Many of this blog post’s readers have likely discovered that ChatGPT has become an indispensable companion in their educational journey over the past year (or so). As students following a course in Information Strategy and enthusiasts of emerging technologies, the allure of generative AI has naturally drawn us towards this incredible tool. ChatGPT has consistently proven its worth by assisting us in a multitude of ways.
The relationships we’ve formed with ChatGPT vary widely in nature. Some may admit to having leaned too heavily on this resource, relying on it to write assignments, essentially seeking to delegate the entire workload. Others maintain a healthier, more symbiotic rapport, using ChatGPT to extract concise summaries from voluminous texts, enabling them to better manage their study time while still engaging with course materials independently. Regardless of the approach, ChatGPT is undeniably poised to revolutionize education and will likely be embraced further as the new study companion.
Throughout the past year, which is when ChatGPT steadily started occupying student’s laptop screens, I’ve also had the privilege of acquainting myself with its capabilities. It guided me during my thesis by displaying information on what a typical methods section should includea methods section for my thesis, providing valuable inspiration. During my semester abroad, it efficiently generated travel itineraries for trips through South Africa and Namibia during study breaks. While I recognized its potential as a lifelong productivity companion, I had yet to experience that jaw-dropping moment that would truly distinguish this tool.
However, just this week, my admiration of ChatGPT took a deeper turn, as it revealed its remarkable intelligence to me. As I grappled with a statistics assignment in a research methods course, ChatGPT stepped in to offer comprehensive assistance. Despite having some proficiency in statistics, until now I often struggled with the intricate intricacies of R-Studio, wrestling with endless errors when attempting to produce specific statistical outputs during my BSc. Quite often, I knew what an exercise wanted me to do, yet I often did not know the specific codes to run some complicated multi-layered functions. At that time, securing personal guidance from instructors proved challenging, given the shift to online learning, which resulted in quite awkward situations where you had to share your screen to ask the teacher for help. Furthermore, these courses were often perceived to be quite complicated, so you often found yourself competing with other students to get a teacher to help you with your problem.
This is where, this week, ChatGPT proved to be an invaluable companion. The more I specified my queries and the errors I encountered, the more accurate and detailed ChatGPT’s guidance became. It not only provided solutions but also explained the underlying issues and offered step-by-step instructions with interpretations. In fact, it even displayed what such solutions would look like in your R-Studio console, and provided a button on this display to copy the code, which makes the output even more comprehensive.
I’ve come to appreciate the tremendous productivity ChatGPT brings to my learning process in statistical programming. It bridges the gap between my uncertainties and effective solutions, saving me from the frustration of dealing with endless errors and vague or irrelevant responses from traditional search engines. It is, in essence, my ideal companion for tackling complex issues and streamlining the learning process.
In conclusion, ChatGPT has undoubtedly demonstrated its value in education for everyone. Yet, my recent experience with its unparalleled ability to dissect and resolve intricate, case-specific statistical challenges left me truly amazed. ChatGPT has become more than just a study partner; it’s the companion that can decode the nuances of your code and illuminate the path to comprehending and passing my research methods course.
