Preparing students to engage with science‐ and technology‐related misinformation: The role of epistemic insight

Billingsley, Berry; Heyes, Joshua M.

doi:10.1002/curj.190

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 45 publications

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“…Even before ChatGPT and other GenAI tools were launched in the public domain, it has been claimed that we are living in a post-truth world rife with misinformation and fake news (Billingsley & Heyes, 2023). Public trust in science is declining as some of our basic scientific claims are being contested by conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, COVID sceptics, climate change deniers, and flat Earthers (Osborne & Pimentel, 2023).…”

Section: Evidence From Materials Forms Of Inquiry and Argumentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Materiality in an Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Tang¹,

Cooper²

2023

Preprint

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The introduction of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT has raised many challenging questions about the nature of teaching, learning, and assessment in every subject area, including science. Unlike other disciplines, natural science is unique because the ontological and epistemological understanding of nature is fundamentally rooted in our interaction with material objects in the physical world. Generative AI, powered by statistical probability arising from a massive corpus of text, is devoid of any connection to the physical world. The use of generative AI thus raises concerns about our connection to reality and its effect on science education. This paper emphasizes the importance of materiality (or material reality) in shaping scientific knowledge and argues for its recognition in the era of generative AI. Drawing on the perspectives of new materialism and science studies, the paper highlights how materiality forms an indispensable aspect of human knowledge and meaning-making, particularly in the discipline of science. It further explains how materiality is central to the epistemic authority of science and cautions the outputs generated by AI that lack contextualization to a material reality. The paper concludes by providing recommendations for research and teaching that recognize the role of materiality in the context of generative AI, specifically in practical work, scientific argumentation, and learning with AI. As we navigate a future dominated by AI, understanding how the epistemic authority of science arises from our connection to the physical world will become a crucial consideration in science education.

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Section: Evidence From Materials Forms Of Inquiry and Argumentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Materiality in an Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Tang¹,

Cooper²

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The Role of Materiality in an Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Tang,

Cooper

2024

Sci & Educ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The introduction of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT has raised many challenging questions about the nature of teaching, learning, and assessment in every subject area, including science. Unlike other disciplines, natural science is unique because the ontological and epistemological understanding of nature is fundamentally rooted in our interaction with material objects in the physical world. GenAI, powered by statistical probability arising from a massive corpus of text, is devoid of any connection to the physical world. The use of GenAI thus raises concerns about our connection to reality and its effect on science education. This paper emphasizes the importance of materiality (or material reality) in shaping scientific knowledge and argues for its recognition in the era of GenAI. Drawing on the perspectives of new materialism and science studies, the paper highlights how materiality forms an indispensable aspect of human knowledge and meaning-making, particularly in the discipline of science. It further explains how materiality is central to the epistemic authority of science and cautions the outputs generated by GenAI that lack contextualization to a material reality. The paper concludes by providing recommendations for research and teaching that recognize the role of materiality in the context of GenAI, specifically in practical work, scientific argumentation, and learning with GenAI. As we navigate a future dominated by GenAI, understanding how the epistemic authority of science arises from our connection to the physical world will become a crucial consideration in science education.

show abstract