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#1 2023-04-01 09:33:24

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

With the approval of SpaceNut, this topic is created to serve as a foundation for a class on Basic Orbital Mechanics in development for a high school audience by GW Johnson.  This topic is set up for the traditional materials created by Dr. Johnson, using Microsoft Word, Excel and Paint.

As of 2023/04/01 I am considering posts set up for each lesson.

All materials are provided for free, and the intention is to enlist the assistance of anyone interested in helping with publicity to do so. The materials will be stored in our Dropbox account, and they will be served to students using links in this forum.

This topic is set up for a possible deployment of the class materials to be mediated by ChatGPT.

It is NOT clear as of 2023/04/01 whether this concept is possible, let alone practical.

The intention of the initiative is to enlist ChatGPT to help the student to "internalize" the course material.  This is a stated objective of GW Johnson's instructional materials, and ChatGPT assures me it "thinks" it can help.  We'll see.  I have my doubts.

Update 2023/05/09 (th) Based upon testing with ChatGPT over the past month, I no longer think the Teaching Assistant concept is viable.  However, a concept I call "Learning Companion" may work.  In this concept, the material to be learned is broken into what I'm calling "chunks" that are large enough to move the ball for the student, but small enough so that ChatGPT can handle them.

Issues in play include difficulty for ChatGPT to remember from one transaction to the next.  There appears to be a capability for ChatGPT to record small amounts of data in the form of "tokens" that can be passed from one exchange to the next in what ChatGPT calls it's "working memory".  Never-the-less, a challenge is that ChatGPT does not appear to remember from one session to the next that it has capabilities needed for the role as Learning Companion.

This means that time must be invested by the student in setting up conditions for the lesson.  Taking the longer view, this may be less of a problem if the student opens a session and keeps it open for several days, or as long as a particular class needs.

(th)

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#2 2023-04-01 10:40:10

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

Disclaimer: a person who completed this course will NOT be qualified to pilot a space craft between Earth and Mars or anywhere else. It is constrained to the two body problem and two dimensions.  A person desiring to qualify for a position as a space craft navigator or a pilot will require additional education, including the ability to operate computing equipment capable of solving the 3 body problem in real time.

A statement of positive outcomes from taking this course is in development.  The course is designed to provide a foundation for further education in the space field.

A preliminary assessment of positive outcomes includes the ability to teach the contents of this course to others.

Update 2023/04/11 ... Procedure to convert traditional materials to work with ChatGPT

1) Starting with Word document containing images created by Paint >> Open document with LibreOffice
2) Save text as .txt for input to ChatGPT as Lesson Text
3) Save images as .png for input to LibreOffice Draw
4) Open image png's with LibreOffice Draw and use Export to write them out as .SVG
5) Assemble files for a lesson in a Dropbox folder for the given Lesson
6) Write Proctor instructions to ChatGPT in TXT >> Save in Dropbox folder >> The link to this is given to student
7) Write Student instructions to help the student set up a ChatGPT session to take the lesson
8) Test everything thoroughly and make adjustments as needed

(th)

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#3 2023-04-08 17:23:23

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

Lesson 1 materials for ChatGPT:

This post is intended to hold links that are intended to provide ChatGPT with all the elements of Lesson 1 that it needs to assist a student.

There are four figures in Lesson 1. The link below points to the SVG file for Figure 1.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bsutv6x8ozbk9 … G.svg?dl=0

Both ChatGPT and BARD claim able to "read" an SVG file and "understand" the contents.

However, only ChatGPT actually performed a successful read.  BARD's attempt was brave but insufficient.  BARD will not be considered further.

***
Below are five data files and one instructions file that will be given to ChatGPT in a test to see if ChatGPT is able to function as a Teaching Assistant.

1) Proctor instructions
https://www.dropbox.com/s/01s5wad83scq7 … 0.txt?dl=0
2) Text for Lesson 1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9o0cgtbdj33zr … 1.txt?dl=0
3) SVG for Figure 1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bh5o26xxkfubw … G.svg?dl=0
4) SVG for Figure 2
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8vqhm3984cs3q … G.svg?dl=0
5) SVG for Figure 3
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sy4zczmvxvv0j … G.svg?dl=0
6) SVG for Figure 4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c64rq5eb2i8pv … G.svg?dl=0

Time stamp: Links are ready for ChatGPT first test at 15:08 local time (19:08 UTC)

(th)

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#4 2023-04-13 09:22:30

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

2023/04/13 The link below is intended to be executed by a student desiring to take Lesson 01 of the Basic Orbital Mechanics class, using ChatGPT as TA.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fau0obrxahvkq … 0.txt?dl=0

The ChatGPT capabilities will be tested using the link above.  Anyone with a ChatGPT can run the link.  If a NewMars member decides to assist with testing, please be aware that as of Noon 2023/04/13, NO full up testing has been completed.

If anyone ** does ** decide to assist with testing, please post results here.  To reduce the volume of data delivered to this topic, please use either Dropbox or Google Drive to hold the file data, and provide a link to the data here.

(th)

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#5 2023-05-09 11:56:31

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

Update as of 2023/05/09 (th) .... The concept of ChatGPT serving as a "Learning Companion" is in development and testing.

The opening "chunk" will be the first paragraph of Lesson 1 of Dr. Johnson's Basic Orbital Mechanics course.

(th)

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#6 2023-05-20 10:02:17

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

Update 2023/05/24 ...

ChatGPT has demonstrated the ability to accept paragraph 1 of Lesson 1 of the Basic Orbital Mechanics class.

A post will be added to this topic so that anyone can reproduce the experiment manually, but copying the lines from the post, and pasting them into the ChatGPT input window, one at a time.

Update 2023/05/20 ...

Work on a ChatGPT implementation of Dr. Johnson's class continues.  Yesterday, ChatGPT(3.5) and I experimented with an approach that still works despite the hobbling done recently to drive customers to the paid version.  The program is now limited to input via the input window, so I cut and pasted text from a prepared source document, and let ChatGPT perform the requested operations. It proved able (and more important ** willing **) to save text from Dr. Johnson's course in named variables, and then to confirm that it had saved the text.  The next phase of the experiment was to see if ChatGPT could play a role of "Learning Companion".  By it's nature, ChatGPT is a passive partner in an exchange.  I've been pondering how to best enlist that behavior, and I am close to "seeing" a way forward, but am not quite "there".

I'm thinking about changing my approach, based upon what I've learned about the design of ChatGPT.  Yesterday's experiment started with delivery of text to ChatGPT, which obliged by saving each sentence in a named variable.

ChatGPT will "remember" (sort of) from one transaction to the next, in a continuous session.  My guess is that ChatGPT puts each session to sleep (in it's internal memory) while the customer thinks about the transaction, and ChatGPT takes care of thousands of other customers until the next "Enter" key from the operator of this session.

Upon arrival of an "Enter" from this customer, ChatGPT appears to refresh it's internal memory of what the session is about, before it processes the new input. In any case, ChatGPT definitely shows signs of "remembering" the context of the session.

I'm thinking about taking advantage of this feature in the context of Dr. Johnson's course.  The idea I have in mind is to build up the context of a lesson from the first sentence to the last one, over a series of many transactions.  Each sentence can (and often will) stimulate multiple transactions between ChatGPT and the student.  What I found encouraging is that ChatGPT is capable of holding focus upon the sentence immediately at hand, while it is simultaneously able to draw upon it's global resources to "think" of ways of helping the student to understand the material at hand.

***
Status:
I am working on program updates to facilitate automated delivery of course content to ChatGPT. 

Offer:
If anyone in the existing membership would like to experiment with the existing simple cut-and-paste model, I'd be happy to put the source document in Dropbox.
If anyone who is NOT a member would like to participate, see the Recruiting Topic.

(th)

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#7 2023-05-24 12:35:49

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

This post is intended to provide a set of lines of text that can be copied and pasted by anyone, into the Input Window of a ChatGPT 3.5 session.  The method should also work for ChatGPT version 4 and later.

The text to be published below this point includes setup information ChatGPT needs in order to "understand" the context.
***

Because of the Apache Server Error, I decided to store the information for this post in Dropbox.

However, Apache Server Error blocked even that small post

The first file contains lines that can be copied and pasted:


(th)

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#8 2023-05-24 17:47:25

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

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#9 2023-05-24 17:48:00

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

The next file contains a script that can be used to automate the delivery process:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bel2o73hflq28 … t.txt?dl=0


(th)

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#10 2023-05-24 17:48:21

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

The third file is a transcript of a successful test of automated upload of the sentences in Paragraph 1 of Lesson 1:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/myn2oc2k22kp9 … K.txt?dl=0

(th)

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#11 2024-01-19 10:42:58

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,301

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

tahanson43206 wrote:

I am happy to see this announcement .... it comes to us courtesy of our contact in Phoenix...

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/18/openai- … rsity.html

OpenAI announces first partnership with a university
PUBLISHED THU, JAN 18 202410:33 AM EST
UPDATED THU, JAN 18 202412:55 PM EST

Hayden Field
@HAYDENFIELD

OpenAI on Thursday announced its first partnership with a higher education institution.
Starting in February, Arizona State University will have full access to ChatGPT Enterprise and plans to use it for coursework, tutoring, research and more.

The partnership has been in the works for at least six months.

ASU plans to build a personalized AI tutor for students, allow students to create AI avatars for study help and broaden the university’s prompt engineering course.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

OpenAI on Thursday announced its first partnership with a higher education institution. Starting in February, Arizona State University will have full access to ChatGPT Enterprise and plans to use it for coursework, tutoring, research and more.

The partnership has been in the works for at least six months, when ASU Chief Information Officer Lev Gonick first visited OpenAI’s HQ, which was preceded by the university faculty and staff’s earlier use of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools, Gonick told CNBC in an interview.

ChatGPT Enterprise, which debuted in August, is ChatGPT’s business tier and includes access to GPT-4 with no usage caps, performance that’s up to two times faster than previous versions and API credits.

With the OpenAI partnership, ASU plans to build a personalized AI tutor for students, not only for certain courses, but also for study topics. STEM subjects are a focus and are “the make-or-break subjects for a lot of higher education,” Gonick said. The university will also use the tool in ASU’s largest course, Freshman Composition, to offer students writing help.

ASU also plans to use ChatGPT Enterprise to develop AI avatars as a “creative buddy” for studying certain subjects, like bots that can sing or write poetry about biology, for instance.

Gonick said ASU’s prompt engineering course has become one of the university’s most popular courses, not limited to engineering students. The access to ChatGPT Enterprise means students will no longer be limited by usage caps. He also said that after conversations with OpenAI’s leadership, he feels confident that the tool provides a “private walled-garden environment” that will safeguard student privacy and intellectual property.

OpenAI and ASU’s joint release specified that any prompts the ASU community inputs into ChatGPT “remain secure,” and that OpenAI “does not use this data for its training models.”

AI chatbots such as ChatGPT have sparked criticism in the past year due to cheating concerns, with several school districts — including districts in Seattle, Los Angeles and New York City — outright banning the tool.

“There’s no cookbook for this yet, but the key piece is around the capabilities of moving away from the token economy — to using the tech in a mindset of abundance, which is what we’re going to be able to do with the Enterprise version for research activities, data analysis, discovery-based work and so forth,” Gonick told CNBC.

In a release, OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap said the company is “keen to learn from ASU” and to expand the use of ChatGPT by higher education institutions.

“As OpenAI begins to explore how to go to market or align a business for universities, they’re looking for a design partner, a thought partner, and I think that’s a significant measure why we’ve come together today to make this announcement,” Gonick told CNBC.

In another topic, I had hoped to enlist ChatGPT to assist GW Johnson with his course on Basic Orbital Mechanics, by serving as a tutor ... it looks as though the University of Arizona has been exploring that capability.

(th)

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#12 2024-01-20 08:16:44

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,958

Re: Orbital Mechanics Class - ChatGPT Learning Companion

One must wonder if the education that is created is enough to get jobs in an industry that still growing but cost to provide and manufacture is still tomendous at first start until you get contracts to keep the company which is created to grow.

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