Education has changed a lot over the last several hundred years. However, the world hasn’t seen as big a jump in innovation in technology as what’s going on now. This is thanks to artificial intelligence, which has quickly shown a lot of promise in education.
AI affects students, teachers, and academic administrators alike, but it’s not without controversy. Even still, many people see past the controversy and find AI useful for everyone, from elementary school students to law school students.
Responsible AI use relies on a trusting relationship between teachers, students, and families. Follow as we explore the importance of finding balance when using AI in the classroom and how it’s possible.
The Controversial Relationship Between AI and Education
Artificial intelligence is quite controversial even outside the context of education. Concerns over ethics, privacy, plagiarism, and job displacement are understandable. However, harnessing AI doesn’t mean that schools and businesses must give in to those possibilities.
Finding a balance is possible, and many believe that AI can provide great outcomes for students. “Responsible use” is the operative phrase, and academic administrators largely understand this. Using AI responsibly can help students in many ways, such as:
1. Cater to Individual Learning Styles
The education system didn’t always support a diverse range of learning styles. This has left some people struggling to keep up with lesson plans and assignments. That doesn’t mean students are lazy or incapable, but it means that their learning style doesn’t match the standard academic blueprint.
Today, personalized AI technologies can examine data to adapt to a student’s needs. Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) help guide students through personalized learning journeys. Students must still work hard, but they don’t have to force themselves to learn using methods they struggle with.
In many ways, AI-powered learning tools can help even things out and make school feel more “fair” to struggling students. This can also lighten the load of teachers who must keep up with several students’ learning styles.
2. Give Teachers More Time to Focus on Students
Teachers must do a lot of busy work, which can take away from meaningful student interactions. For example, grading multiple-choice quizzes is relatively easy, but it takes a long time. Today, teachers can use AI tools to grade simple quizzes, which will give them free time to focus on students.
Of course, using AI to grade essays and term papers is not necessarily a great idea. However, AI can save a lot of time for teachers by handling scheduling and attendance. This gives teachers more time to field questions and help struggling students.
Think about how much time gets wasted by slowly taking attendance at the beginning of classes. The less time it takes, the more time students have to ask questions and engage in smart discussions. AI can benefit teachers as much as students in this way.
3. Identify Student Patterns
Teachers must manage many students while also sticking to lesson plans and grading assignments. Sadly, this is necessary, but it can also let struggling students slip through the cracks. However, teachers can use AI-powered learning management systems (LMS) to track and analyze students.
Such programs keep track of everything from test and assignment performance to how often students engage with teachers and log on to academic sites. Teachers can manage programs like this and set them to identify patterns that show students are struggling. This gives teachers the chance to intervene and see how they can help students.
You can’t blame struggling students for waiting to ask for help when they need it. After all, they’re young and depend on adults, so teachers must use this technology for good. Even just finding and helping a few struggling students with this method is worth it.
4. Make Learning Fun
The prospect of “gamifying” education is somewhat controversial. After all, learning isn’t necessarily about having fun, but many students can benefit from thinking that way. Today, students can find countless AI-powered learning apps, games, and online tools that make learning fun.
This is more important than ever, as the world is largely dominated by applications, video games, and other entertainment outlets. If gamifying learning is what it takes to get students invested, then maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Anything that keeps students engaged and interested in their curriculum can ultimately set them up for success.
Such games and tools exist for students at all levels, from kindergarten to college. Academic games and learning platforms will only improve with time. AI can change learning in many ways, but making it fun is one of the most exciting of them.
5. Push for Inclusivity
One of the best things about the state of the world right now is that people push for inclusivity more than ever. The United States education system is full of people coming from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds, and that’s great. However, cultural differences and language barriers can sometimes pose academic challenges.
The rise of AI in the classroom can help address this problem and ensure inclusivity. Students can use AI tools to translate and recontextualize information they may not understand. This also helps teachers ensure each of their students gets a fair shot at learning and retaining information.
Mitigating the Risk of AI in Education
AI is quite useful in education, but there must be some checks and balances. Otherwise, the downsides will outweigh the benefits, and AI will be rendered academically useless. This is possible if educators and administrators keep a few key things in mind, such as:
- Avoid over-reliance. Teachers cannot let students rely too heavily on AI tools, or their academic performance may suffer.
- Check for plagiarism. It’s important to discourage plagiarism by making students cite sources. Teachers must also carefully check papers and assignments for plagiarism.
- Prevent privacy breaches. AI is new enough that many schools and businesses struggle with the data privacy implications. Schools can avoid this by encrypting data and using threat detection programs to avoid breaches.
Nobody can blame you for feeling worried about the growing role of AI in education. However, AI is a powerful academic tool when used ethically, and finding a balance is worth exploring. This is true even if AI helps just a handful of students, but there is much more potential than that.
