Using ChatGPT to build a course
How fast can I build a course using the new ChatGPT?
A couple weeks ago, I attended a session on using AI for course development. It got me to wondering just how fast I could create a course from scratch. This post documents the beginning of my journey.
My idea for a course was a special topics course in MIS that reviewed several newer technologies and their potential impact on business. Going with areas I was interested in, I picked AI, blockchain, and Internet of Things. I figure in a 15 week semester, I could spend roughly 5 weeks on each topic.
From my session on using AI for course development, I developed a grasp on what a program like ChatGPT could do well and areas that I would need to supplement. Despite claims to the contrary, ChatGPT cannot “think” for you. For the tool to work best, you need to iterate between it and yourself.
ChatGPT iteration
I started with course learning objectives for each topic separately. I knew that more specificity would be necessary for better results. And when discussing technology, I wanted to gear it toward traditional MIS structure. So here’s what I asked ChatGPT:
Here’s the 10 learning objectives in full:
- Explain the fundamental concepts and principles of artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
- Identify the different types of data used in AI, including structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data, and describe how each type is used in AI applications.
- Describe the key components of an AI system, including data preprocessing, feature extraction, model building, and model evaluation.
- Analyze real-world business problems and develop solutions using AI techniques such as supervised and unsupervised learning, neural networks, and decision trees.
- Evaluate the ethical and social implications of AI, including issues related to bias, transparency, and accountability.
- Describe the different techniques used to evaluate the performance of AI systems, including metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score.
- Evaluate the suitability of different AI models and techniques for different types of business problems, including customer segmentation, churn prediction, and fraud detection.
- Apply data visualization techniques to communicate insights from AI models to stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Analyze the impact of AI on organizational strategy and business models, including the role of AI in digital transformation and innovation.
- Develop a practical understanding of the tools and platforms used in AI, including programming languages such as Python, libraries such as TensorFlow and Keras, and cloud-based platforms such as AWS and Azure.
Not bad, but a little more technical for some objectives than I would like. Still it gives me something to start with.
I did the same thing for blockchain.
Here’s what ChatGPT replied:
- Describe the fundamental concepts and principles of blockchain technology, including distributed ledger, consensus mechanisms, and smart contracts.
- Explain the different types of blockchain networks, including public, private, and consortium networks, and describe their advantages and disadvantages.
- Analyze the applications of blockchain technology in different industries, including finance, healthcare, and supply chain management.
- Develop and implement smart contracts using blockchain programming languages such as Solidity.
- Evaluate the scalability and security of blockchain networks, including issues related to transaction speed, network size, and privacy.
- Analyze the ethical and legal implications of blockchain technology, including issues related to data privacy, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.
- Compare and contrast blockchain with other distributed technologies such as peer-to-peer networks and cloud computing, and evaluate the suitability of blockchain for different types of applications.
- Analyze the challenges and opportunities of integrating blockchain with other emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
- Develop a practical understanding of the tools and platforms used in blockchain, including blockchain networks such as Ethereum and Hyperledger, and blockchain development platforms such as Truffle and Remix.
- Develop a blockchain-based solution for a real-world business problem, and evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of the solution.
Again, some good learning objectives that I can tweak for my purposes.
Lastly, Internet of Things:
With this reply:
- Define the concept of IoT and describe the different types of IoT devices and applications.
- Explain the architecture of IoT systems, including sensors, communication protocols, and cloud-based platforms.
- Analyze the impact of IoT on different industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.
- Develop and implement IoT solutions using popular programming languages such as Python and Java.
- Evaluate the security and privacy issues associated with IoT, including issues related to data protection, authentication, and authorization.
- Analyze the ethical and legal implications of IoT, including issues related to data ownership, privacy, and regulatory compliance.
- Compare and contrast different IoT platforms and technologies, and evaluate their suitability for different types of applications.
- Analyze the challenges and opportunities of integrating IoT with other emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence.
- Develop a practical understanding of the tools and platforms used in IoT, including popular IoT development kits and platforms such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
- Develop an IoT-based solution for a real-world business problem, and evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of the solution.
Excellent. These lists give me a good foundation.
Human iteration:
To make the class manageable, I needed to narrow down this list of learning objectives. One thing I wanted was to keep a similar flow to each of the sections, 5 weeks for each topic covering a similar set of objectives. I also didn’t want to include any prerequisites for the course, so I had to keep it the learning objectives at the lower end of Bloom’s taxonomy. Looking for similarities in the ChatGPT lists, a few commonalities jumped out as relevant and well worded. These started the basis the course learning objectives. Here’s how I narrowed it down:
- Explain the nature of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and IoT systems and their relationship to other technologies.
- Analyze the impact of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and IoT systems on different industries and job roles.
- Evaluate the security and privacy issues associate with Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and IoT systems.
- Analyze the societal, ethical, and legal implications of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and IoT systems.
- Compare and contrast different Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and IoT platforms and technologies for their applicability to various business requirements.
I loved that each list had a “developing a practical understanding…” learning objective for each topic. But I couldn’t see a way to practically accomplish that for all three topics in one semester.
Course and Module Learning objectives
So there you have it. In about 10 minutes of time, I came up with 5 course learning objectives. I can then split those up into three modules, one for each technology.
Artificial Intelligence:
- Explain the nature of Artificial Intelligence and its relationship to other technologies.
- Analyze the impact of Artificial Intelligence on different industries and job roles.
- Evaluate the security and privacy issues associate with Artificial Intelligence.
- Analyze the societal, ethical, and legal implications of Artificial Intelligence.
- Compare and contrast different Artificial Intelligence technologies for their applicability to various business requirements.
Blockchain:
- Explain the nature of Blockchain and its relationship to other technologies.
- Analyze the impact of Blockchain on different industries and job roles.
- Evaluate the security and privacy issues associate with Blockchain.
- Analyze the societal, ethical, and legal implications of Blockchain.
- Compare and contrast different Blockchain technologies for their applicability to various business requirements.
Internet of Things:
- Explain the nature of IoT systems and its relationship to other technologies.
- Analyze the impact of IoT systems on different industries and job roles.
- Evaluate the security and privacy issues associate with IoT systems.
- Analyze the societal, ethical, and legal implications of IoT systems.
- Compare and contrast different IoT platforms and technologies for their applicability to various business requirements.
