By Oluchi Omai
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now a part of life and reaches all corners of society, including the educational sector. In Nigeria, AI has also brought both benefits and drawbacks and has changed the way students study, learn, and even take exams. Nonetheless, with all the benefits that AI has to offer us, there are also equally enormous downsides that come in the form of efforts to overcome academic honesty and originality of thought.
The Good: AI as a Tool of Efficiency and Learning
AI has increased Nigerian students' access to learning exponentially. With AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, and other learning platforms, students are now exposed to a sea of information at their fingertips. They don't rely on textbooks or instructors. AI provides instant solutions to complicated queries, making learning interactive and engaging.
Furthermore, AI has eased research. With the help of search engines and AI-powered summarizers, students can easily acquire and classify information in a matter of seconds, hence saving time from manually browsing the internet. This saves students time to concentrate on thinking and analysis rather than browsing hours to get appropriate materials.
Personalized education is another benefit that AI has to offer when it comes to learning. AI reviews the student's performance in Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy and discovers them based on their requirements. In this way, students have the freedom to learn at their own pace, rehearse what they need to improve upon but skip where they already know how it works.
Apart from that, AI has enabled digital textbooks. It is prevalent in Nigeria where most students cannot afford expensive textbooks, but with AI technology, one can produce textbooks on various topics for free or for low fees. This has opened doors to education for all students regardless of their affluence.
The Bad: Over-Dependence on AI and Lack of Research Skills
Even though it has its advantages, AI has created a dependency problem in the case of students. The majority of Nigerian students nowadays rely on AI to complete their assignments, projects, and even research works, and this has led to the loss of critical thinking as well as the ability to solve problems. Instead of analyzing information critically, students copy and paste content developed by AI without comprehending it.
In Calabar University, for example, students have been discovered to be depending on their mobile phones during exams rather than solving things for themselves. This excessive dependence on AI tools is a highly serious problem as much as academic integrity is concerned. If students cannot think for themselves without using AI tools, they will be poor professionals in the future.
The other primary issue is the decrease in hours of deep study. In the past, students would visit libraries, study a few books, and cross-check with others. AI provides answers altogether now, which decreases deep study. Although AI-generated content is mostly helpful, it does not always provide enough correct information. Because of this, students who rely only on AI can miss crucial information that is accessed through deep research.
In addition, books authored by AI, although affordable, also contain their kind of problems. AI authored books are full of bugs, outdated or irrelevant information, or lack context. Since AI uses existing material as a source, it provides half or biased facts sometimes, misguiding the students. In contrast to traditional books read and approved by experts, AI authored books lack quality checks and therefore sometimes may not be so trustworthy.
The Ugly: Academic and Ethical Integrity Issues
The biggest problem of AI in schools is losing academic integrity. Plagiarizing papers and exams with AI is done by most students. AI can write essays, solve math problems, and even do whole projects in seconds. The question then is: are students learning, or do they just use AI as a shortcut?
In Nigerian universities, lecturers have also attested to the phenomenon of students presenting assignments written by AI without even altering them. Such a practice contradicts the purpose of learning, which is to hone analytical skills and enhance critical thinking. If the students continue to use AI to complete the work, they will graduate without being equipped with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to fit into the job market.
Besides, AI has also led to misuse and plagiarism. Others produce work generated by AI without sources, a form of academic dishonesty. Universities now have to pay to purchase AI-detection software to catch individuals using this approach, and this adds another burden on the education system.
The second deplorable feature of AI is the digital divide. While AI has made learning more accessible, not all students have access to AI tools equally. The majority of Nigerian students, especially rural students, lack internet access or digital devices, and hence they are at a disadvantage. The increasing gap between AI-capable students and non-AI-capable students threatens to foster inequality in education.
AI has indeed changed the face of education in Nigeria, offering learners alternative forms of learning, research, and information access. Its negative side effects cannot be ignored. There is too much reliance on AI that is suffocating students' ability to think critically and perform authentic research. Institutions of higher learning, like the University of Calabar, already have problems in the wake of students' utilization of AI towards the perpetuation of examination malpractices.
To make the most out of AI and minimize its negative impacts, schools must place strong controls on how AI is used. Schools must teach students how to use AI appropriately so that learning is augmented and not replaced by critical thinking. Lecturers must also emphasize the importance of independent study and ethical academic conduct.
AI is a tool that can be utilized in very efficient manners, but like any tool, the way it is utilized is up to the user. If Nigerian students can find a balance between utilizing AI to assist them in their studies and integrity in schoolwork, then they will be well equipped for the future.
0 Comments