Artificial intelligence has become a key part of education. Data and personalised learning can no longer be ignored.
AI can improve students’ learning experiences, give teachers the tools to provide better education, and benefit students with different backgrounds and learning challenges.
This article discusses artificial intelligence in education, its benefits, ethical concerns, and more.
What is AI in education, and how is it being used?
Artificial intelligence (AI) in education integrates automated technology into the classroom with the goal of creating better teaching and learning experiences. It involves:
- Administrative automation: Automating grading, planning, and administrative work to lower teachers’ workload. These systems can evaluate assignments and provide feedback quickly, saving time and lowering the chance of human error.
- Personalised learning: AI can analyse students’ learning styles and offer them customised in-person and online learning experiences. For example, AI can recommend specific resources, exercises, and tutorials based on students’ needs to help them stay more engaged.
- Student support: AI-powered chatbots can also answer student questions immediately, including questions related to coursework and deadlines. These tools are available 24/7, offering constant support.
AI is revolutionising education. However, it does come with several benefits and challenges. Let’s have a deeper look at both.
What are the potential benefits of AI in education?
In addition to providing personalised learning to students and lightening the workload of teachers, AI in education offers other benefits, too.
1. Enhanced accessibility
AI-powered tools can make learning more accessible to students with disabilities. For example:
- Speech recognition programmes can assist students with hearing disabilities.
- Text-to-speech can help students with visual impairments.
AI can also translate resources and educational material into different languages, making it accessible to more people from various backgrounds and countries.
2. Data-driven insights
AI can analyse a lot of data to provide insights into:
- Student performance
- Learning patterns
- Attendance
- Areas for improvement
This data can allow educators to make more informed decisions, improve their teaching strategies, and intervene early if students struggle.
3. Scalability
Artificial intelligence can also deliver high-quality education at a large scale. This makes it easier to provide customised learning experiences to more students.
This primarily benefits regions with limited teacher access and high teacher-student ratios, as they can undergo online e-learning.
What are the ethical concerns and downfalls of using AI in education?
While AI in education brings with it many benefits, there are also some ethical concerns educators, parents, and students need to consider. These include the following:
- Bias and fairness: While AI systems are less biased than people, they primarily rely on machine learning. So, the more people use AI, the more biased these systems become. This can cause unfair treatment of certain groups and may also affect decisions related to grading and access to resources.
- Privacy: AI tools require large amounts of student data, which could negatively impact privacy and security. Unauthorised access or misuse of data can lead to privacy violations.
- Dehumanisation: Over-reliance on AI can reduce human interaction and emotional intelligence—which is necessary for quality education. Students need information, resources, and mentorship that only humans can provide. This is especially true for students who do not have a robust support system at home.
AI for teachers: How will AI change the role of teachers?
AI will significantly change teachers’ roles and how they approach education.
- Facilitators of personalised learning: With AI handling routine tasks and providing personalised content to students, teachers will no longer be the main source of knowledge and information. Instead, they must guide and support students through their learning journeys.
- Focus on soft skills and emotional support: As mentioned earlier, artificial intelligence lacks people skills. Therefore, while AI can take over more administrative tasks, teachers will have more time to develop students’ emotional intelligence, communication, and critical thinking skills.
- Data-driven decision-making: With access to more data, teachers can make more informed decisions to tailor interventions, track progress, and provide students with better support based on their needs.
- Lifelong learning and adaption: Integrating AI into education will require teachers to continue updating their skills. They will need to adapt to new technologies when they arise and stay current with technology trends in education.
FAQ
Will AI make education more expensive?
AI will not make education more expensive for institutions. In fact, it can make it more cost-effective for administration, teachers, and IT. In other words, AI can significantly reduce the cost and time commitment required to deliver education.
What does the future of education look like with AI?
The future of education with AI will be more personalised and inclusive. It will offer more efficient and adaptive learning experiences where students can access information and answers as soon as they need it—24/7.
It also removes administrative tasks, allowing teachers to focus on developing students’ emotional intelligence and communication abilities—preparing them for the workplace.
While AI has many benefits in education, teachers and institutions must also consider ethical concerns, such as privacy, dehumanised learning experiences, and the possibility of bias.
What new skills will teachers need to adapt to AI in education?
With the rise of AI in education, teachers need to build several new skills to leverage these technologies. Some critical skills include:
- AI literacy
- Data interpretation
- EdTech integration
- Adaptability and continuous learning
- Ethical and privacy awareness
- Creating and managing personalised learning strategies
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