For hundreds (or even thousands) of years, schools have been all about the student-teacher relationship. But with the AI era firmly upon us, that relationship is starting to shift. Wondering exactly what that means for your child, and what you should anticipate as a parent?
Let’s look at where things stand today about the role of AI in schools and how that could change in the coming years.
Role of AI in Schools
AI offers plenty of possibilities for schools, but it also has its limitations. Below, we touch on both.
AI as a Tutor or Educator
The most obvious application of AI is its use in teaching students.
Various digital learning platforms now use AI features to enhance the experience they provide. For instance, Duolingo has introduced Duolingo Max, which has AI-powered features, such as allowing users to have a dialogue in a foreign language with an AI agent.
On other platforms, AI algorithms can track the learner’s progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and give them tailored exercises or activities to address them.
Sophisticated AI may even be able to interact directly with learners, creating an AI tutor who can answer their questions and help them overcome bottlenecks.
However, it is critical that students receive the AI education and practice they need to use approved AI tools safely, ethically, and proficiently.
AI as a Homework Help
When it comes to the use of AI for homework or assignments, there’s a little more controversy. AI shouldn’t complete the tasks for students as this can prevent them from developing their own critical thinking and creativity.
However, AI may still be able to play some kind of role. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can be helpful in coming up with ideas or providing feedback for assignments, which isn’t necessarily academic dishonesty or plagiarism.
To prevent misuse, teachers will need to set assignments that AI cannot do as well as humans, and parents will need to be proactive in discouraging their children from using AI dishonestly and aware of the use of AI to avoid any pitfalls.
AI as a Lesson Planner
Teachers spend a huge portion of their time planning lessons, and artificial intelligence can cut this down significantly.
Some learning plans already contain the information about curricula that teachers need to put together lessons, and use to make plans on their behalf. They can also help with creating:
- Images
- Presentations
- Videos
- Other lesson materials, such as discussion prompts or math problems
This possibility is a ray of sunshine for the education sector, where teachers are so often overworked and stressed. By automating these more repetitive and basic tasks to AI, teachers will have more time to dedicate to providing personalized support to their students, which is better news for everyone.
AI as an Assessment Grader
Marking students’ work has long been the bane of many teachers’ existence, and AI might just be the thing to reduce their workload. In turn, educators will have even more time back that they can use for other goals (as mentioned already).
Since AI isn’t time-constrained, it can provide more detailed feedback than teachers would about how students can improve their answers or work. Naturally, since AI feedback isn’t always correct, teachers should make sure they review feedback periodically, especially for more open-ended tasks, which are more likely to have been marked unfairly by AI.
Using AI in schools may also improve the fairness of grading, as even the best-intentioned teachers can fall victim to prejudices. However, AI can be biased too.
For help as you dive into using AI in the classroom, check out our one-stop AI Resource Center for educators.
Future Trends and Possibilities
The average person wouldn’t have been able to predict the developments in AI we’ve seen over the last few years back in 2019, and the same could be true for what will happen over the next half decade. But we can make a few guesses based on what technology companies are currently working on.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
If you thought it was futuristic for students to sit in a classroom talking to an AI through a computer, wait until they’re directly interacting with an AI tutor through virtual reality headsets.
For instance, when learning French, students may be able to transport themselves to the streets of Paris and have a dialogue with a Frenchman — all without leaving the classroom.
Organizations like ClassVR and zSpace are already working on VR and AR solutions for the education sector.
Better Arts Education
While arts education has received far less attention than STEM in recent years, we may be about to enter a new golden era. Generative AI tools could give students the chance to learn about painting or art techniques that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to by showing them different styles.
Midjourney and Runway are two of the biggest names in AI image generation right now, and they’re developing fast.
Schools in the AI Era
The role of AI in schools is already multifunctional, with the technology having the potential to help with everything from teachers’ administrative tasks to providing newer, more engaging ways for students to learn.
Still feeling ambivalent about how your child is going to fare in this brave new world of technology? We built an EasyTech Digital Literacy Curriculum to give students the skills they need to understand the risks associated with technology and make the most of it, setting them up for success.