AI in the School of Tomorrow

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of study that combines the applications of machine learning, algorithm production, and natural language processing.

AI is mainly known to common people through different applications and advanced computer programs, such as recommender systems (e.g., YouTube, Netflix), personal assistants (e.g., Siri, Alexa, Cortana), facial recognition systems, and language learning applications (e.g., Duolingo).

The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the possible uses of artificial intelligence to support teaching without delving into possible implications in terms of ethics and privacy.

AI has a variety of educational applications, such as personalized learning platforms to promote students’ learning, automated chatbots, automated assessment systems to aid teachers, and facial recognition systems to generate insights about learners’ behaviors.

In the last few years, educational technology has included AI-powered solutions, but schools have been slow to adopt them until, after the Covid pandemic has emerged, we have suddenly been forced to adapt to the ‘new normal’: work-from-home setting, parents home-schooling their children in a new blended learning setting, thus forced us to think of education in entirely different terms.

Some universities, especially in the US, already make use of chatbots for an increasing range of education-related activities, including the recruitment of students, onboarding them in schools and universities, answering frequently asked questions.

Soon, the descendants of Siri, Alexa, Cortana will support our learning, understand better than we do which approach suits us best, which times of day we are most receptive. We will have a tutor available 24/7. Education will be informal, more flexible, fun, and much more closely tailored to our individual preferences and needs. AI-powered tools will make our learning fully personalized, informal, and integrated into all the activities of our daily life.

Personalization is possibly the greatest gift that AI will bring to learning.

Furthermore, applications of AI can support instruction in mixed-ability classrooms; while personalized learning systems provide students with detailed and timely feedback about their writing products, automated assessment systems support teachers by freeing them from excessive workloads.

Ideally, these systems can provide levels of support to students, as their essays can be graded immediately.

Providers of the biggest open online courses such as Coursera and EdX have integrated automated scoring engines into their learning platforms to assess the writings of the students.

On the other hand, a tool called “Gradescope” has been used by over 500 universities to develop and streamline scoring and assessment. By flagging the wrong answers and marking the correct ones, the tool supports instructors by eliminating their manual grading time and effort. The platform delivers detailed analysis about student performance that can pinpoint individualized tutoring and teaching needs.

Besides chatbots, virtual assistants, and assessment tools, algorithm systems are prominent in education through different social media outlets, such as social network sites, microblogging systems, and mobile applications.

Duolingo is aimed at a broader audience than many other edtech tools. The language-learning app uses AI to help anyone progressively build foreign language skills. As language learners work through various mini-quizzes and other testing tools, Duolingo adapts and evolves as their skill levels increase. Duolingo is a prominent example of personalized learning systems, also known as adaptive learning platforms or intelligent tutoring systems, which are one of the most common and valuable applications of AI to support students and teachers. They provide students access to different learning materials based on their individual learning needs and subjects.

Brainly is an online space that offers a supportive message board setting for peer-to-peer learning and homework help. Students can ask questions, find study partners, and learn from one another collaboratively. The platform applies machine learning algorithms that can automatically filter spam and low-quality content, like incorrect answers, freeing up moderator time.

In a partnership with Rutgers University, Brainly also developed a machine learning approach that matches students based on skill sets. For example, a student who has correctly answered advanced maths questions may be matched with a student who needs additional help with maths assignments.

The importance of AI in the education industry has been proved by the institution of various programs and publications by UNESCO. UNESCO is committed to supporting Member States to harness the potential of AI technologies for achieving the Education 2030 Agenda while ensuring that the application of AI in educational contexts is guided by the core principles of inclusion and equity.

The connection between AI and education involves three areas: learning with AI (e.g. the use of AI-powered tools in classrooms), learning about AI (its technologies and techniques), and preparing for AI (e.g. enabling all citizens to better understand the potential impact of AI on human lives).

AI will also help by enabling related technologies to realize their educational potential, including virtual reality and augmented reality. It will be much more compelling to learn about DNA by being escorted around a VR model of it rather than by reading about it, or listening to a lecturer describe it.

In summary, applications of AI can positively impact students’ and teachers’ educational experiences and help them address instructional challenges and concerns. On the other hand, AI cannot be a substitute for human interaction. There are things that humans can’t do but machines can. But is education one of these?

AI can improve teaching but will AI make teachers obsolete?

Would students with Specific Learning Disorders be supported or would their needs be bypassed by the algorithms at the basis of AI?

AI only teaching would be able to quantitatively measure students learning and the evolutions throughout the year, but what about the “human” judgment?

The perfect solution to reach effective learning then would be a compromise: a mix of AI-enhanced teaching and traditional, “old-style” teaching.