Abstract:

This paper discusses the results of a pilot project introducing a novel approach to history education by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI). The overall aim of the project was to design and test concrete ways in which ChatGPT can be used as a teacher and student assistant. The project was carried out in the Fall semester 2023 in a history course at a university in Norway. The course is offered to students in their first university semester. 48 students in total took the course. Through an interactive website, students engaged in conversations with a ChatGPT application programming interface (API) specifically designed to assist teachers and students. By using natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, the ChatGPT API could comprehend and respond to students’ input, facilitating a dynamic and personalized learning environment. The design of the ChatGPT API was based on Bloom’s taxonomy of learning outcomes (Anderson et al., 2001). In this paper, we address the following research question (RQ): What are student experiences with using ChatGPT in history classes?

One of the assignments the students were to complete in small groups during the semester was preparing a presentation on a given topic with the help of the ChatGPT API, and then presenting their work to the rest of the class. The presentation consisted of three elements: introduction of the main concepts, activity to engage the students in the audience, and a quiz to test the understanding of the presented content. We carried out two group interviews with seven students in total (four students in the first group and three students in the second group) who have just carried out their presentations. The interview guide included three main categories of questions: preparing the presentation, carrying it out in front of the class, and a reflection on how it went. Each interview took between 60 and 90 minutes. Two researchers carried out the interviews. One of the researchers led the conversation, while the other one took notes.

The results indicate that the students perceived engaging with the ChatGPT API as a useful and positive experience overall, and especially when it came to brainstorming. The students reported that one of the most difficult issues during the preparation phase was finding out where to start. Here, ChatGPT was of help in providing them with ideas and starting points which they discussed and developed further in their groups. On the other hand, while the students perceived that the ChatGPT API would often provide good quality answers, they also felt they were “streamlined” into a specific direction. Here, the students reflected that engaging with a more open chatbot would provide them with more opportunities to explore the topic.

Overall, the students perceived that most meaningful learning happened when they were engaging in discussions with their classmates. Thus, the application-based use of ChatGPT served as the starting point for critical reflections on issues related to historical consciousness, such as the trustworthiness of sources and the limits of historical knowledge, as well as for students’ metacognitive reflections on their own learning.

References:
[1] Anderson L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruickshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J., & Wittrock, M. C. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Longman.

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT, history education.