Assessment Content

Reflection 2 – Can ChatGPT Teach Evolution (30 pts)

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For this reflection, you will critically evaluate responses from generative AI technology such as ChatGPT. You may use any text generative AI program you want. ChatGPT-3 is available for free. You will come up with a specific prompt related to course concepts about primates, hominins, or Neanderthals and submit it to a generative AI program. You will then evaluate the AI’s answer in your own reflection response that must be written without the aid of AI. Using AI to generate your reflection response will be considered Academic Dishonesty.  

Recommendations for writing a prompt. Ask the AI a question that makes it have to reflect, discuss, explain, or synthesize some information. Don’t ask yes or no questions. Find a topic that interests you that we have discussed in class for Unit 2. Make sure your prompt is specific but you want to get it to generate a response that gives you something to analyze or assess. If you ask a prompt that just generates facts you are going to have a hard time evaluating. Consider asking it a question that is controversial or get creative. Feed it other material and ask it to evaluate it. Tell it how long you want the response to be. Aim for 2-3 paragraphs so you have enough material to assess the response. You may need to try several different prompts and refine your question to get something good.

Prompt examples (these are covering Unit 1 material)

• “ChatGPT, can you explain how a population bottleneck impacts genetic diversity and provide a specific example?”
• “Hello AI, write a 300 word essay on how Charles Darwin’s observations while on the Beagle influenced his theory of Natural selection”
• Copy and paste the transcript of the podcast “Mendel’s Trick” and ask ChatGPT to evaluate the content from the point of view of Charles Darwin.
• Ask it to be creative:
  • “ChatGPT, can you come up with a scientific study that challenges the biological species concept?”
  • "If Charles Darwin had access to modern technology, how do you think he would have documented and communicated his findings on evolution? Describe the social media posts or multimedia content he might create."

Your 200-400 word assessment should include:

1. An evaluation of the AI response:
   • Is the response fully truthful? Are there any inaccuracies? Is there any bias in the answer? If there is bias, who might disagree with what the AI said?
   • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the AI’s response?
   • Does the AI’s response align with what we have learned in class?
   • Reflect on the role of AI in enhancing or challenging our understanding of evolutionary thought.
   • You don’t have to answer every one of these questions.
2. Your opinion of using AI:
   • Do you think AI can be used to teach complex concepts such as we cover in class? Explain your answer.
   • Consider the implications of using generative AI platforms in academic and scientific research.

Please submit this form as a .pdf, .doc, .docx. Do not submit as a .pages.

1. What generative AI program did you use?

2. Copy and paste your AI prompt below:

3. Write a 200-400 word Reflection below: