Sm Nahiduzzaman
When we think of “AI in education,” many of us envision some weird, futuristic future where robots replace teachers, and students are learning via automated systems. So don’t freak out – it doesn’t necessarily mean AI must threaten “traditional” education. In fact, as long as AI is used in creative ways, it can underpin and enhance the learning process, especially when it exists within the framework of constructivist learning theory.
What is Constructivist Learning?
Constructivism requires students to actively learn and make their own meanings from their experience – not just being passive recipients of content. Students work through content in an active way, wrestle and reflect with the content, then apply the content in new contexts. Learning is an active process in relation to critical inquiry.
AI’s Role in Constructivist Learning
AI is not to replace the teacher, but to support and extend the learning experience. Here are some practical ways that AI can act as an enabler for constructivist learning:
Personalized Learning: AI is able to adjust the content to the individual learners’ needs, and provide personalized resources, feedback, and pacing. For example, an AI tutor might provide individualized lessons based on a student’s work in math or history.
Immersive Simulations: If a student is interacting with AI-generated simulations while learning about history or science, they could be deciding what to do as a historical leader or conducting scientific experiments in a virtual lab – learners in simulated real-world scenarios, where they learn by doing.
Instant Feedback: AI can provide immediate feedback that enhances the student’s ability to make connections and direct learning when students require assistance. This immediate correction supports a deeper learning experience, which will be better retained.
The Role of the Teacher in an AI-Augmented Environment
A recurring concern in discussions about AI is that it will eventually replace teachers, but while there’s no question that AI will replace some measure of human labor, teaching is unchanged in this regard. Let’s be clear: AI can actually free up teachers so that they can pay attention to what matters: human connection and authentic interaction. So, how can this freedom be realized?
Grading: There are a number of mundane and repeatable tasks that AI can take over such as grading quizzes and assignments. This leaves the teacher opportunities to address what is more personal in their teaching at an individual level; mentoring and coaching students.
Promotion of Creativity: AI tools allow teachers to produce new content, or at least generate the brainstorming prompts for creating lesson plans to repurpose the class’s time to create innovative, immersion activities to foster engagement in students.
Individualized Ministry: AI can free up teachers from many administrative duties so they are prepared to engage in more individualized student support based on their needs and how they require support through an AI experience.
Challenges and Considerations
AI has a great deal of promise, but we should remember possible challenges:
Data Privacy and Security: We need to be very careful with students’ data. The ethics behind how AI tools were developed and implemented should have clear protocols so that learner privacy and security are preserved.
Access Inequality: Not all learners have equal access to technology, and this has the potential for creating even clearer lines of educational divide. Ensuring equitable access for all learners to AI-enabled learning tools should be considered a priority.
Ethical uses of AI: AI, and its applications, need to have beneficial, inclusive, and fair uses for all learners. As we will look to implement AI in classrooms, concerns over ethical issues of bias, fairness, and transparency need to be confronted.
Broadening the Horizons with Artificial Intelligence
The future of artificial intelligence (AI) in education provides opportunities for innovation never seen before.
Connection without borders: AI-enabled tools can help connect students with peers from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Virtual classrooms can provide a learning space for students around the globe to collaborate on a project, helping them shift perspectives.
Accessible education for everyone: AI-enabled tools can begin to help meet student learning needs – perhaps through text-to-speech capabilities for blind students (well, maybe one day), or various language translations for ELL students. Having AI-enhanced tools makes learning more accessible than at any other time.
Learning analytics: AI-enabled tools can provide rich data about the learning process by tracking users as they interact with information tools. Analysis of this interaction provides authorities an opportunity to identify learning patterns, barriers, and even help predict future learner actions. Teachers can use this data to make knowledge informed decisions to enhance student learning.
Encouraging lifelong learning: Beyond considerations of equity, access and opportunity in education, AI supports self-guided pacing of the learner and easy access to knowledge anytime. Educators support intentional learning beyond the classroom – by encouraging learners to repeatedly visit and revisit content, expand upon content, even after these learners have exited formal schooling. Nurturing a mindset of continued learning is essential in a fast changing world where technology’s pace is disorienting.
Potential Long-Term Effects of AI in Education
The potential long-term effects of AI on education are extensive. As AI continues to be developed, researchers and developers will utilize them to obtain deeper insight into student behaviors and learning paradigms, ultimately developing more accurate predictions about each individual student. AI tools could make adaptive learning an everyday occurrence, which is important for ensuring that no student is left behind.
Additionally, AI has the potential to close the gap in different learning spaces (i.e., traditional classrooms, remote learning opportunities, informal environments, etc.). In this world of AI, learning environments are more cohesive and learning could flow as students fluidly moved from one type of learning to another and automatically adjusted their experience to a cycle of learning that works best for them.
Yet, with all power must come responsibility. Teachers, policymakers, and developers need to coordinate their efforts to be constructive, developing the AI systems in an ethical design process, transparency, and with the purpose of education. The potential of AI will be at its fullest, when it is used to empower both students and educators.
The Role of AI in Supporting 21st-Century Skills
AI is more than just about content knowledge. It is also about preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow. With industries changing at a rate never seen before, the skills students need to thrive are changing too. AI has the potential to support students in gaining important 21st-century skills, such as:
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: AI tools can help students replicate real-life problems, allowing them to try out various solutions. By then making choices inside the simulation, students can refine their issues resolving skills and practice thinking critically as they consider their solutions and the potential outcomes.
Collaboration and Communication: AI tools can encourage collaboration between students, even when they are worlds apart. Using shared projects, AI can break down communication challenges and create team-based learning.
Adaptability and Creativity: By providing personalized learning, AI can allow students to be more flexible when approaching scenarios that require them to learn something new. Whether it is learning a new language, building something new in code, or expressing creativity through creative writing, AI can guide students toward fulfilling their creative impulse.
At Last, AI is not an enemy of traditional education, it’s the future. As a constructivist tool, AI can also make learning more personalized, engaging, and efficient. Rather than living in fear of AI’s disruption of education… perhaps it can be seen a tool for learning that is dynamic, deep.
Thus, if and when someone expresses concern about the impact of AI on education, don’t panic – simply think outside the box. The future is bright for learning and AI can help steer us there.
