We can safely say that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are all around us with the advent of 2022. From voice assistant apps, personal assistant gadgets, and search engines becoming smarter by the day. And, many industries are adopting AI as the norm. According to published research, 54% of education professionals already use technology to improve their curriculums, with 32% stating it plays an integral role in classrooms. 48% of teachers also agree that integration and adoption of modern technology in classrooms should be of the highest priority in 2022. We shall be taking a look at the impact of AI in the education sector.
Whether you’re a teacher or a student, learning about the impact of AI in education today is important. It can affect how you perceive and engage academia tomorrow. Learning about the tools, software, and hardware available to you will expand your options. Also, it enables you to be more successful in your projects. Moreover, you’ll have the benefit of using disruptive new technologies to do research and write papers. It also helps tackle different academic projects in more groundbreaking and innovative ways.
This is where AI can truly shine because it helps future-proof students’ careers. It also teaches them how to take full advantage of modern technologies. Artificial intelligence is not only going to fast-track a lot of the administrative and data analysis-related work in academia. But, also introduce new and exciting digitalization options. Creating an AI-friendly learning environment will benefit students in the long run. It also helps them see AI as a natural extension of today’s academia rather than a passing digital trend. Without further ado, what is the impact of AI in education, and what does the future truly hold for the technology?
The Moral Conundrum of AI in Education
The first question on anyone’s mind when it comes to AI in education is how moral it is to use algorithms to teach K-12 or academic students. However, it’s important to note that disruptive technologies have been at the forefront of modern education for decades. Artificial intelligence is but the next step in the education revolution. It will help both teachers and students make the most out of their time together.
For teachers, AI will enable more concise and faster parsing and analysis of generated information. For students, it can provide a plethora of exciting new learning opportunities, ranging from virtual-first exercises to complex research opportunities too complex for manual labor. In reality, there is no conundrum to be had. AI will improve formal education on a fundamental level when we approach its global implementation sometime in the future.
Streamlined Teacher-Side Data Processing
As curriculums and school projects become more complex each year, teachers are facing more and more difficulties with data processing. This is especially true in instances where a single teacher has to manage dozens of unique students in several different classrooms as equals.
Combining the power of AI with the intuition of experienced teachers will result in fairer, more objective grading systems. Whether it’s essays and research papers or simple multiple-choice tests, AI can help teachers parse data more quickly. AI should be used sparingly in certain academic fields like visual or musical art, however. While AI is capable of analyzing data, it cannot assume the “human” role and interpret subjective work adequately. This is also why teachers will never find themselves out of jobs and pushed aside by AI – the two will need to work together.
Per-Student Learning Personalization
Personalization has been at the forefront of AI research for years and teachers can truly harness the benefits of AI thanks to it. Following the previous sentiment of paying enough attention to each student, teachers can personalize their curriculums based on each student’s affinities. Some will naturally be keener to study STEM-related subjects while others may want to delve into arts or social studies. This doesn’t mean that everyone has to fit the same mold and follow the same curriculum.
With AI, educational institutions will be able to provide each student with a more meaningful learning experience akin to online learning. While digital learning platforms aren’t AI-driven, they allow for a high degree of learning personalization, which is what formal education lacks. The resulting learning experiences would encourage more students to graduate and not drop out, while also gaining highly-relevant, valuable knowledge from their schooling.
Adoption of Future-Proof Skills and Knowledge
Having everyday access to AI-centric technologies will allow students to rely on online resources and platforms for research and learning. Given that AI can help make research faster and more meaningful, any writing assignment or project that students have effectively becomes easier to do properly.
Once a student wants to write a good essay, they can, for example, reach out to professional writers on the best essay writing service. Collaborating with like-minded writers and AI professionals via the internet will help students embrace new technologies faster. This will help them embrace AI, VR, and other future-centric skills and expertise far more quickly, leading to career specialization and further personal research interests.
Shifting Learning Toward Digital Environments
Online learning has been something of a staple of formal education in 2021 due to the global pandemic. Integrating AI technologies into formal curriculums will further entice students to pursue digital-first learning in the future. AI algorithms are capable of processing data far more quickly and precisely than any expert on the planet ever could.
In the hands of students who use educational apps and platforms, those features represent learning opportunities. Time will tell whether teachers and students will ever go back to pre-pandemic traditional learning mechanisms. However, with AI, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as better and more groundbreaking teacher/student dynamics are now on the table.
The Future of AI in the Education Sector
Currently, AI is relegated to experimental classrooms and private institutions more than formal schools and universities accounting for its “pilot” nature. Many countries around the globe aren’t prepared to accommodate AI-friendly technologies, both financially and infrastructurally.
There will come a time however when AI will be seen as a natural extension of classroom curriculums. When will that time come? That’s anyone’s guess. All we can do is strive to innovate and treat AI as a valuable educational tool, not as a de facto replacement for real-world teachers. So, what do you think about the impact of AI in the Education Sector?
Author’s bio.
Jessica Fender is a writer with experience writing about software and emerging technology. She has been involved in creating articles and blog posts for several platforms. When she is not writing, Jessica loves to read books and travel. In addition, she provides programming services to different clients from around the globe.