Abstract:

It is widely acknowledged by researchers and practitioners that the increasing spread of AI / chatbots will have a major impact on the economy. The resulting risks and opportunities will greatly affect white collar professions. Universities that train students for these professions are therefore facing the challenge of determining the extent to which this trend is incorporated into their curricula.

There are currently two main approaches to this in the context of Master's degree courses in management: Handling in new modules that have been especially created for this purpose – or parallel integration into existing modules, for example in the discussion of the effects on the economy, the organization of work, for capacity calculations and personnel planning, the design of customer service, etc. In addition, within the framework of constructive alignment, care must always be taken to ensure that the learning objectives are aligned with the methods and the forms of examination used.

At the same time, there is a trend for students to increasingly use AI / chatbots themselves as part of examinations such as essays and theses. This entails the challenge that it is no longer the actual addressed competencies that are tested but something else, such as copy & paste skills. Consequently, this may impede the development of students’ ability to analyze information, think creatively, and fully grasp the subject matter. Despite the support provided by AI / chatbots, the quality of the results often fails to meet expectations. In addition, the amount of self-study required for the granting of ECTS is no longer guaranteed.

Academic teaching at the Berlin School of Economics and Law as part of the Master of International Business Management program, has therefore faced the question of how to effectively navigate this diverse educational scenario. Regarding the "Managing People and Organizations" course, a strategic decision was made to adapt the examination mode. The traditional essay which was previously used as part of a portfolio examination, was replaced by a hybrid approach that included the mandatory use of ChatGPT for essay creation. Regarded as an experiment, this shift was to be evaluated and put to the test accordingly.

This paper deals with the derivation and justification of this decision and provides a comprehensive overview of the specific task set for students within this examination framework. In addition, it reflects on the extent to which there were anomalies in the process of supervising students during this phase. Finally, the quality of the submitted mini essays is reflected upon. The paper concludes with an assessment of the new form of examination and discusses any necessary adjustments to the content of the module, the specific task of the mini essay, the supervision, and the assessment as well as the feedback process.

Keywords:

AI Chatbots in Education, Examination Types, Constructive Alignment, 21st Century Skills, Curriculum Adaptation, ChatGPT Experiment.