How AI is Transforming the Education Sector
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping how we process information in the 21st century. With the advent of Deep Learning (DL), we can feed massive amounts of data into learning algorithms capable of analyzing it in massive quantities to achieve optimal outputs in various industries including finance and healthcare.
This new relationship with Machine Learning (ML) has not only allowed us to teach machines more complex rules but is also helping us reevaluate how humans are taught as well. Like other industries, education is witnessing massive leaps in innovation. This widespread AI integration is not just enhancing education delivery and accessibility but also reshaping the educational landscape towards a future-focused approach with the use of these new tools.
The Advent of AI in Education
AI has been widely used in education for decades as a field of study and a means to produce tools for other research. However, in its earliest days, the use of AI technology mainly presided at the university level where its application could be best realized.
PLATO: Developed in the 1960s at the University of Illinois, the Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations was used to deliver learning content about reading, math, and science. The program and model would see many improvements over the next decade, improving its versatility.
ITS: Advancements in the 1970s made way for innovations in Expert-Domains that created new Intelligent Tutoring Systems which replicated tutors and created personalized or adaptive instructions.
Despite early advancements, the use of AI in education would slow down until the late 1990s and the introduction of Natural Language Processing. This new subsection of AI and Deep Learning would pave the way for developing new educational technology for students because of its ability to process human language.
Impact of AI on Teaching Methodologies
AI is playing a crucial role in improving and modernizing many teaching methodologies. A primary way of doing this is through personalization and adaptive learning, allowing the classroom to be less standardized, and matching learning material to a student’s comprehension levels.
Teachers also have a lot to gain from new AI technology in the classroom, providing them with powerful new tools to lesson plan, grade and evaluate work, and discuss material. Tools like DreamBox and CENTURY are creating new platforms and portals that teachers can direct students through.
With more automation, teachers can reduce time spent on mundane tasks and focus more on engaging with students to develop stronger academic environments while also exploring more creative projects to keep students involved.
AI in Learning Assistance and Tutoring
AI can also be used to foster inclusive learning and special education. AI tools can be highly customizable and adaptive to individual users, giving classrooms full of students with diverse learning abilities more guidance.
In many instances, students in special education programs can have challenging or severe handicaps which Natural Language Processing can help overcome by creating text-to-speech and speech-to-text devices that help students communicate.
AI in Evaluation and Assessment
AI has strong capabilities that can assist teachers with grading and evaluating students. These models can be developed to design automated test evaluators or more advanced analyzers that can grade written content, saving teachers immense amounts of time and reducing their need for Teacher Assistants (TAs).
However, AI can take an even more microscopic look into a student’s performance over a semester or year by analyzing grade results. Processing this information, AI systems can help identify what concepts are most challenging to a student requiring additional focus.
By identifying learning gaps, teachers can take a more holistic approach to their teaching, recognizing what areas are strengths and weaknesses for individual students leading to more customized content that reinforces their education.
Future of AI in Education
After the launch of ChatGPT, the use of generative AI in the classroom has sparked major debates concerning cheating, plagiarism, and innovation. Privacy concerns are also at risk if academic information is used to train larger commercial models.
Despite the challenges, the use of AI in the classroom has many clear benefits for students and teachers alike who are already being exposed to AI in other areas of their lives and can use it to address the most specific problems in their academic pursuits.
