Thread

1. a57721 · 1790407197 · focus · HN ↗

   I am teaching some math courses, and I see how LLMs disrupted all standard approaches, and I don't know what to do.

   I rely on written exams that are open book, but forbid any use of computers and smartphones in class.

   The university insists that homework can't be optional, but it lost its meaning. I've tried to explain to my students that it's in their interest to think about home assignments on their own, but the majority will obviously use gen AI, and it's such a waste of time to check and grade LLM output.

   I just had an experience where all students were given "sample problems" to try at home and prepare for the written test. Many of them just dumped the document into an LLM, asked it to produce some "exam guide", and showed up with that thing printed out, asking me during the test to explain what LLM output meant.

   It seems like the university also has many people pushing for AI use for everything, but I teach basic stuff where the goal is to make students think on their own and digest some fundamental ideas, LLMs can produce perfect solutions, but relying on them is pointless.

   1. xtiansimon · 1790434673 · focus · HN ↗

      > “…students were given "sample problems" to try at home….Many…just dumped the document into an LLM…”

      I think this development should make all educational programs reconsider the flip-model: homework at school and video lessons at home.

      Homework sucks. Learning should be at your own pace (play/pause/rewind).

      1. singpolyma3 · 1790464455 · focus · HN ↗

         That's a terrible model though. If someone is paying to be taught and you just hand them video lectures... We already have video lectures at home. Why would they pay you? What product are you meaningfully offering in that world?

         1. wffurr · 1790469260 · focus · HN ↗

            Tutoring, office hours, teaching assistants. One of the best classes I took was a "studio style" class where we would work on a project and occasionally the teacher or a TA would interrupt and give a brief lecture or demonstration based on a "teachable moment" that had occurred.

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