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. fhd2 · 1790413181 · focus · HN ↗

      That sounds pretty frustrating. I wonder if it wouldn't be a good approach to, say:

      1. Make the exam the only thing that determines the grade (or technically, proves that the student learned enough);

      2. Give out test assignments students can do, but don't have to;

      3. Offer students for the professor to grade their work if they want to get some feedback on how they're doing.

      Would that lead to less time wasted by tutors grading AI generated answers? From where I stand, students should be allowed to prepare for exams any way they like, with or without their professor's help. If they managed to learn, they pass.

      1. psyklic · 1790425687 · focus · HN ↗

         According to the article, #1 leads to "failure and drop-out rates of 50 to 80%". #2 and #3 might work for organized and motivated students, but graded assignments from other classes will be prioritized by most.

         1. hahn-kev · 1790477734 · focus · HN ↗

            Maybe more drop outs is a good thing, we need more skilled labor anyway

            1. gosub100 · 1790497409 · focus · HN ↗

               Then their parents come in and complain about where the $30k that semester went. This is a consequence of the exponential rise in tuition. You're now in lawsuit territory if you don't deliver the goods.

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