AI in Education is already here!
Updated: Jul 25, 2022
AI might seem like the future of education, however, each and every role within the education ecosystem is already interacting with and profiting from new experiences that are empowered directly by AI! These are being incorporated into the intersecting work streams of learning, teaching and administrating.
AI as a technology is complex, of course, but the capabilities and benefits of AI aren't hard to understand. — Jensen Huang
The obvious benefits of AI in educational technology can be seen with an increase of opportunities for meeting students where they are, multiplying the presence and proximity of teachers, supporting decision making with higher quality data, and being able to address specific learning and teaching challenges with tailor-made methods.
AI in Instruction
From VR/AR-assisted virtual field trips, digital accommodations for auditory and visual impairments, and empowering all curious students to co-design and demonstrate agency through innovative learning experiences, the most exciting and attractive part of AI in education is how it can personalise growth and learning opportunities and increase digital equity—as long as innovation is drawn from the decades of learning science and research derived from its practitioners.
Classroom educators and their teammates can focus more of their time and attention on individual and small group instruction by delegating instructional tasks to competent and reliable AI in edtech. Likewise, they can better ensure they aren’t subordinate to the gravitational pull of “teaching to the middle” that traditional direct instruction often enables. This means a more equitable and meaningful learning environment for both striving and high-achieving students alike due to the gains of quality edtech adapting and covering the early stages of teaching new concepts and content.
Using virtual assistants for recovering and protecting instructional time can also create margin for implementing research-backed learning models in their schools such as inquiry- or project-based learning, further shifting the field to more engaging and authentic teaching and learning.
AI in Education Operations
AI is not only appearing in the exciting innovations taking place in both in-person and virtual classrooms, but also supporting the productivity and operational work of teaching, learning and school administration. The table below explains some of those use cases.
Registration/ Timetabling | Accommodations | Interventions | Graduation |
Simple digital registration forms are compared to a student’s transcript and course availability to formulate a more accurate schedule aligned to student need. | A student’s individualised education plan calling for specific accommodations are afforded digitally with technology that replaces prior human-performed supporting work. | When students complete performance tasks, data gathered automatically adjusts subsequent learning activities with increasing rigour, personalised to the student’s current mastery. | As students approach the end of their primary and/or secondary education, data from transcripts and learning portfolios are compared to postsecondary desires to align with transitioning successfully to college or career. |
More to Come
Similar to the rapid evolution of the World Wide Web leading to innovation for education, technology breakthroughs with AI will heavily impact our work as well. Applying what we've learned from that recent era bodes well for mitigating threats and maximising outcomes for the entire field, as all educators continue to invest themselves in student growth.
Join in the discussion, and become part pf the EdSAFE AI Alliance as we develop frameworks, benchmarks and standards to ensure the safe use of AI in education and equitable access to learning and teaching ecosystems!