As a teacher, I have been following the discussions about Artificial Intelligence (AI) implementation initiatives in education. Although we are still seeing what is likely the beginning of a very long journey of (pardon the pun) learning for all sides involved in the educational process, if I were to bet my money on some initiatives, I would put it here:
Personalized Learning
The AI systems available today are already able to identify the student's level of knowledge and adapt exercises and content according to their performance. Platforms like Khan Academy and Duolingo already use this technology, allowing each student to advance at their own pace, especially in subjects like math and languages. With cheaper technology and the release of more sophisticated APIs (did you see that OpenAI now allows external apps to use its real-time speech tools?), it is very likely that education systems, publishers and even schools will have proprietary tools for data analysis and auto-generated content linked to student performance.
Intelligent Tutoring
Educational chatbots and virtual tutoring systems are popping up everywhere. These tools can answer students' basic questions at any time, providing explanations and complementary exercises. While they don't replace the teacher, they can help reinforce fundamental concepts and perhaps mitigate some of the gaps caused by the poor teacher:student ratio we have. This is not exactly new, and Benjamin Bloom, made famous by his Taxonomy, had already predicted this in the Two Sigma Problem study: https://lnkd.in/d_YE3vhw (I highly recommend this read!)
Analysis of Educational Data
Modern educational platforms can collect and analyze data on student performance. This allows identifying learning patterns and areas that need more attention. As a teacher, I can use this information to adapt my teaching strategies and provide targeted support. It can also help anticipate dropout points and performance drops with a pretty scary degree of accuracy. It seems like magic but it's just math.
AI tools have advanced significantly in supporting students with special needs. More sophisticated screen readers and assistive technologies demonstrate how technology can contribute to more inclusive education.
At the end of the day
In the end, AI is a complementary tool that, when used well, can significantly transform the teaching-learning process. But everyone needs to be on the same page: if we, teachers, aren't informed and trained on the potential of these initiatives and how they can/should affect learning journeys, we'll end up getting lost in the gunfire.
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