Assignments outdated

Assignments have traditionally been an essential part of university education. Teachers assign them to students with the aim of enhancing learning, encouraging research, and improving critical thinking. However, the way these assignments are handled in today’s era of advanced technology – especially with tools like ChatGPT – has made this practice questionable. Many students, instead of completing their assignments themselves, turn to AI tools to do the work for them. These tools provide ready-made content within seconds, which students copy and submit without putting in any effort.

Teachers, on the other hand, are often aware that these assignments are not the students’ original work. Despite this, they continue to assign tasks in the same manner, even though the intended purpose of these assignments is no longer being fulfilled. The focus, therefore, should now be shifted towards finding better ways to engage students in meaningful learning. Instead of assigning traditional assignments to students, teachers should consider alternative methods such as presentations and debates, workshops and simulations, and case studies and problem-solving tasks.

G Akbar Palijo

Larkana