Nigerian Students Turn to aI For Tests Answers, Lecturers Raise Alarm

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Expert System (AI) is revolutionizing education while making discovering more available but also stimulating arguments on its impact.

Expert System (AI) is reinventing education while making discovering more accessible however likewise sparking disputes on its impact.


While students hail AI tools like ChatGPT for improving their knowing experience, lecturers are raising issues about the growing dependence on AI, which they argue fosters laziness and undermines academic integrity, particularly with numerous students not able to safeguard their assignments or given works.


Prof. Isaac Nwaogwugwu, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, in an interview with Nairametrics, expressed frustration over the growing dependence on AI-generated reactions amongst trainees recounting a recent experience he had.


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"I provided a project to my MBA students, and out of over 100 trainees, about 40% submitted the precise same answers. These students did not even know each other, but they all utilized the same AI tool to generate their responses," he said.


He noted that this pattern prevails amongst both undergraduate and postgraduate trainees however is especially concerning in part-time and distance learning programs.


"AI is a serious obstacle when it concerns assignments. Many trainees no longer believe critically-they just go on the internet, generate answers, and send," he included.


Surprisingly, some speakers are likewise implicated of over-relying on AI, setting a cycle where both teachers and trainees turn to AI for benefit instead of intellectual rigor.


This argument raises critical questions about the function of AI in scholastic stability and trainee advancement.


According to a UNESCO report, while ChatGPT reached 100 million month-to-month active users in January 2023, just one nation had actually launched guidelines on generative AI as of July 2023.


As of December 2024, ChatGPT had over 300 million individuals using the AI chatbot every week and 1 billion messages sent out every day around the globe.


Decline of scholastic rigor


University lecturers are significantly concerned about students sending AI-generated projects without genuinely comprehending the material.


Dr. Felix Echekoba, a speaker at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, expressed his concerns to Nairametrics about trainees progressively relying on ChatGPT, just to have problem with responding to standard questions when checked.


"Many students copy from ChatGPT and submit refined assignments, but when asked fundamental concerns, they go blank. It's frustrating since education is about learning, not simply passing courses," he said.


- Prof. Nwaogwugwu mentioned that the increasing variety of first-rate graduates can not be totally credited to AI but admitted that even high-performing trainees use these tools.


"A top-notch student is a top-notch trainee, AI or not, however that does not imply they do not cheat. The benefits of AI may be peripheral, but it is making students dependent and less analytical," he said.


- Another speaker, Dr. Ereke, from Ebonyi State University, raised a different concern that some lecturers themselves are guilty of the very same practice.


"It's not simply students using AI lazily. Some speakers, out of their own laziness, produce lesson notes, course lays out, marking schemes, and even exam concerns with AI without examining them. Students in turn utilize AI to produce answers. It's a cycle of laziness and it is killing genuine learning," he regreted.


Students' perspectives on use


Students, on the other hand, say AI has enhanced their knowing experience by making academic materials more reasonable and available.


- Eniola Arowosafe, a 300-level Business Administration student at Unilag, shared how AI has actually significantly aided her knowing by breaking down complex terms and offering summaries of lengthy texts.


"AI helped me understand things more easily, particularly when handling complicated subjects," she described.


However, she remembered a circumstances when she utilized AI to submit her job, just for her lecturer to right away recognize that it was produced by ChatGPT and decline it. Eniola noted that it was a good-bad impact.


- Bryan Okwuba, who recently graduated with a first-class degree in Pharmacy Technology from the University of Lagos, securely believes that his academic success wasn't due to any AI tool. He attributes his exceptional grades to actively interesting by asking questions and concentrating on areas that lecturers highlight in class, as they are frequently shown in test concerns.


"It's everything about existing, taking note, and tapping into the wealth of understanding shared by my colleagues," he said,


- Tunde Awoshita, a final-year marketing trainee at UNIZIK, admits to occasionally copying straight from ChatGPT when facing several due dates.


"To be sincere, there are times I copy straight from ChatGPT when I have numerous due dates, and I understand I'm guilty of that, most times the lecturers do not get to review them, but AI has also helped me discover quicker."


Balancing AI's role in education


Experts think the service depends on AI literacy; mentor students and speakers how to utilize AI as a learning help instead of a faster way.


- Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, highlighted the integration of AI into Nigeria's education system, stressing the importance of a balanced approach that preserves human involvement while harnessing AI to enhance discovering results.


"As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of Expert system (AI), it is vital that we prioritise human company in education. We need to ensure that AI boosts, rather than replaces, educators' crucial role in shaping young minds," he stated


Concerns over AI in Learning


Dorcas Akintade, a cybersecurity transformation professional, attended to growing concerns concerning the usage of expert system (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and their possible threats to the instructional system.


- She acknowledged the benefits of AI, however, highlighted the requirement for caution in its usage.

- Akintade highlighted the increasing hesitance among teachers and schools toward incorporating AI tools in finding out environments. She determined two primary factors why AI tools are dissuaded in educational settings: security threats and plagiarism. She discussed that AI tools like ChatGPT are trained to react based on user interactions, which might not line up with the expectations of educators.


"It is not taking a look at it as a tutor," Akintade stated, describing that AI does not cater to particular teaching methods.


Plagiarism is another problem, as AI pulls from existing information, links.gtanet.com.br typically without correct attribution


"A lot of individuals need to comprehend, like I said, this is information that has actually been trained on. It is not just bringing things out from the sky. It's bringing info that some other people are fed into it, which in essence means that is another person's documents," she warned.


- Additionally, Akintade highlighted an early issue in AI advancement called "hallucination," where AI tools would generate info that was not accurate.


"Hallucination implied that it was highlighting info from the air. If ChatGPT might not get that information from you, it was going to make one up," she discussed.


She recommended "grounding" AI by supplying it with particular information to prevent such errors.


Navigating AI in Education


Akintade argued that prohibiting AI tools outright is not the option, especially when AI provides an opportunity to leapfrog traditional instructional approaches.


- She believes that regularly reinforcing key details assists individuals remember and avoid making mistakes when faced with obstacles.


"Immersion brings conversion. When you inform people the same thing over and over once again, when they are about to make the errors, then they'll keep in mind."


She also empasized the requirement for clear policies and procedures within schools, keeping in mind that lots of schools need to resolve individuals and procedure elements of this use.


- Prof. Nwaogwugwu has actually turned to in-class projects and tests to counter AI-driven scholastic dishonesty.


"Now, I generally utilize tasks to ensure trainees provide initial work." However, fraternityofshadows.com he acknowledged that handling large classes makes this approach difficult.


"If you set complex concerns, trainees will not be able to utilize AI to get direct answers," he described.


He emphasized the need for universities to train speakers on crafting examination questions that AI can not easily resolve while acknowledging that some speakers battle to counter AI abuse due to an absence of technological awareness. "Some speakers are analogue," he stated.


- Nigeria launched a draft National AI Strategy in August 2024, concentrating on ethical AI development with fairness, openness, accountability, and privacy at its core.

- UNESCO in a report calls for the guideline of AI in education, encouraging organizations to audit algorithms, information, and outputs of generative AI tools to ensure they meet ethical standards, protect user data, and filter improper content.

- It stresses the need to evaluate the long-term impact of AI on crucial skills like believing and imagination while creating policies that line up with ethical structures. Additionally, UNESCO advises implementing age constraints for GenAI usage to safeguard younger trainees and safeguard vulnerable groups.
- For governments, it recommended adopting a collaborated nationwide approach to managing GenAI, consisting of developing oversight bodies and lining up regulations with existing information defense and personal privacy laws. It emphasizes evaluating AI threats, imposing more stringent rules for high-risk applications, and making sure national information ownership.

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