AI in Education

2.1 Introduction

Global adoption of technology in education is transforming the way we teach and learn, in addition to making enrollment decisions. Artificial Intelligence is reconfiguring interaction between learners and teachers, and this technology is going to revolutionize teaching and learning in some distinct ways:

1) Personalized learning: AI can use student performance and interaction data to find a personalized schedule and diet of learning that cater to specific needs of students. Learning is less regimented, more flexible and tailored to students' needs.

2) Smart content production: Digital lessons, bite-sized contents, visualization, simulation, and other news ways of perceiving information will be developed. Learners today are already consuming learning content and interacting with their learning content in innovative ways and the AI technology is going to accelerate that.

3) Automation of administrative tasks: Smart AI assistants will simplify time-consuming tasks such as grading, assessing and providing feedback.

It is obvious that Using AI will transform learning experiences by removing some of the traditional limitations and introducing new possibilities. However, it is important to be mindful of the inner workings of Artificial Intelligence and the quality of the solutions AI claims to offer.

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2.2 AI in education – what the future holds

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant utopia. A lot has happened since John McCarthy coined the term in 1956.

What was once the realm of science fiction is now a reality – smart assistants, chatbots, smart home devices, self-driving cars, and other intelligent systems have become ubiquitous and continue to shape and change our lives.

A range of industries, from health care to finance, and ecommerce to transportation have embraced AI systems. But there’s one field that was initially hesitant to adopt AI, but it is probably going to see disrupting changes because of AI. Here we’re talking about teaching and learning.

Lately, educational institutions have been experimenting with AI technology, and there is a consensus that AI is essential to spearhead changes for the future of learning. This Global adoption of technology in education is transforming the way we teach and learn, in addition to making enrollment decisions. Artificial Intelligence is reconfiguring interaction between learners and teachers, and this technology is going to revolutionize teaching and learning in some distinct ways. Let’s discuss four distinct areas of changes that will be driven by AI.

1) Personalized learning:

We all know that everybody learns differently based upon their personal interests, preferences, motivation, and needs. Traditional teaching methods with their one-size-fits-all approach cannot account for the diverse abilities, needs, interests, and preferences of all learners. So not all learners reach their full potential under traditional educational approaches. Personalized learning enabled by AI can narrow achievement gap by providing personalized learning experiences.

Specifically, adaptive learning platforms can create learning profiles for students, based on their abilities, preferences, learning styles and the performance data. This information is then used to adapt content and learning style to suit students’ needs and provide targeted and timely feedback on progress.

2) Assisting with routine administrative tasks

Educators spend huge amount of their time carrying out routine administrative tasks. Educators can automate many of these tasks using AI. AI can do much of the heavy lifting for teachers by grading assignments, organizing paperwork, and managing communications with students.

Automated grading can save hours for teachers and provide feedback for students. AI can organize and retrieve paperwork efficiently. Furthermore, AI solutions can help with a range of administrative duties from such as processing student application forms and HR management. This will result in lower costs and increase administrative efficiency.

3) Education without boundaries

Traditional brick and mortar education has several limitations and require students and teachers to be present at a predetermined time and space. In contrast, AI enabled learning can help make high-quality instruction easily accessible for everyone, including those who cannot attend in-person learning.

AI can make flexible learning possible, and students can learn anytime. Anywhere and they can control the pace of learning that suits them.

4) Creation of digital content

AI is slowly changing the way students interact with and consume learning content. Use of digital text books, simulation, and virtual reality are redefining the ways students interact with learning content. Together with this, students receive timely feedback on their progress and educators can use this information to make critical decisions to support their learners.

What does all this mean for teachers?

It is obvious that AI will be handling some of the tasks previously performed by teachers and administrators, but this technology is unlikely to make teachers redundant. However, AI will continue to develop into a smart and efficient assistant that enables educators to work efficiently to meet their students’ needs better. There is only so much that AI can do in a highly complex social activity such as teaching. No machine can connect with students, guide and inspire them the way teachers do.

Final thought: It is obvious that Using AI will transform learning experiences by removing some of the traditional limitations and introducing new possibilities. However, it is important to be mindful of the inner workings of Artificial Intelligence and the quality of the solutions AI claims to offer.