Integrating AI in College Education: Positive yet Mixed Experiences with ChatGPT

TL;DR

This study explores the integration of ChatGPT into a medical imaging course, highlighting benefits like enhanced engagement and challenges such as accuracy concerns, based on a semester-long trial with undergraduate students.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into students' experiences and perceptions of ChatGPT in higher education, emphasizing practical considerations for its effective use.

Findings

ChatGPT improved information access and interactivity.

Students expressed concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated content.

Effective guidelines are needed to optimize ChatGPT's educational use.

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots into higher education marks a shift towards a new generation of pedagogical tools, mirroring the arrival of milestones like the internet. With the launch of ChatGPT-4 Turbo in November 2023, we developed a ChatGPT-based teaching application (https://chat.openai.com/g/g-1imx1py4K-chatge-medical-imaging) and integrated it into our undergraduate medical imaging course in the Spring 2024 semester. This study investigates the use of ChatGPT throughout a semester-long trial, providing insights into students' engagement, perception, and the overall educational effectiveness of the technology. We systematically collected and analyzed data concerning students' interaction with ChatGPT, focusing on their attitudes, concerns, and usage patterns. The findings indicate that ChatGPT offers significant advantages such as improved information access and increased interactivity, but its adoption is accompanied by concerns about the accuracy of the information provided and the necessity for well-defined guidelines to optimize its use.