Chat GPT in HSC Legal Studies 

Advancements in artificial intelligence AI have opened new avenues for education. Programs like Chat GPT have the potential to be harnessed by educators to ease teacher workloads, offering opportunities to develop interactive diagnostic and revision quizzes, tailor information for individual student learning needs and increase the speed and accessibility of information retrieval for both teachers and students alike. However, like all learning tools, these must be used ethically, critically, contextually and purposefully. 

In HSC Legal Studies, Mr Fallon has been experimenting with AI technology to develop HSC-targeted multiple-choice diagnostic quiz revision sets to enhance student revision of course content within the HSC Optional Study of Family Law. 

Designing a multiple-choice revision quiz from scratch would previously have taken between 1-2 hours of work – something Chat GPT can do in seconds. While there was still the need for expert oversight – with Mr Fallon finding several inaccuracies in both questions and answers – the tool significantly increased the speed of resource production, offering the potential of widespread application to improve efficiency in education. With extra time up his sleeve, Mr Fallon could then transfer the quiz to Microsoft Forms to be distributed to students, allowing for real-time collection and analysis of student performance data. Data-driven practice is fundamental to enriching student achievement, allowing teachers to differentiate subsequent instruction to target areas of common weakness and misconception amongst learning cohorts. 

While AI and its use have become a divisive topic in education, sparking an existential crisis in some sectors, it is evident that using it thoughtfully and critically has the potential to enrich student learning. Nonetheless, the unbridled use of such technology by students is a genuine issue of concern that requires an open discussion in schools and homes alike. Students must be informed of the danger of overreliance on technologies like Chat GPT, especially when undertaking independent learning and research. Such technologies can perpetuate inaccuracies and biases, and their overuse can undermine a student’s active engagement in critical and creative thinking. Yet, it is also clear that avoiding such technology negates its potential transformative nature as a powerful learning tool. 

Here at The McDonald College, we are keeping an eye on AI developments and will stay vigilant on the use of these technologies in and around the school.