Barry Dahl dot com

This is the third post of several on the plus side for ChatGPT. Previous posts include:

1. Writing letters of reference for students.
2. Writing lesson plans.

As I continue to examine how AI chatbots might be used in a positive way by educators, I’ve been experimenting with the creation of test/quiz questions. In the past I would wordsmith multiple-choice (or short answer/essay) questions in an effort to make them perfect. I paid a lot of attention to the distractors in an effort to increase the difficulty of certain questions.

However, I think it’s likely that educators can get into a bit of a rut with regard to question phrasing. Sometimes coming up with a totally different way to ask a question was easier said than done. Enter ChatGPT or similar AI chatbots (or LLMs).

I entered the following prompt into four chatbots: Write three multiple choice questions, each with four possible answers, about the concept of Opportunity Cost in a Cost Accounting course, and indicate the correct answer for each.

Here are the best suggestions from each of the Chatbots:

ChatGPT:

How does the opportunity cost of a decision change as more resources are allocated to a particular project?

• a. It increases (correct answer)
• b. It decreases
• c. It remains the same
• d. It becomes zero

Chatsonic: 

How can an opportunity cost be avoided?

• a. By taking the action with the highest possible benefit
• b. By taking the action with the lowest possible cost
• c. By not taking any action 
• d. By taking the action with the lowest opportunity cost (correct)

Perplexity:

What can understanding opportunity costs tell you?

• a. How much money was spent on a decision
• b. How much time was spent on a decision
• c. Potential missed opportunities when making decisions (correct)
• d. How many resources were used for a decision

Playground: 

Which of the following is NOT an example of an Opportunity Cost? 

• a. Lost wages from choosing to stay home and take care of a sick family member
• b. The cost of replacing a broken machine (correct)
• c. The cost of a missed investment opportunity 
• d. The cost of a new hire

There were 12 possibilities generated, and the four I selected above seem to come at things a bit different from one another. If I was still teaching Cost Accounting, I would be fine with using any of these questions on a quiz or other assessment. 

Filed under: AI & Chatbots |