Text adventures with ChatGPT

 

Here's another great idea for using ChatGPT with English language students that I first saw the educator Doris Molero talk about on Facebook. Some months ago I had the pleasure to talk to Doris about some of her work. You can listen to my chat with Doris on Teachers Talk Radio here. 

The original prompt / idea was: 

This is a wonderful game to play with your students. Here you have some variations on the same game: "You are a text-based video game where you give me options (A, B, C, and D) as my choices. The setting is Lord of the Rings. I start out with 100 health" "You are a text-based video game where you give me options (A, B, C, and D) as my choices. The setting is Winnie the Pooh. I start out with 100 health" Your imagination is the limit. have students play in groups and share their games and results.

I tried out some variations to see what the results would be. The first one was...

You are a text-based adventure game where you give me options (A, B, C, and D) as my choices. The setting is New York City in the Future where robots are common. I start out with 100 health.

This is what ChatGPT came up with and how the game developed as I started playing it.

You wake up in the future New York City and see that the world has changed. Robots are now a common sight. You have 100 health points and are ready to start your adventure.

You find yourself standing at a crossroads.

A. Walk down the busy street and see what the city has to offer B. Enter a dark alley and explore C. Visit a local store to purchase supplies D. Head to the nearest bar to ask for directions

Which option do you choose (A, B, C, or D)?

I selected 'A'

You walk down the busy street and take in your surroundings. You see all sorts of robots going about their business. Some are performing manual labor while others are interacting with humans in a friendly manner.

You come across a street performer who is playing music with a unique robotic instrument.

A. Stop to listen to the performance B. Offer to make a donation to the performer C. Keep walking and ignore the performer D. Ask the performer about the instrument

What would you like to do (A, B, C, or D)?

I next chose 'B'

You approach the street performer and offer to make a donation. The performer gratefully accepts and thanks you for your generosity.

As you continue down the street, you come across a robot that has broken down and is in need of repair.

A. Attempt to repair the robot yourself B. Find a nearby store to buy parts to repair the robot C. Leave the robot and continue on your way D. Report the broken robot to the authorities

What would you like to do (A, B, C, or D)?

Here, I chose 'B'

You head to a nearby store to purchase the necessary parts to repair the robot. After acquiring the parts, you return to the broken down robot and begin to repair it. Your technical skills come in handy and you successfully fix the robot.

The grateful robot thanks you and offers to assist you on your journey in any way possible.

A. Accept the robot's help B. Decline the robot's offer and continue on your own C. Ask the robot to guide you to the nearest bar D. Ask the robot to show you around the city

What would you like to do (A, B, C, or D)?

I selected 'A' because I was interested in seeing what this vague answer would lead to. I'm also noticing the game is trying very hard to try to make me go to a bar, which is interesting, but not ideal if you were doing this activity with children. I suppose adding 'suitable for children' to the prompt would be a good idea in that context. 

You accept the robot's offer and the two of you set out to explore the city together. As you walk, the robot shares some interesting facts about the city and its advancements in technology.

You come across a large building with a sign that reads "Robot Arena."

A. Enter the Robot Arena and participate in a battle B. Watch a battle at the Robot Arena C. Keep walking and avoid the Robot Arena D. Ask the robot about the Robot Arena

What would you like to do (A, B, C, or D)?

I next chose 'A ' because I was interested in seeing how the combat system worked. I think adding the 'I start out with 100 health' or similar to the prompt will lead to Chat GPT adding combat or opportunities to lose health in the game. On another occasion, I'll explore this further and omit this part of the prompt to see what happens.

You and the robot enter the Robot Arena and sign up for a battle. The arena is packed with spectators and the atmosphere is electric. Your battle is against a tough opponent, but with the help of the robot, you manage to emerge victorious.

The crowd cheers and you and the robot are awarded a prize.

A. Keep the prize and continue exploring the city B. Donate the prize to a local charity C. Use the prize to upgrade your equipment D. Share the prize with the robot

What would you like to do (A, B, C, or D)?

OK, so no damage. My health is still at 100 and there's no sense of any peril in the game, which is problematic. I want to play a game that has some conflict in it or where there are some stakes to it. I think working on the prompt more to ensure that is the case and also adding a part of the prompt so there is an ending after a number of turns would probably be a good idea. As it stands, I think the game feels like it could go on forever. I chose 'B' and decided to end the game here. 

You decide to donate the prize to a local charity. The charity thanks you for your generosity and you continue your journey through the city, proud of the good deed you have done.

As you walk, you come across a large park.

A. Take a rest and relax in the park B. Visit a nearby lake to fish C. Keep walking and avoid the park D. Play a sport with the local robots

What would you like to do (A, B, C, or D)?

So, apart from the running commentary above, how did I feel about using this type of game for language practice for students? I definitely think it has potential and as mentioned above, I think working on the prompt and further playtesting would help streamline the game ChatGPT comes up with. At the moment the language practice seems fine - there's a range of verbs and vocabulary that's interesting enough. It would make an interesting reading activity for students. 

However, as a game, it feels there's a lot to be desired. There's no sense of peril so far, and it feels like it's never-ending. Adding a prompt to limit the amount of turns and perhaps devising a point system to reward the 'best' choices would help - then students could play to see how many points they got rather than losing health. I'll definitely be experimenting more with this. Thanks for the idea, Doris!

ChatGPT and Assessment (Part 1)

 

In particular, the emergence of ChatGPT has led to a lot of concerns about its impact on assessment. 

I am preparing a new talk on this subject and have put in to speak at New Directions LATAM 2023, the British Council's conference in Brazil in May:

ChatGPT: What it means for assessment

ChatGPT, the lastest chatbot from OpenAI, has triggered concerns in all areas of education. This tool allows anyone to create impressive essays on any subject in a matter of seconds. Is this the end of assessment as we know it? Or is it the beginning of a new knowledge and information age? What does it mean for English Language Teaching and Learning? Will teachers be forced to re-evaluate methods of assessment? What alternative methods of assessment can teachers adopt in the light of this new tool? 

In this session, I will look at the capabilities of ChatGPT and discuss why it is problematic when it comes to standardised writing assessment and traditional homework. I will also examine how it might be used if the technology is embraced by teachers. Then, I will suggest five alternative methods of assessing students: oral presentations, group projects, personalised self-reflection, peer assessment, and hands-on performance-based assessment. What gains and what losses are implied with this new software? 

For teachers, ChatGPT can be used as a time-saving aid to create gap-fill exercises, course outlines, lesson plans, and much more. For learners, there’s the possibility of generating answers to essays on any subjects in seconds, of providing study notes, etc. Already some educational establishments have banned the tool and other software has appeared that analyses texts to report on the likelihood that they were written by a machine. But, with the technology improving rapidly, how effective will this be? 

The emergence of machine learning tools such as ChatGPT also point to a future workplace where use of this type of Artificial Intelligence will be expected, as routine as using a calculator or spreadsheet to increase productivity. What happens then remains to be seen and lies in the medium to long-term future, but teachers will have to adopt to the software and adopt new ways of working in the short-term. If we accept this needs to be done, then AI offers teachers, schools and educational systems an opportunity for change, and a chance to review and amend the ways in which our learners are assessed to enable more varied and potentially more inclusive and effective ways of testing and supporting students.

When it comes to making use of the tool for assessment, A Teacher's Prompt Guide to ChatGPT has a lot of useful examples.

For instance, suggesting teachers making student formative assessment a part of everyday practice: 

Use Chat GPT to create quizzes and assessments that test students' understanding of the material. You could input the following prompt into Chat GPT: "Create a quiz with 5 multiple choice questions that assesses students' understanding of [concept being taught]."

Another example is to use ChatGPT to generate prompts for open-ended questions that align with the learning intentions and success criteria of the unit of work: 

Input the following prompt: "Generate a question that assesses a student's understanding of the concept of [add concept]."

You can also create quick written quizzes that check for student understanding:

Input the prompt: "Generate a quiz testing the knowledge of the use of the present perfect."

I changed the example prompt so it was appropriate to language learning. This led to the following: 

Here's a quiz to test your knowledge of the present perfect:

1. What is the correct form of the present perfect? a) Subject + past participle b) Subject + simple past c) Subject + present participle

2. Which of the following sentences is in the present perfect tense? a) I went to the store yesterday. b) She is studying for her exam. c) They have been to Paris before.

3. What is the function of the present perfect tense? a) To talk about actions that are currently happening. b) To talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the past. c) To talk about actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

4. Which of the following sentences correctly uses the present perfect continuous tense? a) She has been working here for five years. b) They have eaten all the cake. c) We have visited Spain twice.

5. Which of the following is a common time expression used with the present perfect tense? a) Yesterday b) Last week c) Recently

6. Which of the following is an example of a verb that uses an irregular past participle form in the present perfect tense? a) Go b) Drink c) See

7. Which of the following sentences is not correct? a) I have never been to New York. b) She has already ate lunch. c) They have lived in this city for five years.

8. Which of the following sentences implies that the action happened very recently? a) I have visited Rome. b) I visited Rome. c) I have just visited Rome.

9. Which of the following sentences correctly uses the present perfect tense in the negative form? a) I haven't been to the gym in a year. b) I didn't go to the gym yesterday. c) I am not going to the gym today.

10. Which of the following is a common use of the present perfect tense? a) To describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. b) To talk about a habitual action in the past. c) To talk about an action that has an impact on the present.

Answers:

1. a) Subject + past participle
2. c) They have been to Paris before.
3. c) To talk about actions that started in the past and continue to the present.
4. a) She has been working here for five years.
5. c) Recently
6. a) Go
7. b) She has already ate lunch. (should be "eaten")
8. c) I have just visited Rome.
9. a) I haven't been to the gym in a year.
10. c) To talk about an action that has an impact on the present.

It's interesting to see some of the questions were testing students specifically about the rules here. 

You can also use ChatGPT to generate specific and forward-focused feedback on student work.

Input the prompt: "Generate feedback on the following student's essay that focuses on how the student can improve their writing." [copy and paste the essay]

Another thing to try is to use ChatGPT to generate assessment tasks that align with the intended learning outcomes from the syllabus:

Input the prompt: "Generate an assessment task to test students on the differences between the use of the definite and indefinite article."

That prompt led to the following: 

Instructions: Read each sentence carefully and determine whether it requires a definite article ("the"), an indefinite article ("a" or "an"), or no article at all. Write your answer in the space provided.

1. I have ___ dog and ___ cat. Answer: a, a

2. ___ sun is shining brightly today. Answer: The

3. Do you have ___ umbrella I could borrow? Answer: an

4. ___ love is a beautiful thing. Answer: Love does not take an article.

5. ___ pizza we ordered is delicious. Answer: The

6. My sister is ___ artist and she paints beautiful pictures. Answer: an

7. My parents are going on ___ cruise to the Caribbean next month. Answer: a

8. I need to buy ___ new pair of shoes. Answer: a

9. We visited ___ museum last weekend. Answer: The

10. He wants to be ___ astronaut when he grows up. Answer: an

11. ___ apple a day keeps the doctor away. Answer: An

12. I'm going to ___ store to buy some milk. Answer: the

13. ___ honesty is the best policy. Answer: No article needed.

14. She bought ___ antique vase at the flea market. Answer: an

15. ___ time flies when you're having fun. Answer: No article needed.

Scoring: Each correct answer is worth 1 point, for a total of 15 points possible.

You can use ChatGPT to generate prompts for formative assessment activities that provide ongoing feedback to inform teaching and learning. 

Input the prompt: "Generate a formative assessment activity for a Beginnner English language class on prepositions of place."

That prompt led to the following: 

Sure, here's a formative assessment activity for a Beginner English language class on prepositions of place:

Instructions: Look at the picture below and complete the sentences using the correct preposition of place.

Example: The cat is ___ the box. Answer: in

1. The dog is ___ the bed. Answer: on

2. The bird is ___ the cage. Answer: in

3. The shoes are ___ the floor. Answer: on

4. The lamp is ___ the table. Answer: on

5. The picture is ___ the wall. Answer: on

6. The plant is ___ the vase. Answer: in

7. The towels are ___ the shelf. Answer: on

8. The cups are ___ the cupboard. Answer: in

9. The television is ___ the cabinet. Answer: in

10. The clock is ___ the wall. Answer: on

Scoring: Each correct answer is worth 1 point, for a total of 10 points possible. You can adjust the number of questions or points as needed based on the level and needs of your students.

The above response was interesting because although ChatGPT included a mention of a picture in the task, it didn't actually supply the picture, so that would be something you'd have to source separately, or you could ask the students to draw the sentences and include the prepositions instead of making it a gap-fill. 

Here's another suggested, adapted prompt from the Teacher's Guide: Use ChatGPT to generate prompts for using technology to enhance assessment and feedback. 

Input the prompt: "Generate ideas for using technology to provide feedback on student writing in an advanced English language class." 

This led to:

There are several ways to use technology to provide feedback on student writing in an advanced English language class. Here are some ideas:

1. Use online writing tools: There are several online writing tools available that can provide automated feedback on grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Some examples include Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and Hemingway Editor. You can ask your students to use these tools to check their own writing and provide feedback to one another.

2. Use Google Docs: Google Docs allows for real-time collaboration, so you can provide feedback as your students write. You can leave comments and suggestions directly on the document, and your students can respond to your feedback in real-time. This can be a great way to provide ongoing feedback as students work on a longer writing project.

3. Use audio or video feedback: Instead of providing written feedback, you can record audio or video feedback for your students. This can be a more personal and engaging way to provide feedback, as your students can hear your voice and see your facial expressions. You can use tools like Screencastify or Loom to record your feedback.

4. Use online writing communities: There are several online writing communities, such as Medium or Wattpad, where students can publish their writing and receive feedback from other writers. This can be a great way to encourage peer feedback and collaboration.

5. Use online rubrics: You can create an online rubric using a tool like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey, and ask your students to submit their writing for evaluation using the rubric. This can be a great way to provide objective feedback and help your students understand how their writing is being evaluated.

6. Use online peer review tools: There are several online peer review tools, such as PeerGrade or Eli Review, that can help facilitate peer feedback and evaluation. You can ask your students to submit their writing to the tool, and then assign peers to provide feedback and evaluation based on specific criteria.

These are just a few ideas for using technology to provide feedback on student writing in an advanced English language class. You can choose the tools and methods that work best for your students and your teaching style.

Chat GPT, the great disruptor

So, everyone's talking about ChatGPT as the great disruptor for #education. If you don't know much about it, then Open AI (the maker) has provided a helpful overview for educators here. 

Some teachers, schools, universities, school districts, etc. have already banned its use, others are (more helpfully) embracing it as part of our future and trying to understand the implications for teaching and learning, and most obviously, grading and assessment. 

There are now lots of resources for educators (see the Teacher Toolkit AI) and it seems from many of these and discussions such as the one recently held on Teachers Talk Radio (listen below), that more than anything else, this tool may be a great time saver for the teacher. 

There have been lots of infographics, blog posts, articles, courses, videos, and prompt guides recently put out to help teachers get to grips with it and debunking some of the widely misunderstood aspects of the tool. What are these? Well, to begin with, although lots of people are quick to call ChatGPT artifical intelligence, it's not #AI but a Large Languge Model and so it can often be factually wrong. 

When it comes to helping language teachers (#ELT, #ESL, #EFL, #ESOL and all other varieties) it seems like many educators are already putting together resources, such as this guide to ChatGPT prompts for language teachers to help us understand and make the most of this new tool. Jamie Keddie already has a whole playlist of videos to help teachers make use of the tool for writing, storytelling and giiving feedback on students' written work , and Russell Stannard has produced an introductory Chat GPT tutorial and advanced tutorial for teachers. 

Another great resource are the collected / curated links to articles and other ChatGPT resources that some educators have put together, such as Joe Dale's Wakelet, where he saves and shares resources of interest to language teachers. 

Nik Peachey shared the following resources on his latest newsletter:

• Chat on AI - ChatGPT for Search Engines. A browser extension that allows you to add ChatGPT to your search engine
• This resume does not exist. ChatGPT-generated CVs/Resumes from famous people. Could be an interesting resource for the classroom
• QuestGen - an AI supported question generator
• DetectGPT - A free chrome extension that claims to spot 90% of ChatGPT created content

It's not just language teachers and learners either who are excited about the new tool. For instance, it points to a change in the way ELT materials are written. Whatever you think of it, it seems like #ChatGPT is here to stay and it is something educators need to better understand and prepare themselves for. 

Finally, although the buzz is all about this tool, ChatGPT isn't the only kid on the block. Here's a post about alternatives and how educators can make use of them. One interesting development discussed here is semantic search, including the Perpexity search engine that creates summaries based on what you're looking for rather than serving up lists of links. 

Presentation given on Sunday 29th January 2017 for the TESOL Electronic Village Online session EVO Village.

Tesol evo 2017 games gs from Graham Stanley

Remote Teaching for Success (2016)

Remote Teaching for Success (9 Oct 2016) from Graham Stanley

Presentation given during the British Council's Teaching for Success Online conference: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/graham-stanley-remote-teaching-success 

Remote Teaching for Success

Remote Teaching for Success (9 Oct 2016) from Graham Stanley

Presentation given during the British Council's Teaching for Success Online conference: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/graham-stanley-remote-teaching-success