When it comes to the digital classroom, a question often arises: Can Canvas directly detect the use of AI tools like ChatGPT?
As it stands, the answer is no – Canvas lacks the functionality to directly identify whether a student’s work has been aided by such technology.
Background
Canvas is a program that schools use. Teachers can post homework, tests, and other tasks on Canvas.
As of now, Canvas can’t spot if a student is using something like an AI, such as ChatGPT, to do their work.
However, if a student uses AI, it may show in their work. Their writing might suddenly change, or they might display knowledge that is unexpected. If a teacher asks for personal views or experiences, an AI’s response might not fit properly.
Schools might (/almost definitely will) view the use of AI for school work as cheating.
The writing fluidity of AI & ChatGPT
In the realm of academia, students might be tempted to use AI tools like ChatGPT to write essays or papers. However, they should tread carefully.
Relying on AI can lead to writing that sounds overly mechanical or lacking personal insight, characteristics that might raise a teacher’s suspicions.
Additionally, a drastic shift in the writing level compared to previous work can also be a telling sign. For instance, if a student who usually struggles with grammar and structure suddenly submits a perfectly written paper, it might hint towards the use of external assistance like AI.
Therefore, while AI could seem like a shortcut, it’s not without risks and potential consequences.
Using ChatGPT During a Canvas Proctored Test
Using AI tools such as ChatGPT during a proctored test would likely be considered a form of academic dishonesty, akin to cheating. Proctored exams are designed to ensure that students are completing the work on their own, without the help of external resources unless specifically allowed.
Moreover, proctoring software often tracks your screen activity, and some versions even monitor eye movement and physical activity to ensure academic integrity. Using AI tools or other unauthorized resources during such an exam could lead to severe consequences, including failing the test, the course, or facing disciplinary action from the institution.
In short, it’s essential to adhere to the guidelines set forth by your educational institution or the specific examination rules. If you’re unsure about what resources you can use during a test, it’s always best to ask your teacher or test administrator.
Plagiarism Detection Tools: Useful or Flawed?
AI writing detection tools, while innovative, still have limitations. They may struggle to accurately distinguish between human and AI-generated text, particularly when the AI-generated text is well-crafted and mimics human writing effectively.
Furthermore, these tools may produce false positives and negatives, meaning they could inaccurately flag human-written text as AI-generated or vice versa (The Washington Post has an excellent article on the subject). This makes them imperfect and not entirely reliable for rigorous AI writing detection.
Turnitin is a plagiarism detection tool widely used in academic settings. It checks for matches between submitted work and a vast database of academic papers, articles, and websites to find similarities.
However, it does not specifically detect AI-generated content. If the AI-generated text is original (i.e., it doesn’t match existing text in Turnitin’s database), it might not be flagged as plagiarism.
Nevertheless, AI-generated text can sometimes be identified by instructors due to shifts in writing style, inappropriate responses to prompts, or sudden improvements in the quality of writing.
Always remember to adhere to your institution’s academic integrity policy. It’s best to use AI tools like ChatGPT as learning aids rather than to generate academic work.
Final Thoughts
There are some tools that can check if a piece of writing was made by an AI. But these tools are not part of Canvas itself.
It’s crucial to remember to do your own schoolwork. Mistakes can be valuable learning experiences. Using AI to do your assignments doesn’t really help you learn and understand your subjects better.
Leave a Reply