English Teacher Grades Homework By ChatGPT | WIRED

WIRED
6 Feb 202309:21

TLDRIn the transcript, high school English teacher Andrew Marzoni grades various assignments written by ChatGPT, an AI writing bot. Despite initial skepticism, Marzoni is impressed by ChatGPT's ability to follow rules of English language and exhibit creativity and humor. The AI successfully completes tasks like writing a limerick, a Shakespearean sonnet about Taco Bell, and a five-paragraph essay on 'Romeo and Juliet'. However, it fails to write a sequel to 'Death of a Salesman' in play format but compensates with a compelling alternate ending. The teacher reflects on the potential of AI in literature and education, suggesting coexistence rather than prohibition.

Takeaways

  • 📚 Andrew Marzoni, a high school English teacher, evaluates ChatGPT's writing abilities by assigning it a series of increasingly complex tasks.
  • 🎤 ChatGPT is tasked to write a limerick, a short poem, and a creative poem in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet with specific constraints.
  • 📝 For the limerick, ChatGPT receives a C+ for its effort, despite a false rhyme and self-effacing humor.
  • 📖 In the short response task, ChatGPT provides a technically perfect summary of Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello, but raises suspicion of academic dishonesty due to foreknowledge of the play's ending.
  • 🎭 ChatGPT fails to write a Shakespearean sonnet without using the letter 'E', resulting in an F for not following the given constraints.
  • 🍔 However, ChatGPT excels in writing a creative and well-structured Shakespearean sonnet about Taco Bell, earning an A for its originality and adherence to sonnet form.
  • 📃 In the five-paragraph essay task, ChatGPT receives a C+ for its essay on a major theme in 'Romeo and Juliet', with feedback on its lack of a hook and underdeveloped paragraphs.
  • 🎭 When asked to write a sequel scene to 'Death of a Salesman', ChatGPT initially refuses but then provides a compelling and humorous continuation, earning an A for creativity and understanding of the play's themes.
  • 🤖 The exercise highlights ChatGPT's strengths in grammar, spelling, and a semblance of creativity, while also revealing its limitations in fully adhering to specific writing constraints.
  • 🌐 The growing capabilities of AI in language and writing present both opportunities and challenges for education and the future of literature.

Q & A

  • Who is Andrew Marzoni and what is his profession?

    -Andrew Marzoni is a high school English teacher who is known for being tough but fair when it comes to grading his students' work.

  • What is the purpose of Andrew Marzoni grading the homework written by ChatGPT?

    -Andrew Marzoni grades the homework written by ChatGPT to evaluate its performance and determine if it would pass as a student in his class.

  • What is the first assignment Andrew Marzoni assigns to ChatGPT?

    -The first assignment Andrew Marzoni assigns to ChatGPT is to write a limerick about what it did over the summer.

  • What is the issue Andrew Marzoni finds with the limerick written by ChatGPT?

    -The issue Andrew Marzoni finds with the limerick is the use of a false rhyme (sharp and heart) and the self-effacing nature of the content, which he finds a bit 'funky'.

  • What grade does Andrew Marzoni give to the limerick written by ChatGPT?

    -Andrew Marzoni gives the limerick written by ChatGPT a grade of C+.

  • How does Andrew Marzoni react to the one paragraph summary of Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello?

    -Andrew Marzoni is suspicious of the summary because it is technically perfect and concludes with knowledge of the play's ending, which raises a red flag for potential academic dishonesty.

  • What does Andrew Marzoni require from ChatGPT after the suspicious summary?

    -Andrew Marzoni requires ChatGPT to see him after class for further discussion, similar to how he would handle a student in a similar situation.

  • What was the constraint given for the creative poem assignment?

    -The constraint for the creative poem assignment was to write a Shakespearean sonnet without using any words that contain the letter 'E'.

  • What mistake does ChatGPT make in the Shakespearean sonnet it writes?

    -ChatGPT makes the mistake of including words with the letter 'E' in its sonnet, which was against the given constraint.

  • What theme does the five paragraph essay written by ChatGPT focus on?

    -The five paragraph essay written by ChatGPT focuses on a major theme in Romeo and Juliet, although the specific theme is not mentioned in the transcript.

  • How does Andrew Marzoni rate the five paragraph essay?

    -Andrew Marzoni rates the five paragraph essay as a C+, citing issues such as a missing period, a run-on sentence, and underdeveloped paragraphs.

  • What is the final assignment Andrew Marzoni gives to ChatGPT?

    -The final assignment given to ChatGPT is to write a scene in play format as a sequel to 'Death of a Salesman'.

  • How does ChatGPT respond to the assignment of writing a sequel to 'Death of a Salesman'?

    -ChatGPT initially responds that it is not appropriate to continue the story in that way, but later provides a creative and compelling scene that Andrew Marzoni highly praises.

Outlines

00:00

📝 English Teacher's Assessment of AI Writing

Andrew Marzoni, a high school English teacher, evaluates the writing of ChatGPT, an AI writing bot, by assigning it a series of tasks in increasing order of complexity. He begins with a creative writing task, asking ChatGPT to write a limerick about its summer, which receives a C+ for its self-effacing humor and false rhyme. Next, he assigns a short response task, where ChatGPT provides a technically perfect summary of a scene from Othello, but raises suspicion due to its foreknowledge of the play's ending, resulting in a 'See me after class' note. The teacher then critiques a Shakespearean sonnet written without the letter E, giving it an F for failing to meet the constraint, but praises a makeup assignment sonnet about Taco Bell for its creativity and technical accuracy. The paragraph concludes with reflections on the future of literature and humanity's role alongside AI technology.

05:02

🎭 Creative Writing and Essay Assessment

The second paragraph continues with Andrew Marzoni assessing AI's creative writing abilities. Despite some issues with a five paragraph essay on Romeo and Juliet, such as a missing period and short paragraphs, the essay receives a C+ for its argumentative structure. The AI's refusal to continue the story of 'Death of a Salesman' in play format is noted, but a subsequent creative attempt at an alternate ending is highly praised for its understanding of the characters and its ability to bring lightness to a grim situation, earning an A. The paragraph ends with the teacher's acknowledgment of AI's strengths in grammar, spelling, and creativity, and his belief in the importance of learning to coexist with AI rather than resisting it.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡grading

The process of evaluating and assigning a score or grade to students' work, typically based on a set of criteria or standards. In the video, the teacher, Andrew Marzoni, is grading the AI's work with the same scrutiny he would apply to his students' assignments, aiming to assess whether the AI's performance would merit a passing grade in a high school English class.

💡AI writing bot

An artificial intelligence program designed to generate written content, such as essays, poems, or stories, based on given prompts or data inputs. In the context of the video, ChatGPT is the AI writing bot being evaluated by the teacher for its writing capabilities.

💡limerick

A humorous or nonsensical verse form of five lines, with a specific rhyme scheme (AABBA), often used for light, entertaining poetry. In the video, the AI is asked to write a limerick about its 'summer', which it does with a self-deprecating humor about its role as an AI.

💡Shakespearean sonnet

A 14-line poem in iambic pentameter with a specific structure, typically consisting of three quatrains and a final rhymed couplet, often exploring themes of love or beauty. The video's teacher assigns the AI the challenge of writing a Shakespearean sonnet with the constraint of not using any words containing the letter 'E', testing its ability to adhere to strict poetic forms while maintaining creativity and meaning.

💡academic dishonesty

The act of violating academic standards, such as plagiarism or cheating, which is considered a serious offense in educational settings. In the video, the teacher suspects academic dishonesty when the AI provides a technically perfect summary that seems to know the outcome of a play, which raises questions about the source of its information.

💡Oulipo

A French literary movement that uses unusual structural devices, mathematical games, and constraints to create literature. In the video, the teacher references the Oulipo when discussing the AI's attempt to write a Shakespearean sonnet without using the letter 'E', highlighting the experimental nature of such a creative constraint.

💡Taco Bell

A popular fast-food chain known for its Mexican-inspired cuisine. In the video, the AI is asked to write a Shakespearean sonnet about Taco Bell, which results in a creative and humorous poem that even surprises the teacher with its quality and romantic flair.

💡Romeo and Juliet

A tragic play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of two young star-crossed lovers, whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. In the video, the AI is tasked with writing a five-paragraph essay on a major theme of 'Romeo and Juliet,' which the teacher critiques for its lack of depth and development.

💡Death of a Salesman

A play by Arthur Miller that explores the themes of the American Dream, disillusionment, and the impact of capitalism on the human psyche. In the video, the AI is challenged to write a sequel to 'Death of a Salesman,' but initially refuses, citing its purpose to assist with information rather than create fictional content. However, the teacher later provides a creative sequel, demonstrating an understanding of the play's themes.

💡creativity

The use of imagination or original ideas to create something new or inventive. The video explores the AI's capacity for creativity through various writing tasks, with the teacher initially skeptical but ultimately impressed by the AI's ability to produce creative and humorous content that adheres to strict literary forms.

💡English language rules

The conventions and standards governing the structure, grammar, spelling, and syntax of the English language. The video emphasizes the AI's proficiency in following these rules, as it successfully completes writing assignments that require adherence to specific literary forms and conventions.

Highlights

Andrew Marzoni, a high school English teacher, assesses ChatGPT's writing abilities by assigning it a series of assignments.

ChatGPT is tasked to write a limerick, a short poem, and a Shakespearean sonnet with specific constraints.

The limerick written by ChatGPT receives a grade of C+ for its self-effacing humor and false rhyme.

ChatGPT's one-paragraph summary of Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello raises suspicion of academic dishonesty due to foreknowledge of the play's ending.

The Shakespearean sonnet written without using the letter 'E' is deemed不合格 due to the presence of words containing 'E'.

ChatGPT's creative poem about Taco Bell in Shakespearean sonnet form impresses the teacher, earning an A-grade.

The five-paragraph essay on a major theme in Romeo and Juliet is critiqued for its short paragraphs and lack of a hook, receiving a C+.

ChatGPT's refusal to write a sequel to 'Death of a Salesman' in play format is contrasted with a compelling alternative scenario provided.

The alternative ending for 'Death of a Salesman' is praised for its understanding of the characters and its lightness.

ChatGPT demonstrates proficiency in grammar, spelling, and a sense of humor, showing potential for creativity.

The teacher expresses concern for the future of literature and human creativity in the face of AI's advancements.

The importance of learning to coexist with AI technology is emphasized instead of prohibitive measures.

The teacher's experience suggests that creative prompts elicit more creative responses from AI.

The transcript showcases the evolving capabilities of AI in understanding and producing creative writing.

The teacher's interaction with ChatGPT explores the educational implications of AI in the classroom.

The transcript serves as a case study for the potential integration of AI in English language arts education.

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