for studying and plagiarising from it:
“I can certainly only speak for myself on this one. I think that generative AI is a very useful tool, but one that must be used with care. For myself, I use it as an editor. I write something myself, and then pass it through ChatGPT to get thoughts on any improvements that I can make. I then make those myself. I think that if we are using it to produce the text itself, then we need to acknowledge so in anything that we write. I also think that this is generally a bad idea as we can become sloppy in what we produce.
I also use it for understanding concepts, but here as well we must be careful. It is a great place to get a general idea, but once you have learned something from ChatGPT, it's important to verify it elsewhere by reading papers, etc. In terms of calculations, we can use it too, but then we must be even more careful as it is not built for this purpose and so often makes mistakes. We can use that to our advantage to prove to ourselves that we know what we are doing by finding those mistakes.”
With all of this in mind, we can see that while ChatGPT must be used with caution, it’s still a powerful resource when used correctly. Do try using it, especially when you’re confused about a concept and need an explanation.
A Word of Caution
Because ChatGPT is answering questions based on the prompts from the internet, it just strings words together that work together based on the information it is given from the internet. It does not check whether the information is necessarily accurate or even safe. This means that occasionally it can produce inaccurate information and even hate speech. While this is not often the case, it still has the potential to produce such content. Please be advised when using it.
Example Prompts (Provided by Violet Barton)
Summarize reading: I am about to attend a lecture on this topic. Summarize the source in this citation, including limitations and conclusions.
Roleplaying:
You are an expert German tutor. Ask me questions in German and wait for my responses and correct my grammar.
You are an expert debate coach. Present me with a debate topic, wait for my responses, and provide feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of my arguments.
Imagine that you are a student making flashcards. Summarize [these readings or lecture notes] into flashcard questions.
Imagine you are now an essay grader. Tell me the strengths and weaknesses of my essay and what grade it would receive.
Imagine you are writing an exam on [this topic]. Write an essay about the topic, and then, critique the essay you wrote. How can it be better? What makes it weak?
Generate 5 writing prompts, giving the first line of a story.
Imagine you are my A level biology teacher. I am your student who is learning the process of respiration. Use the Socratic method to test and deepen my understanding of the topic.
Grade my homework and explain the topics more deeply. (Use the same chat for the same course throughout the semester—it will learn what you get wrong.
Brainstorm partner for essay—what points to include, challenge my opinions. Give the opposite viewpoint so I can deepen my essay.
“Write ____ that removes gender and misogyny bias”
You are a host of a trivia competition. Generate trivia questions about [this topic I am trying to be more interested in].