Can GPT-4 benefit engineering students with its new visual learning capabilities?
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Whether you are "pro" or "anti-ChatGPT", an academic or a student, the new multimodal language model tool, GPT-4, is ready to take the higher education world by storm.
And with its popular predecessor, the chatbot GPT-3.5, already having an impact on student performance, you might still be wondering whether you should embrace it as a teaching and learning tool.
Regardless, the growing use of AI has encouraged a great shift towards digital learning, prompting more instructors to choose a blended approach to their teaching.
For the science disciplines, digital learning capabilities can help achieve better learning outcomes. Especially for Engineering, a digital and interactive learning model that goes hand-in-hand with the core textbook content will allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the more challenging concepts, from theory to practice.
What does the use of AI mean specifically for Engineering students?
To a certain extent, the AI language model could serve as a learning tool for engineering students, with functionalities such as simplifying complex information, analysing data or describing the process for drawing engineering diagrams – even performing calculations.
GPT-4 is designed to take AI-generated written responses one step further with its new capability of image input. For engineering students, it could provide visual descriptions and even answer exam questions, which already contain diagrams and images.
However, can the chatbot understand engineering students’ needs?
ChatGPT is AI-generated but not interactive
Digital learning platforms encourage students to practice what they learn in class at their own pace by using interactive tools such as engineering-specific graphical tutorials, allowing them to draw their diagrams and explore the problem-solving process.
Although the new GPT-4 has revolutionised data processing and analysis and can generate a step-by-step, descriptive response according to a graphic drawing, it still cannot encourage a deeper understanding of engineering concepts. That is simply because it is designed to provide answers and not prompt students to research, discover and analyse the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ behind the process like an interactive platform would.
Ultimately, can engineering students use ChatGPT to deliver their projects?
We asked the Chatbot and here is what it came back with (GPT-3.5):
Would you think the above changes in AI can benefit or hinder your teaching/learning?
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