Bridging Generations: UMY, CASS push for ChatGPT, Social Media Use in Education

 By Andrea Ross Sedero and Rona Marie Julaica Alison

In a collective effort to empower teachers aged 50 and above in this digital age, the English Departments of the Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Indonesia and Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) collaborated in a joint lecture on the use of ChatGPT and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Canva, and Loom in education on March 2, 2024.

This two-day workshop titled “The Golden Hour: A Mentoring Program for Quinquagenarian Teachers on the Use of Social Media, Chat GPT, and other Generative AI Tools in Education” aims to address the generational digital divide, offering guidance to senior teachers on navigating technological tools for continual improvement in teaching practices and embracing innovative approaches.

The program’s first session, led by Prof. Endro Dwi Hatmanto, SPd, MA, PhD, a visiting lecturer from UMY, delved into the practical applications of ChatGPT within the classroom. He shed light on leveraging the Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool for enhancing personalized learning and student engagement, providing a step-by-step guide on navigating the application and crafting effective prompts. 

He also highlighted the adaptability of ChatGPT, underscoring its role in fostering self-development in teachers as it offers an avenue for acquiring diverse knowledge and aiding in practical aspects of professional growth including the creation of lesson plans and teaching strategies.

“Because today’s teachers are in the era of the digital age, they cannot get rid of the use of technology and the incorporation of technology in the teaching and learning process. They must adopt it or otherwise, they are going to be left behind because they have students like you who have been keeping abreast with the development of technology,” Dr. Hatmanto emphasized this in an interview with CASSayuran.

In an open discussion between attendees and lecturers after the first session, numerous teachers had raised questions regarding the implications of ChatGPT, expressing concerns about students using it. Most voiced apprehensions, perceiving it as a platform that could potentially encourage academic passivity or laziness. To this, the lecturers addressed the matter that it is also the role of the teachers to find a way in striking a balance and guiding students in using such technologies responsibly.

“Dependency is one of the drawbacks in using ChatGPT but we don’t want to treat ChatGPT as a foe or an enemy because this is the reality of education. What we can do is to blend our teaching methods with traditional teaching approaches and technology,” Dr. Hatmanto had pointed out in the interview.

The morning session concluded after a series of activities were carried out using ChatGPT. A total of 28 teachers were in attendance, with two from Iligan City National High School, six from Dalipuga National High School, and twenty from Tomas Cabili National High School.

The afternoon commenced with the second session led by the MSU-IIT English Department Team, consisting of three parts. The focus of the lecture was on leveraging the use of social media in the classroom, utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Canva, and Loom.

Associate Prof. Irish Mae Dalona, PhD, initiated the session with a demonstration on Facebook, guiding the teachers in  creating a group page. She emphasized its value as an application for posting assignments, making announcements, and fostering communication through engaging activities like chain stories in posts.

Continuing the session, Associate Prof. Onnah Pierre Talle, MA, delved into Instagram, highlighting the platform’s features in making creative posts, conducting polls, and posing questions. She encouraged educators to leverage Instagram for educational purposes, suggesting practices like utilizing hashtags, showcasing students’ work, posting class updates, and capturing memorable moments in class. 

Lastly, Assistant Dean Sittie Noffaisah Pasandalan, MA, provided insights into Canva and Loom, presenting them as creative spaces for educational enhancement. Emphasizing the free access to Canva through a DepEd.gov account, she suggested organizing project folders within the platform. Regarding Loom, an online screen recording tool, she urged teachers to create a brief video expressing their impressions and experiences as a practical activity.

Insights

Three teachers were interviewed by CASSayuran from each attending school. Ms. Goyena from Iligan NHS, expressed her appreciation for the speaker in his efforts in sharing his knowledge about ChatGPT. 

 “I already knew about ChatGPT because I have been using it for two years already. In every training, you learn something new. What’s new to me is that I have never asked what ChatGPT is, the basics of it, I just learned this morning. It really makes my work light,” Ms. Goyena mentioned. 

 Meanwhile, Ms. Domingo from Dalipuga NHS shared that she was introduced to ChatGPT a year ago and has been using it to acquire freelancing jobs and skills. She mentioned that her colleague informed her about the workshop. She expressed her approval of the topic since she had also learned from the speaker’s session.

 On the other hand, Ms. Caballo of Tomas Cabili NHS mentioned that she initially had reservations about participating since she was already using ChatGPT and Facebook. She also acknowledged having ‘biases’, since students often use the Facebook application as well as ChatGPT, making it hard for them as teachers to assess their students’ learnings. 

 “At some point, I considered this as an adversary, an enemy to what we are fighting for, to have learners make sense of the world they’re living in through education. However, when I came here, I’m glad that I really decided to attend this training because most of the misconceptions were corrected like we can use Facebook as an assistive tool to further and enhance learning,” Ms. Caballo voiced out. 

 Moreover, she also highlighted how she realized that ChatGPT could offer alternative perspectives on specific issues, presenting viewpoints different from her initial thoughts, which would help broaden her understanding. “If I want my learning to be meaningful to my learners, especially to the 21st century learners, I also have to be on par with their exposure to technology,” Ms. Caballo affirmed.

Photo by Janne Mae Co & Janine Estrada Layout by Camilla Cabugatan