As a parent, you want to give your child the best possible education. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), education has been revolutionized, making it easier for children to learn in a more personalized and efficient way. AI is changing the way children learn, offering new opportunities for them to excel. In this article, we will explore how AI is changing education and the benefits it brings. Some examination systems, such as the International Baccalaureate is bring it in and allowing it to be used. They are the exception at the moment, and if your child uses it at home to replace studying, they may well be at a disadvantage in conventional assessment.
Looking forward, being comfortable with AI is a core skill that your child will need to leave home with as they access further education and the workplace.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence has been around for decades, but it is only in recent years that it has started to impact education. AI is a technology that enables machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision making. At it’s most simple, a child can put a title in, and the essay will be written. At it’s best, AI is being used to personalize learning and improve efficiency. AI-powered systems can analyze data and identify patterns, allowing educators to create customized learning experiences for each student.
How Does AI Work in Education?
AI is a technology that allows machines to learn from data and make decisions based on that data. In education, AI is used to analyze student data and provide personalized learning experiences. AI-powered systems can identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses and create a customized learning plan that addresses their individual needs. This can include providing additional resources or adjusting the pace of learning. As you can see from this paragraph though, which I wrote using AI, it is floored, in that it has repeated what has been said before.
AI can also be used to automate administrative tasks, such as grading and feedback. This frees up teachers’ time, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks, such as creating engaging lessons and providing one-on-one support to students.
Is Using AI for Homework Cheating?
One concern some parents may have is whether using AI for homework is cheating. This is purely based on how it is used. AI style chat-bots, like Chat-GPT can be used in the same way as Google. Ask a question and it gives you some information. As you get more comfortable with using AI, you can ask it to manipulate the information and make sure it is specific. This is positive and very much how it is being used in the workplace. It would make for more constructive independent study.
Where it is cheating is where it is used to specifically write an essay for example. For an essay on the causes of global warming the student could spend 30 minutes with chat-GPT and collect data. Why this is better than Google is the student can then ask chat-GPT if there alternative views, or who supports this. Using this information the student can then write their own essay. They are still developing critical thinking and analysis.
Alternatively the student can ask chat-GPT to ‘write 500 words on global warming in the style of a 13 year old’ and an essay will be produced that can be printed off with no input, or thought, by the student. Therefore, if they have to write an essay under assessment conditions, they fail.
As a result, AI can have a very positive input in homework, but it has to be used constructively and within boundaries. This is where the parent comes in.
How is Education Adapting to this?
University and schools are adapting to these pressures by changing the type of assignments they set. The way they do this is making them personal to either the person or the situation. So for instance, rather than an essay on ‘how is genetic sequencing used in medicine’ a particular case study is presented and then the student is asked to use this as an example. The student can still use AI to find some core information, but they will still need to make this specific to the example. The other is more reflective. For example, give a reflective essay to a time when your had a crisis, and using the information in this module how you managed it and could handle it differently.
The Impact of AI in the Classroom
For teachers one of the most significant impacts is the ability to personalize learning. AI-powered systems can analyze data and identify patterns, allowing educators to create customized learning experiences for each student. This can help students learn at their own pace and in a way that suits their learning style. In an activity, instead of maybe 4 levels of worksheets, each lesson will have an individualised exercise, tailored around there previous mistakes, and teaching in a way that suits them best. AI is able to study their answer and not just tell them they got it wrong, but tell them why and how to specifically correct it. Very much like a teacher looking over their shoulder.
Another impact of AI on education is increased efficiency. AI-powered systems can automate administrative tasks, such as grading and feedback, freeing up teachers’ time. This allows them to focus on more critical tasks, such as creating engaging lessons and providing one-on-one support to students. With live feedback, rather than spending an hour ticking a book a day after the mistakes has been made and repeated 20 times, the teacher could spend that same time designing a more engaging activity for part of lesson.
Examples of AI in Education
There are many examples of AI in education, from personalized learning platforms above to intelligent tutoring systems. One example is Carnegie Learning, an AI-powered math curriculum that adapts to each student’s needs. The system analyzes student data and provides personalized lessons and feedback.
A better known example is Duolingo, a language learning platform that uses AI to personalize learning. The system adapts to each student’s learning style and provides real-time feedback to help them improve their language skills.
AI is also being used to create virtual assistants, such as Jill Watson, an AI-powered teaching assistant at Georgia Tech. Jill Watson can answer student questions and provide feedback on assignments, freeing up teachers’ time.
Challenges in Implementing AI in Education
While there are many benefits to using AI in education, there are also challenges. One challenge is the cost of implementing AI-powered systems. These systems can be expensive to develop and maintain, making them inaccessible to many schools.
Another challenge is privacy concerns. AI-powered systems collect and analyze student data, raising concerns about how that data is used and who has access to it.
How AI Can Be Used Constructively at Home in Education
AI can be used constructively at home to support your child’s learning. There are many educational tools and platforms that use AI to provide personalized learning experiences. These tools can help your child learn at their own pace and in a way that suits their learning style.
One example is Knewton, an adaptive learning platform that uses AI to provide personalized learning experiences. The system adapts to each student’s learning style and provides real-time feedback to help them improve their learning outcomes.
Another example is Smartick, a math learning platform that uses AI to provide personalized lessons and real-time feedback. The system adapts to each student’s level and provides challenging questions to help them improve their math skills.
At the moment these are expensive, bit in a year or so I would expect these to come down significantly in price.
AI and Learning Difficulties
There are many AI programmes, such as those above, which will make supporting your child with learning difficulties easier at home. There are online support programmes for things such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, which can use the answer input to help explain and modify future questions. This would be an excellent topic to bring up at parents’ evenings to see if the teacher has any specific examples.
Future of AI in Education
The future of AI in education is exciting. As technology continues to advance, AI-powered systems will become more sophisticated and accessible. This will enable more schools to use AI to personalize learning and improve efficiency.
One area of future development is the use of virtual and augmented reality in education. These technologies can provide immersive learning experiences, allowing students to explore new subjects and concepts in a more engaging way.
Another area of future development is the use of AI to identify and address learning gaps. AI-powered systems can analyze student data and identify areas where students are struggling. This can help educators provide targeted support to help students improve.
Final Thoughts on AI and Education
AI is revolutionizing education, offering new opportunities for personalized learning and increased efficiency. AI-powered systems can analyze data and identify patterns, allowing educators to create customized learning experiences for each student. This can help students learn at their own pace and in a way that suits their learning style.
While there are challenges to implementing AI in education, the benefits outweigh the risks. AI-powered systems can automate administrative tasks, provide real-time feedback, and identify areas where students are struggling.
As a parent, you can use AI-powered educational tools and platforms to support your child’s learning at home. These tools can help your child learn at their own pace and improve their learning outcomes.
The future of AI in education is exciting, with the potential for more immersive learning experiences and targeted support for struggling students. As AI technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative uses of AI in education.
