Asking Generative AI to Cite Sources - Which Tool Is Best?

In the "6 Tenets of Post-Plagiarism: Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" Dr. Sarah Eaton explains that using generative AI in writing will become normal. The writing process has now shifted, and while AI may do some, or even most, of the writing, humans are responsible for fact-checking, verification, and knowing the source of the information as applicable. 

Popular generative AI tools include Bing, Google's Bard and Help Me Write, and ChatGPT. While you can get sources from each, they are not equally good at easily providing accurate sources. Let’s take a look.

Comparison of Generative AI Model’s Ability to Cite Sources

Google

Google’s Bard and Help Me Write, do a mediocre to poor job of citing sources. 

When asking Bard to cite sources, it is not unusual to get a response such as: 

I'm a text-based AI, and that is outside of my capabilities.

Or…

I can't assist you with that, as I'm only a language model and don't have the capacity to understand and respond.

With some additional prompting, you can often get past that, but even when it cites sources, it often may cite an indirect source. For example, instead of the direct source, it seems to generally cite a source such as Wikipedia. 

ChatGPT

Citing sources, is usually an afterthought with ChatGPT. Unlike Bing, the sources are generally not embedded. Even when prompted, ChatGPT may list some sources, but they may or may not include links directly to that source, and they are often not embedded in results. Sometimes they are inaccurate, so you must check and verify them.  

Bing

Bing is currently the best generative AI tool when it comes to citing sources. It will cite sources without needing additional prompts and the sources are generally accurate and direct. 

Let's take a look at the elements of each as it relates to source citation.

Comparison Chart 

	ChatGPT-4	Google's Bard / Help Me Write	Bing
Real-Time Updates	No	Sometimes	Often
Strengths in Citing Sources	Can be guided to include citation-like structures, but does not inherently cite sources	Can be guided to include citation-like structures in narratives, but does not inherently cite sources. Even when guided, the sources are often not direct.	Will usually provide accurate links to source material.
Currency	Currently only has data up until September 2021 so information may not be the most up-to-date and accurate.	Not versatile in citing sources, though it does have the ability to access up-to-date information.	Access to real-time information. Robust at searching up-to-date information.
Summary	Provides the best content, but does not provide up-to-date and accurate source citation.	Provides mediocre content and only sometimes provides reliable and useful sources when prompted.	Usually embeds accurate, up-to-date and reliable sources with direct links.

The Verdict

While Google and ChatGPT do a poor job of citing sources, each does have advantages. ChatGPT will provide the most robust and comprehensive response. Google’s Help Me Write is nice, because it’s embedded directly into Google Docs, so you can just ask for help while in a document rather than having to go elsewhere. 

However, when it comes to citing sources, Bing is the winner. However, the output is not as strong as ChatGPT, so it often makes sense to use a combination of Bing and ChatGPT for now. 

Embracing Post-Plagiarism: What It Means in the Age of ChatGPT

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has had a profound impact on education. As AI-powered tools continue to evolve, they are transforming the way we approach learning and teaching. Dr. Sarah Eaton published an insightful article titled "6 Tenets of Post-Plagiarism: Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" on her blog. Take a look at the post for the full explanation of each tenant. Each provides a simple, yet powerful insight. 

Two powerful tenants to keep in mind are as follows:

Hybrid Human-AI Writing Will Become Normal

We've been using predictive text, spell check, grammar check, extensions, and more for at least the past decade. Those who have the ability can also ask family, tutors, and others for feedback. AI does this on steroids' and can dramatically help an author improve their writing. As Eaton says, "Trying to determine where the human ends and where the AI begins is pointless and futile." Good writing usually incorporates feedback and assistance and there is nothing wrong with that. We can invite and even relinquish control to others, but her next tenant is key. 

Humans can Relinquish Control, but not Responsibility

Humans retain control over what they write, but the best writers usually ask for input from others. These days, that may include AI. These writers understand there is always room for improvement and asking for feedback to improve writing is a strength. However, when asking for feedback, it is up the author to be accountable for fact-checking, verification, truth-testing, and ensuring their voice comes through. Humans are also responsible for ensuring the AI tools are ethically developed and non-bias. 

Read all six tenants on the blog post and/or in the graphic below.  

Visit the original post for the text to this graphic, video, and more details.

6 Ways CuriPod #AI Can Support Teaching & Learning

Innovative educators understand the importance of leveraging solutions to address the diverse needs of our students and foster a dynamic learning environment. One such tool is CuriPod, a platform that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to instantly create tailored slide decks for teachers, offering personalized, engaging, and effective learning opportunities for our students. Here are six ways this resource can elevate teaching and learning. 

6 Ways CuriPod Supports Teaching and Learning

1) Personalized Learning Pathways:

One challenge in education is addressing the diverse needs of students. CuriPod's personalized learning pathways enable educators to tailor content and activities based on individual student's abilities, interests, and learning styles. This customized approach not only helps students progress at their own pace, but also ensures they remain engaged and motivated throughout the learning journey.

2) Collaborative Learning Environment:

CuriPod fosters a collaborative learning environment by providing tools that facilitate group activities, discussions, and projects. This collaborative approach encourages students to work together, exchange ideas, and solve problems as a team. By nurturing collaboration, CuriPod helps students develop critical soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving – all essential competencies for success in the 21st century.

3) Integration of Multimedia Resources:

CuriPod recognizes that students learn best when presented with a variety of media formats. The platform allows educators to integrate multimedia resources such as videos, images, audio, and interactive elements into their lessons. This rich, multimedia approach caters to different learning preferences, making it easier for students to absorb and retain information.

4) Real-time Assessments and Feedback:

Effective teaching relies on continuous assessment and feedback. CuriPod offers real-time assessment tools that enable educators to monitor student progress and provide immediate feedback. This timely feedback loop helps students identify areas for improvement, stay on track, and maintain their motivation. Furthermore, educators can use the data collected through these assessments to refine their instructional strategies and address any gaps in learning.

5) Simplified Lesson Planning and Organization:

CuriPod streamlines the lesson planning process by offering a suite of organizational tools and resources. Educators can easily create, modify, and share lesson plans with colleagues, access a library of pre-built lessons, and manage their schedules – all within the platform. By simplifying lesson planning and organization, CuriPod frees up valuable time for educators to focus on what truly matters – their students. 

6) Extensive Library of Teacher-Created Lesson Slide Decks: 

One of the standout features of CuriPod is its comprehensive library of lesson slide decks, meticulously crafted by other dedicated educators. This vast repository of resources allows teachers to browse, select, and adapt pre-existing lessons to suit their specific classroom needs. By offering a diverse range of high-quality, teacher-curated slide decks, CuriPod empowers educators to draw inspiration from their peers, save valuable time on lesson planning, and focus on delivering engaging and impactful learning experiences. The platform's collaborative approach fosters a strong community of educators, collectively working together to elevate the teaching and learning process. 

Ensuring Educational Soundness and Best Practices Alignment 

While CuriPod provides a wealth of invaluable resources and AI-generated slide decks, it's essential for educators to carefully review and evaluate the content to ensure its educational soundness and alignment with known best practices. By taking the time to assess and refine the material, teachers can guarantee that the lessons adhere to established standards, promote critical thinking, and foster deep understanding among their students. This careful consideration also allows educators to tailor the content to their students' specific needs and learning styles, further enhancing the educational experience. CuriPod's combined with the expertise and discernment of dedicated educators, creates an optimal learning environment that nurtures student growth and success.

With its personalized learning pathways, collaborative environment, multimedia integration, real-time assessments, simplified lesson planning, and library of teacher created slide decks, CuriPod empowers educators to create engaging and effective learning experiences.  Give CuriPod a try. Like other platforms there is a freemium and paid version. Start with the free version and if you love it you may want to pay $7.50 a month for the additional features.  

______________________________________________________________________________________

Written with support of AI. Initial prompt: Write a blog post explaining six ways Curipod can enhance teaching and learning in the style of the blog http://innovativeeducator.com.

Ideas for Using Chatbots (ChatGPT, Bard, Bing) for Personal and Educational Use

I've been exploring generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Bard to perform a variety of entertaining, innovative, and practical tasks. Experiencing chatbots firsthand allows you to envision their potential in teaching and learning more effectively. Here are some ways I've utilized chatbots, which can also be adapted to support student learning in the classroom.

Providing Feedback:

If you're uncertain about how a piece of writing (e.g., an article, email, or webpage) comes across, you can consult a chatbot. They can offer feedback, adjust the tone, make suggestions, and more.   

Crafting Content for Surveys and Evaluations:

Looking to survey a class or develop an evaluation? Simply ask a chatbot to help you create one. 

Identifying Donors:

I assisted a friend in finding donors for a social justice non-profit she was fundraising for. By sharing the organization's focus and highlighting those who received recognition from the group, the chatbot suggested potential companies and contacts within those companies. As a result, I provided her with an extensive and tailored donor list. 

Recommending Recipes:

Before traveling, I often want to use up random ingredients in my refrigerator. By inputting those ingredients into a chatbot, I'm presented with numerous inventive recipe ideas. 

Brainstorming Date and Activity Ideas:

Chatbots are an excellent resource for generating fun ideas, whether you're exploring a new city, seeking a local adventure, or planning a field trip. To personalize the suggestions, consider adding personality types and traits of the participants. Then, choose your favorites and pick one at random to try out. 

Creating Schedules:

Need a schedule for a sports activity, stations in a classroom, or times to confer with all students in your class? Ask a chatbot. They'll have something to you in no time and it can quickly and easily be updated or revised via a prompt. 

 

Drafting Agendas:

Need an agenda for a meeting or training? Tell the chatbot your objectives, duration, and if there is a certain source where you may want it to grab activities from. It will craft a great draft.

Reading Assistance:

Summarize:

Ask it to summarize a chapter or news story. If you share the url, it will give you a summary, even if you don't have a subscription. 

 

Change the Reading Level:

Enter writing content (e.g. original writing, news story, webpage information) and ask it to change the reading level so that it is appropriate for the reader.   

Writing Assistance:

Generative AI chatbots are popular for writing support, and I've used them extensively in this capacity. Here are some writing tasks that generative AI has helped me with:

Improve This:

I often take emails, blog posts, plans, lessons, agendas, etc. and ask the chatbot to improve it. If the audience is for one person and I know their personality type, I'll share that and tell it to make the writing appealing to a person with that personality type. 

Scripts:

Even without prior scriptwriting experience, I learned the style and structure by collaborating with a chatbot. For instance, I created a humorous Seinfeld script featuring my boyfriend and me, using our Myers-Briggs personality types for authenticity.

Award Nominations:

Want to nominate someone for an award? AI can help. Give it a link to the criteria as well as information about the work you think should be awarded and boom! You have a great nomination.

Biographies:

Need a biography written. If you have some good source info, feed that to AI and tell it to write a bio for the audience and in the format you want. It does an excellent job. 

Blog Posts:

When I have a blog post idea, I input the topic into Bing Chat, Bard, or ChatGPT and request a draft in my blog's style. I can then refine the content by asking for additions, corrections, or adjustments.

Social Media Posts:

Chatbots help me craft engaging social media posts, complete with emojis and hashtags. I specify the call to action, audience, and tone for a tailored result.

Lesson Plans:

Chatbots excel at generating and customizing lesson plans. To get the best outcome, provide a preferred lesson plan format when making a request.

Songs:

With generative AI's assistance, I've written songs in various styles and gained an understanding of song structure. I've created fun tunes about personal experiences, like playing beach volleyball with friends or singing about my dog.

Poems:

Co-create customized poems for friends or family on special occasions. By incorporating fun memories and personal details, you can create a heartfelt poem that's more meaningful than a store-bought card.   

 

Stories: 

 

I used generative AI to create a personalized, grade-level-appropriate children's book. After sharing the interests and activities of two brothers, I requested an action-adventure story and generated images using Bing Image Creator. The children's excitement upon receiving the story was priceless.

Result for children's book from
the Bing image creator 

Generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Bard have the potential to transform the way we approach creative and practical tasks, both in our personal lives and in educational settings. By harnessing their capabilities, we can enhance our own creativity, improve our writing skills, and optimize our productivity. Embracing the power of AI chatbots not only opens up new avenues for personal growth, but also paves the way for more engaging and dynamic learning experiences in the classroom. 

Battle of Generative AI Tools: ChatGPT, Google's Bard, and Microsoft's Bing AI

 Created using Bing Image Creator

OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard, and Microsoft's Bing AI have quickly emerged as leading generative AI tools. Which is best? Which should you use and when? These tools are always changing and improving, but as of now, here are some of the strengths and weaknesses of each AI tool. Check it out and discover which tool to use and how to most effectively harness the potential of each.

OpenAI's ChatGPT 

Hear from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. 

Strengths:

• Engaging Conversational Experiences: ChatGPT's advanced conversational capabilities make it an excellent choice for creating interactive learning experiences, such as chatbots that simulate discussions with historical figures or experts in a field.
• Tailored Learning Materials: Educators can customize ChatGPT to generate content aligned with their unique curriculum, making it a versatile tool for creating quizzes, prompts, and study guides.
• Diverse Subject Knowledge: ChatGPT's extensive knowledge base allows it to generate content on a wide range of topics, enabling educators to enrich their lessons with varied perspectives and insights.

Weaknesses:

• Outdated Information: Currently, ChatGPT's knowledge cutoff is September 2021, which means it may not have the latest information on some subjects.
• Fact-checking Required: Educators must verify the information generated by ChatGPT, as it may occasionally produce inaccurate content or misinformation.

Google's Bard

Hear from Google's C.E.O. Sundar Pichai. 

Strengths:

• Inspiring Creativity: Google's Bard is ideal for generating creative text, making it an excellent tool for inspiring students to explore poetry, prose, and other literary forms.
• Language Diversity: Bard's multilingual support allows educators to create engaging content in different languages, promoting cultural awareness and inclusivity.
• Google Ecosystem Integration: Bard's seamless integration with Google products and services makes it a convenient option for educators already using the Google ecosystem.

Weaknesses:

• Limited Customizability: Bard's focus on creative text generation may not be as adaptable for different educational use cases compared to ChatGPT.
• Inconsistent Text Quality: Educators must be prepared to edit Bard-generated content, as it can occasionally produce low-quality or nonsensical text.

Microsoft's Bing AI   

Hear from Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi.

Strengths:

• Search Engine Integration: Bing's AI capabilities integrate with its search engine, enabling educators to access intelligent search results and relevant content for lesson planning.
• Citing Sources: Bing's AI incorporates source citations when generating content, making it easier for educators to reference reliable information and teach students about the importance of proper attribution.
• Multimedia Content Creation: Bing's ability to generate images, in addition to text, makes it a versatile tool for creating engaging educational materials that cater to various learning styles. Bing uses an image creator powered by DALL-E that's built right into their search engine.

Weaknesses:

• Less Advanced Language Model: Bing's language model may not be as sophisticated as ChatGPT or Google's Bard, resulting in less accurate or coherent text generation for educational content.
• Limited Creative Text Generation: Bing is not specifically designed for creative text generation, which may limit its usefulness for inspiring students' imaginations.

For innovative educators, selecting the right generative AI tool largely depends on the specific goals and requirements of their teaching practice. OpenAI's ChatGPT excels in creating interactive learning experiences, Google's Bard inspires creativity in the classroom, and Microsoft's Bing offers source citation and multimedia content creation to cater to diverse learning styles. By leveraging the unique features of each AI tool, educators can provide their students with engaging and transformative learning experiences.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Written with support of AI with the prompt: Write a blog post comparing strengths and weaknesses of the following generative AI tools in the style of http://innovativeeducator.com: OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard, Microsoft's Bing

Streamlining Success: How Teachers Can Use Generative AI to Boost Efficiency and Effectiveness

Created using DALL·E

Innovative educators are given more and more responsibilities than ever before. Fortunately, with so many generative AI tools available to them at no cost, they can do their jobs more efficiently and effectively than ever before saving them plenty of time. Here are some of the ways generative AI tools like Bard, Bing AI, and ChatGPT, can help teachers streamline their work, while enhancing the learning experience for students.

Automate Lesson Planning

Generative AI can assist teachers in creating lesson plans tailored to the needs and interests of their students. By providing the AI with a set of learning objectives, topics, and desired outcomes, teachers can receive a detailed and engaging lesson plan in no time. This not only saves time but also allows teachers to focus on refining their teaching strategies and providing personalized support for their students.

Efficient Grading and Assessment

One of the most time-consuming aspects of teaching is grading and assessing student work. Generative AI can help streamline this process by providing automated feedback and grading suggestions based on predefined criteria. This enables teachers to quickly assess student performance, identify areas that need improvement, and provide targeted feedback that helps students grow.

Dynamic Classroom Resources

Generative AI can be used to create a wealth of classroom resources, such as engaging writing prompts, informative infographics, and interactive quizzes. By leveraging AI-generated content, teachers can diversify their teaching materials, ensuring that their students remain engaged and motivated throughout the learning process.

Professional Development and Collaboration

Generative AI can also help teachers improve their own skills by providing personalized professional development resources, such as articles, webinars, and workshops. By analyzing a teacher's areas of expertise and professional goals, AI can recommend relevant resources that support growth and development. Additionally, generative AI can facilitate collaboration among teachers by connecting them with colleagues who share similar interests or challenges.

Data-Driven Insights for Improved Instruction

Generative AI can be used to analyze student performance data, identifying trends and patterns that can inform a teacher's instructional strategies. By understanding which concepts students struggle with the most, teachers can adapt their lessons to address these challenges, ensuring a more effective learning experience for all.

Parent Communication

Keeping parents informed and involved in their child's education is essential. Generative AI can help teachers maintain consistent communication with parents by generating personalized progress reports, newsletters, and updates. This not only saves teachers time but also ensures that parents are kept in the loop, fostering a strong and supportive learning community.

Generative AI offers a range of benefits that can help teachers work more efficiently and effectively, while also enhancing the learning experience for their students. By embracing the potential of AI in the classroom, teachers can streamline their workload, focus on individual student needs, and foster a dynamic and engaging learning environment. As AI continues to advance, the possibilities for its application in education will only grow, making it an exciting time to be an innovative educator.

________________________________________________________________________

Written with support of AI with the prompt: Write a blog post about ways teachers can use generative AI to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively in the style of this blog https://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com