It’s no longer news that AI technology is advancing swiftly. Approximately 77% of people use a service or device that is AI-powered and many experts believe that at the level AI is advancing, the way we learn and teach will drastically improve with time.
Billionaire Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, in his own words stated that “The power of artificial intelligence is so incredible, it will change society in some very deep ways.” And I totally agree.
If you keep trends with AI Technology, you’ll understand Artificial Intelligence has made waves in diverse sectors ranging from healthcare to finance and beyond. However, one aspect AI has substantially influenced is education. I’m talking – personalized learning experiences, automated grading and many others. At this point, we’re left to wonder what more the future could hold for the use of AI in education.
In this article, we’ll explore the potential impact of AI on education, and then take a look at how it could shape the human view of learning for good.
Artificial intelligence is like a smart computer that can do things like humans. It can analyze information, understand patterns, make decisions, and take action based on its analysis. The goal of AI is to be as smart as human beings just like you and I, by understanding how we speak, and attempting to solve problems the same way, or even better than we would.
When you look at the cool things AI is capable of doing, you can’t argue it has gotten really smart in the past few years. With its recent breakthroughs, it has learned to make decisions and take action in complicated environments. AI can now understand and respond to human language with commendable accuracy, hence promoting applications like chatbots, voice assistants, language translators, self-driving cars, facial recognition systems, generative models and reinforcement learning.
#1. Personalized Learning Experiences
It’s beautiful to see how the impact of AI has spread to the educational sector. Artificial Intelligence can now tailor education to the unique needs of each student, thus providing personalized learning experiences for them. By analyzing data, AI algorithms can identify how each student is performing and give them activities and lessons that match what they need to learn at the moment. With this, students can handle academic challenges easily because having AI integrated in the educational system will be like having a special teacher who knows exactly how to help you.
#2. Adaptive Learning Experiences
Can you imagine an online learning platform that adapts to your progress? This is one of the things AI also facilitates. These platforms are called adaptive learning platforms. They use Artificial Intelligence to look at your progress and give you the right level of challenge. If something is too easy, it moves you on to harder things. If something is too hard, it helps you by giving more explanations and practice. This adaptive approach ensures that students get the right level of challenge and support, as it can tell what every student needs to learn per time.
#3. Intelligent Tutoring Systems
A report by The Neuro, states that Artificial intelligence tutoring is already outperforming expert instructors in training. Tutoring Systems now use AI to provide students with personalized guidance and support. With AI models now being integrated into tutoring systems, students can have an all in one digital yet human-like tutor that can adapt different teaching styles based on how you respond. AI can talk to you, ask you questions, and adjust how they teach based on your answers and how well you’re doing.
#4. Automated Grading
In some parts of the world, AI is used to automate some tasks for teachers. It grades papers and gives feedback on assignments, which saves teachers time. They can spend more time on other aspects of their job like planning lessons and supporting students that have a tough time learning.
#5. Education for the Disabled
Education has equally been made more accessible for students with disabilities and other special needs. AI-powered technologies like speech recognition and text-to-speech can do things like listen to what students say and turn it into written words, or read out loud what’s written on the screen. This helps students with hearing or visual impairments to learn and be part of the class too.
Some of the AI tools successfully being used in education include:
Duolingo, is a language-learning app that uses artificial intelligence (AI). The app has a cute green owl character that encourages users to practice daily.
Duolingo uses AI in different ways to help people learn languages. When you start using the app, it gives you a test to determine your language skills. This test is adaptive, which means it adjusts the questions based on how well you’re doing. If you answer a question incorrectly, it will give you an easier question next. If you answer correctly, it will give you a more challenging one. The test also takes into account the complexity of the phrases and grammar you’re learning.
The app also uses AI to personalize your learning experience. It analyzes the mistakes you make and the patterns you follow when learning new words. With this information, it can figure out when you’re likely to forget a word and need practice. The app also considers the complexity of the phrases you’re learning to determine the best time for you to practice.
Duolingo also introduced AI-driven chatbots that can have conversations with users. These chatbots provide appropriate responses based on the correct answers given by the learner. They also have a helpful feature that assists users when they have difficulty finding the right words or using correct grammar.
Carnegie Learning is an AI-powered math platform that provides personalized education and feedback to students, using data on student performance to provide targeted instruction and accommodate each student’s individual needs.
Other platforms like Dreambox, Knewton and Querium also have similar capacities.
These are just a few examples of the AI tools and platforms that are being used in education today. As AI becomes more sophisticated, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of this technology in the classroom.
There’s no doubt AI can be really helpful in education, but there are some concerns we can’t possibly ignore.
As with any technology that collects and stores data, questions of privacy and security must be answered. Schools and Technology firms need to guarantee the safety of students’ data. This way, AI Technologies can be used without breaching data privacy laws.
Also, a minority of people argue that AI produces biased results based on the unfair information they are trained on. This is unfair to the persons on the receiving end so AI models need to be programmed to be impartial. This way, restrictions in background or demographics won’t limit how people can use and enjoy the benefits of AI.
Aside from the technical issues and malfunctions of AI systems, a study by Research Gate shows that some people fear that if AI is used extensively in the classroom, it might replace human teachers. This could mean raising a generation that won’t value human interaction and rely too much on technology. These snags are a few reasons why some experts have doubts about using AI in education.
There are several emerging technologies and trends in AI that will have a notable impact on education in the coming years. A good example is Natural Language Processing (NLP), a subfield of Artificial Intelligence that helps machines understand and talk with humans better. NLP can make it easier to have more natural conversations with computers. This way you’re sure to get more detailed feedback on your work.
Another aspect of education AI can influence is machine learning. Machine learning can be used to understand the patterns in students and make suggestions on how certain topics can improve their intellect.
Predictive analysis is another tech tool that uses fancy math and patterns from the past to predict what might happen in the future. In school, it can help teachers figure out who might struggle with certain topics or assignments. That way, they can help those students early and make sure no one falls behind.
These rising technology trends can transform education for learners and help educators to make accurate decisions about how best to support their students.
Yes, AI technologies are incredibly smart, but we still need human educators to strike a balance in the system. While AI can personalize learning, human educators can understand human needs better. They can come up with exciting activities, games, and projects that make learning creative and fun.
Moreover, we can’t neglect the place of emotional connection between students and teachers. Human educators not only focus on teaching academic subjects, they also help students build values like kindness, respect, and teamwork. They are like mentors, who bring a unique and irreplaceable touch that helps students succeed both academically and personally.
We can’t argue the fact that AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for improving education if students’ learning and well-being are made a priority. However, educators, policymakers, and researchers should consider likely defects and work towards developing systems that tackle them. With careful planning and development, AI will transform the learning experiences of students and educators alike in the years to come.
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