In the wake of ChatGPT’s launch, its rapid integration into daily life has sparked a pivotal question I find myself grappling with: Can educators stay ahead in the ever-evolving game of recognizing ChatGPT use by students? With several major school districts, including New York City and Los Angeles, taking the step to block access to ChatGPT¹, it’s clear that detecting AI ChatGPT in schools has become a priority. As a journalist, my mission is to unearth the current landscape of ChatGPT detection methods and how they’re shaping the ways teachers are monitoring ChatGPT usage by their students.

Edward Tian’s development of GPTZero, designed explicitly for detecting AI-written content, poses an intriguing challenge for those harboring concerns¹. While these tools offer hope, Tian’s emphasis on the responsible integration of AI in education, with a focus on teaching and learning, suggests a way of identifying ChatGPT usage by teachers without stifling innovation¹. As I delve deeper into these detection methods, I consider how educators are not just recognizing the presence of ChatGPT but also adapting to an AI-supported educational environment.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the significance of detecting ChatGPT in classrooms
• Exploring methods to counteract the challenges posed by AI in education
• Identifying approaches for teachers to recognize ChatGPT use by students
• Investigating the impact of advanced tools like GPTZero in AI detection
• Analyzing the balance between monitoring and embracing AI technology

Understanding ChatGPT’s Impact on Education

As AI in education continues to advance, understanding its implications has never been more critical. Let’s explore how ChatGPT and AI language models are reshaping the academic landscape, from their promising capabilities to the significant challenges they introduce for academic integrity.

The Rise of AI in Academic Settings

The integration of AI in academic settings is rapidly transforming the educational experience for both students and educators. Surprisingly, within just two months of ChatGPT’s launch, over half of K-12 teachers reported incorporating this innovative AI language model into their teaching methods, with a substantial 40% utilizing it on a weekly basis and more than half expecting to increase its usage². These figures illustrate a seismic shift towards embracing AI as a vital component of modern education.

ChatGPT: A Brief Overview

ChatGPT, with an astonishing user base exceeding 100 million since its inception in November 2022, serves as a versatile tool for academic support and personal use alike³. It has demonstrated capabilities to revolutionize tasks such as automating essay grading, providing personalized math tutoring, and crafting learning materials, among other educational assistance functions³. However, this technological marvel doesn’t come without its share of issues – including the production of biased or inaccurate information³.

The Challenges of AI for Academic Integrity

Despite the positive impact of AI on education, educators face significant challenges in preserving academic integrity. A notable segment of teachers, around 43%, perceive ChatGPT as a potential complication to their roles, while over 25% have discovered instances of student cheating facilitated by the AI model². Major concerns arise from AI’s capacity to mask student learning deficiencies, potentially stymying the development of essential skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving³. In response, some school districts, including those in large cities like Baltimore and Los Angeles, have instituted bans on ChatGPT use, reflecting the growing apprehension concerning its effects on educational standards².

In light of these challenges, tools like GPTZero and CopyLeaks AI Content Detector have emerged to help educators distinguish AI-generated content and uphold the integrity of academic work². Researchers and educators alike advocate for a balanced approach that involves integrating ChatGPT into the educational framework with adjustments in teaching and testing methods, ensuring that the utilization of AI is both ethical and effective³.

Impact Factor	Positive Aspects	Negative Aspects
Educational Tools	Automates grading, personalized tutoring	Potential to produce biased or inaccurate content
Educator Perspectives	60% see ChatGPT as easing their workload	43% worry about increased difficulty in their roles
Academic Integrity	Helps in designing assessments	Can mask learning deficiencies, leading to plagiarism
Adoption Rates	51% of K-12 teachers use ChatGPT	Banned in several large school districts
Solutions Proposed	Digital-free assignments, Educator AI training	Use of AI text classifiers to detect AI content

How Can Teachers Detect ChatGPT

As a seasoned journalist in the educational field, I’ve observed a transformative shift in classroom dynamics with the advent of technologies like ChatGPT. With multiple school districts, including those in New York and Los Angeles, opting to restrict ChatGPT access on account of concerns over academic dishonesty¹, teachers’ roles in identifying AI-assisted work have never been more crucial. It has become imperative to employ both innovative methods to detect ChatGPT and traditional techniques for identifying ChatGPT to preserve the integrity of educational assessments.

In response to the pressing need for strategies for detecting AI in education, Edward Tian, a computer science student at Princeton University, developed a tool aptly named GPTZero. This bot is designed to scrutinize sentences and words to gauge the likelihood of AI authorship¹. Empowered with the ability to estimate what percentage of a text is AI-generated, GPTZero offers educators valuable insights, thus potentially altering the way they evaluate student submissions.

But the task of detecting AI-written text doesn’t end at a technological front. The NYC Department of Education, for instance, underscores the value of critical thinking – a skill they believe ChatGPT use undermines⁴. Likewise, academic integrity experts and organizations like Turnitin have signaled the necessity for AI detection tools to evolve synergistically with AI writing capabilities. Such tools can furnish educators with the means to verify the originality of students’ work and uphold educational standards⁴.

Detection Tool	Description	Source
GPTZero	Analyzes the text to determine the probability of AI creation	Developed by Edward Tian1
Turnitin AI detector	Service in progress to identify ChatGPT written assignments	Turnitin’s upcoming rollout4

Significantly, the challenge that faces detection software is a moving target. As asserted by Zhou Yu, an assistant professor at Columbia University, AI detectors must receive continual updates to stay abreast of AI developments⁴. This sentiment is echoed by Turnitin’s executives, who recognize the potential for AI, such as ChatGPT, to irrevocably change the educational landscape, necessitating new teaching methodologies and approaches.

While integrating such sophisticated detection mechanisms, it’s also worth acknowledging the positive perspective offered by experts like Zhou Yu, who consider tools like ChatGPT as potential educational aids, particularly in learning new languages⁴. Their views introduce a nuanced understanding that while proactive detection methods are crucial, AI could also signify an evolution rather than a mere challenge for educational practices.

The delicate balance between harnessing educational technology and guarding against its misuse falls heavily on the shoulders of educators. Through ongoing discourse, development of robust detection tools, and alignment with evolving techniques for identifying ChatGPT, teachers can reconcile the innovative potential of AI with the imperatives of academic integrity.

Arsenal of Technology: Tools for Detecting AI Writing

As I venture through the modern educational landscape, I find an ever-growing arsenal of tools at my disposal for maintaining academic integrity against the onslaught of AI-generated assignments. When over 80% of educators express concerns about AI’s use in writing tasks⁵, the question isn’t whether to employ technology, but which technologies provide the most robust defense. Let’s unpack the various systems that bear the standard in this fight for authenticity.

Plagiarism Detectors and AI Content Checkers

The forefront runners in this struggle are plagiarism detectors and AI content checkers. Notable within this category is AIWritingCheck.org, boasting an impressive 80-90% accuracy rate in detecting plagiarized content⁵. Platforms such as Turnitin, which plans to unveil its AI detection software in the upcoming 2023-24 school year⁵, alongside Grammarly, utilize machine learning and natural language processing to pinpoint the nuances of AI-written text, thus promoting the improvement of writing skills⁶. Other key players in this arena include Copyscape and Unicheck, enhancing educators’ abilities to identify copied contents⁶.

Pattern Recognition Software in Education

Further into the quiver of technological solutions are the pattern recognition software, which educators can seamlessly integrate into their assessments. These advanced systems scrutinize writing patterns, helping to differentiate between human and AI-produced text. Developers are even creating tools that delve into the intricacies of keystroke patterns and draft revisions, laying bare the origins of digital writing⁵. Such software, however, come with their lexicon of technical jargon, as seen in the GPT2 Output Detector that poses interpretative challenges⁵.

Learning Management Systems with Integrated AI Detection

I turn now to the architecture that supports our entire pedagogical framework: Learning Management Systems (LMS). These sophisticated ecosystems have evolved to house integrated AI detection capabilities, allowing for a seamless and non-disruptive approach to identifying AI-driven deceit. As we rely on these systems for everything from attendance to assessment, their potential to become fortresses of integrity is unparalleled. Yet, we must also acknowledge that such AI detection software for education is not infallible—educators need to view flagged work as starting points for dialogues rather than indisputable evidence⁵.

In navigating these tools, I believe our focus must not solely be on detection but also on awareness and understanding. Surveys, like those conducted by Quill.org and CommonLit.org, which encompassed over 750 educators, are just the beginning of painting a full picture of literacy technology platforms in education⁵. Ultimately, what lies beyond the horizon is not a foolproof solution, but a harmonious fusion of technology and human expertise that guides our academic odyssey.

Human Expertise in Identifying AI-Generated Text

In the evolving landscape of educational technology, the unique capacity for human expertise in AI detection is more significant than ever. Teachers who are using teaching experience to detect ChatGPT bring an invaluable, nuanced understanding to the table—an ability that AI detectors alone may struggle to replicate.

Teaching Experience as a Detection Tool

Teaching experience equips educators with a tacit awareness that often transcends the binary logic of algorithms. When an AI detector tool may falter, registering a 1% false-positive rate⁷, a teacher’s insight into their students’ capabilities and stylistic tendencies can flag inconsistencies in writing. Such subtle nuances of monitoring changes in writing quality are vital, considering the admission by Turnitin of a 15% miss rate for AI-generated content⁷.

Reading Between the Lines: Linguistic Analysis

Similarly, linguistic analysis for detecting AI-generated text involves more than just spotting out-of-place phrases; it’s about understanding the depth of expression that students typically exhibit. An analysis conducted by a team of university researchers highlighted that a dozen AI-detection tools were “neither accurate nor reliable,”⁷ suggesting the critical role that proficient linguistic scrutiny, performed by experienced educators, plays in AI detection.

Consistency in Quality: Monitoring Sudden Changes

Monitoring for sudden shifts in writing quality also provides a pragmatic approach. If a pupil who typically struggles with coherence suddenly submits a flawless essay, it may warrant a closer examination. University of Maryland students discovered that AI detection tools could erroneously flag non-AI work or be easily circumvented by rephrasing AI-generated text⁷. This emphasizes the need for educators to maintain a vigilant eye—one that machines have not yet been programmed to replicate.

Tool	Accuracy	False-Positive Rate	Pricing
Turnitin’s AI Detector	85% accurate in detection7	1%7	Based on organizational need7
ZeroGPT	98%8	N/A	$8.29 – $21.99 per month8
GPTZero	N/A	N/A	$10 – $23 per month8

As AI continues to permeate the academic sphere, combining sophisticated tools with the discerning judgment of those at the helm of our classrooms remains essential. While software such as iThenticate has found a place in academia⁷, the human touch in AI detection serves as a potent adjunct, preserving the integrity of our educational institutions.

ChatGPT’s Telltale Signs for Educators

The landscape of academic integrity is evolving swiftly in the wake of ChatGPT’s entry into the educational territory. I aim to rigorously examine the telltale signs of ChatGPT usage, which can help mitigate academic dishonesty detected by more than a quarter of K-12 teachers in a recent survey⁹. It’s not just about inspection; it’s also about cultivating an understanding dialogue, much like the one-on-one student discussions advocated by CommonLit and Quill⁹.

Unnatural Phrasing and Lexical Repetitiveness

Leveraging style and tone for AI detection begins with recognizing unnatural phrasing and lexical repetitiveness—signature trails left by AI tools. As an educator, my gaze sharpens when patterns of monotonous syntax and excessive reiteration surface in student writings. These attributes could indicate the machinery of AI rather than the nuanced creativity of a human mind, which further prompts the necessity to scrutinize critical thinking in written work.

Assessing Critical Thinking in Written Work

Assessing critical thinking is a fortified line of defense against AI dependence. When students put forward essays or reports teeming with depth, insight, and original analysis, they showcase learning that transcends any AI capabilities. Emphasizing the importance of learning to write independently becomes a pivotal educational mantra, as advocated by numerous educators⁹. Encouraging students to develop reasoning and critical thinking not only aligns them with academic honesty but also prepares them for future job success as per Gault’s recommendations⁹.

Leveraging Style and Tone for AI Detection

My methodical approach to leveraging style and tone involves dissecting student submissions to ensure authenticity, a practice aligned with OpenAI’s acknowledgment of an approximately 10 to 20 percent inefficiency rate in AI detectors⁹. Students often reveal their genuine intellectual voice through idiosyncratic narrative flows—these subtleties can often escape AI constructs, thereby solidifying my toolkit to discern human authorship from AI-generated content.

In addition to these measures, knowledge of ChatGPT’s application in higher education disciplines, such as those implemented at renowned institutions like Harvard and Stanford, employs AI for enhancing learning outcomes¹⁰. I consider assignments that entice students to critically compare AI responses with their understanding and wisdom¹⁰, while also making them aware of the potential dark side of AI use, for instance, the challenges in virtual worlds like Decentraland¹⁰. Furthermore, the intelligent critiques generated by ChatGPT must be met with an equally robust intellectual veracity from students, necessitating independent verification of ChatGPT’s responses¹⁰.

AI Tool	Usage in Education	Benefits	Challenges
ChatGPT	Essay generation, study aids	Enhancing knowledge depth, providing critiques	Academic dishonesty, reliance
GPTZero	Detection of AI-generated text	Evaluating writing authenticity	Varying levels of accuracy
Plagiarism Detection Software	Detecting unoriginal content	Ensuring academic integrity	Distinguishing nuanced AI-generated content

Deploying GPTZero, an AI that uses perplexity measures to detect machine-produced text, emerges as another digital ally, supplementing the broader framework to maintain integrity in the classroom¹⁰. Whether using technological or human evaluative methods, it’s the melding of the two that fortifies our approach as educators in steering students towards the honorable lane of originality and intellectual growth.

Relying on AI Detection Software for Fair Evaluation

As I delve into the complex landscape of monitoring academic integrity, it becomes evident that AI detection software is not just a tool, but a pivotal ally in the quest for fairness in evaluation. Integrating AI detection tools into the evaluation process serves as a double-edged sword; it offers the promise of impartiality while also demanding a careful understanding of its capabilities and limitations.

My exploration of current AI detection software reveals that a substantial number of educators—51% to be precise—reported using ChatGPT within two months of its launch². This rapid adoption underscores the need for reliable evaluating AI-generated content. Nonetheless, in large school districts like Baltimore and New York City, there’s a growing trend to ban ChatGPT, a response to its potential misuse within educational settings².

The pivotal role of AI detection tools is highlighted by the 43% of educators who fear that AI technologies like ChatGPT might complicate their jobs, yet, paradoxically, nearly six in 10 teachers anticipate these tools will simplify their work in the long run². This dichotomy underpins the current climate—where the integration of AI detection software requires delicate balancing, ensuring both the facilitation of educators’ jobs and the upkeep of scholastic fairness.

Despite the growing prevalence of AI in educational spheres, with over one-fourth of teachers catching students cheating using ChatGPT², there is a clear necessity for integrating various analysis methods rather than solely relying on AI detection tools. For instance, the University of California, Davis and other higher education institutions encourage professors to not depend exclusively on AI detection platforms¹¹.

To further punctuate the caution required, Turnitin’s AI detection tool—while sophisticated—has a non-trivial rate of false positives, eliciting a need for educators to use discernment¹¹. Computer science professor Soheil Feizi’s research further elucidates upon this by highlighting the current unreliability of publicly available AI detectors, underpinned by a high false-positive rate and susceptibility to evasion strategies¹².

The intricacies of evaluating AI-generated content are akin to a dance between technology and human ingenuity. It’s pivotal to sway harmoniously, synchronizing AI’s cutting-edge prowess with the discerning eyes of educators.

Statistic	Impact
53% of teachers predict increased use of ChatGPT	Highlights growing dependency on AI
Over one-fourth have seen AI-aided cheating	Raises concerns about academic integrity
Turnitin AI false-positive rate	Demands higher accuracy in detection tools
Feizi’s proposed error rate	Sets a new standard for AI detection accuracy

As I reflect on these findings, the pathway ahead seems both illuminated and shadowed by uncertainties. Embracing AI detection tools is not merely about harnessing technology for the sake of modernity; it’s about reaffirming our commitment to fairness in evaluation, supported by vigilant and informed use of these advancements. This path undoubtedly leads us toward a future where AI not only augments our capabilities but also aligns with the steadfast values of educational integrity.

Enhancing Teacher’s Skillset with AI Recognition Training

To navigate the evolving educational landscape, AI recognition training for teachers has become a pivotal aspect of professional development. Adaptation to technological advances is critical, as evidenced by the transformative effect that programs like Sesame Street had on early education, leading to curricular advancements several decades ago¹³. Just as the introduction of television to classrooms required a recalibration of teaching methods, the integration of AI in educational settings today calls for teacher training in AI detection.

Schools are witnessing a paradigm shift, where digital literacy includes the ability to discern AI-generated content. The revolution extends beyond simple tech savviness—skill development for AI detection is now fundamental. With experts endorsing AI’s potential for bringing positive change¹³ and projections suggesting a significant portion of the workforce will need to transition to new types of jobs by 2030¹³, preparing educators to guide students effectively through these transitions is essential.

The role of AI, and specifically ChatGPT, in education has both proven benefits, such as supporting at-risk students and enhancing learning for students with disabilities¹³, and potential drawbacks, like challenging traditional assessment practices¹⁴. Therefore, harnessing ChatGPT’s power for good while mitigating adverse impacts calls for strategic teacher training programs.

AI in Education	Benefits	Challenges
ChatGPT’s Interventions	Provides real-time feedback, supports at-risk students	Struggles with referencing, facilitating cheating
Learning Enhancements	Improves access for students with disabilities	May automate a significant portion of work hours
Teacher’s Preparation	Equips educators with necessary detection skills	Requires continuous adaptation to new AI models

Statistically, the road ahead is shaped by automation and innovation. By 2030, nearly one-third of all work hours in the U.S. economy could be automated¹³, and graduates are expected to transition through numerous jobs in their lifetime¹³. With ChatGPT’s impressive capabilities, exceeding previous chatbot models in various genres of writing¹⁴, our educational assessments must evolve. We need to craft formative experiences fostering lifelong learning, addressing both the positive democratization of knowledge and the negative implications for student honesty¹⁴.

As educators, we are tasked with an extraordinary opportunity to influence the next generation. Let us embrace the call to action, ensuring that our skillset includes the proficiency to recognize and utilize AI as a robust educational tool. By doing so, we not only future-proof our classrooms but also empower our students to thrive in a world where change is the only constant.

Adapting Pedagogical Strategies for the AI Era

As we venture further into the AI era, the educational landscape necessitates a transformative approach to pedagogy. Embracing innovation while maintaining academic fidelity, educators like myself are tasked with adapting pedagogical strategies for AI, ensuring our students are thoroughly equipped for a future where technology like ChatGPT becomes increasingly pervasive in everyday life¹⁵¹⁶.

Integrating ChatGPT Responsibly into Curriculum Design

To ensure responsible integration of ChatGPT into curriculum design, it’s crucial for me to intertwine AI’s capabilities with the learning objectives set forth for my students. Acknowledging the rise of AI-driven tools, it’s imperative to utilize generative AI programs not just as a means for generating written content but as a platform for nurturing critical thinking and digital literacy skills¹⁶. By doing so, teachers can diminish the potential for educational disparity¹⁵ and encourage an ethical use of AI, preventing instances of plagiarism or the misuse of AI for creating inappropriate content¹⁵.

Developing Critical Assessment Skills in the Digital Age

In my personal approach, students should be guided to craft a well-rounded digital footprint, which includes developing critical assessment skills in the digital age. Through immersive learning experiences, students can learn to scrutinize the information generated by AI, identify potential biases¹⁵, and approach digital content with a discerning eye. This foresight in curriculum planning can not only address the learning curve presented by AI technology¹⁷ but also empower students with the skills necessary to adapt to AI’s influence on job markets and required skill sets¹⁵.

Creating an Environment of Trust and Honesty

Instilling an educational framework that embodies trust and honesty is paramount in my career as an educator. Encouraging students to accurately cite AI-generated content and guiding them through the ethical considerations of AI integration in their work form the bedrock of creating trust and honesty in education¹⁶. We should be steadfast in incorporating policies and best practices that reflect the same values, fostering a classroom experience where integrity is held in high regard amidst the growing relevance of digital tools¹⁶.

Conclusion

Throughout our exploration, we’ve delved into the heart of maintaining academic integrity in an era where technology such as ChatGPT is becoming increasingly prevalent. My final thoughts echo the sentiment that teachers and educational institutions must be diligent and forward-thinking. The use of Turnitin’s software by over 2.1 million educators is a testament to the commitment to uphold authenticity in student work¹⁸. It’s clear that while tools like these are instrumental, Turnitin’s revelation that a “significant majority” of UK universities opted out of displaying the AI writing score underscores the delicate balance between technology and trust in education¹⁸.

My recommendation is for educators to equip themselves not just with tools that have shown commendable accuracy rates, such as Turnitin’s detector, which has an overall accuracy of 98% with a false positive rate of less than 1% for complete papers¹⁸¹⁹, but also with the nuanced understanding of their students’ writing. As we’ve seen, AI detectors still face challenges, evidenced by Turnitin’s limitations in identifying mixed AI and human-composed texts¹⁸. True discernment in this domain comes with experience and an analytical mind capable of recognizing the subtleties of irony and wit, as GPT-4’s progression continues to blur the lines between human and AI communication¹⁹.

In summary, the integration of advanced AI detectors into educational practices is indeed transformative. However, the synergy of these technologies with human insight forms the cornerstone of effectively evaluating academic work in the classroom. By staying alert to the capricious nature of AI, such as the evasive maneuvers of using paraphrased AI-generated content or pictures in lieu of text¹⁹, educators can continue to foster an environment that values original thought and sincere effort. In bridging the gap between innovation and tradition, the educational community can weather the evolution of AI while preserving its core values of honesty and excellence.

FAQ

How can teachers detect ChatGPT usage by students?

Teachers can detect ChatGPT usage by utilizing various methods and techniques such as technological tools like plagiarism detectors, AI content checkers, pattern recognition software, and learning management systems with integrated AI detection features. They can also rely on their own expertise, leveraging their teaching experience and linguistic analysis to identify AI-generated text. It is important to be vigilant for unnatural phrasing, lexical repetitiveness, and sudden changes in writing quality, which are telltale signs of ChatGPT usage.

What are the challenges in integrating AI technology in education?

Integrating AI technology in education presents challenges for maintaining academic integrity. AI language models like ChatGPT can generate text that may not be original or reflect the students’ knowledge and skills. This poses a threat to fair evaluation and undermines the purpose of education. Additionally, teachers need to adapt their pedagogical strategies to responsibly integrate AI tools into the curriculum and teach students how to use AI while upholding academic honesty.

What technological tools can aid in detecting AI writing?

Technological tools such as plagiarism detectors, AI content checkers, pattern recognition software, and learning management systems with integrated AI detection features can aid in detecting AI writing. These tools utilize algorithms to analyze text and identify patterns indicative of AI-generated content. By comparing student work with a vast database of known AI patterns, these tools can provide insights into the presence of AI writing.

How does teaching experience help in detecting AI-generated text?

Teaching experience allows educators to develop a deep understanding of their students’ abilities and writing styles. By familiarizing themselves with their students’ typical language patterns, critical thinking skills, and writing quality, teachers can identify inconsistencies that may indicate the use of AI-generated text. This expertise, combined with knowledge of subject matter expectations, can enhance their ability to detect ChatGPT usage in student work.

What are the telltale signs of ChatGPT usage for educators?

Educators can look out for telltale signs of ChatGPT usage, such as unnatural phrasing and lexical repetitiveness. Since AI language models lack original thinking, they may produce text that sounds mechanical or stilted. Additionally, educators should assess the level of critical thinking displayed in written work, as AI-generated text often lacks originality and depth. Analyzing the style and tone of the writing can also provide insights into the presence of AI usage.

How can AI detection software ensure fair evaluation of AI-generated content?

AI detection software can aid in ensuring fair evaluation of AI-generated content by identifying instances of ChatGPT usage. This allows educators to distinguish between original student work and AI-generated text, facilitating an equitable assessment process. By integrating AI detection software into the evaluation process, educators can maintain academic integrity and hold students accountable while accommodating the presence of AI technology.

How can teachers enhance their skillset for AI recognition?

Teachers can enhance their skillset for AI recognition through professional development and training programs. These programs equip teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively detect and address AI-generated content in the classroom. By staying updated on the latest AI technologies and detection methods, educators can proactively identify ChatGPT usage and uphold academic integrity.

How should pedagogical strategies be adapted for the AI era?

Pedagogical strategies should be adapted for the AI era by responsibly integrating ChatGPT and other AI tools into curriculum design. This involves teaching students how to effectively use AI tools while upholding academic integrity. It is also crucial to focus on developing critical assessment skills in the digital age, encouraging students to think critically about the sources and authenticity of information. Creating an environment of trust and honesty in education is essential.