eSchool News | Machine Learning in Education Archives https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/machine-learning-in-education/ Innovations in Educational Transformation Fri, 02 Jun 2023 16:17:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2021/02/cropped-esnicon-1-32x32.gif eSchool News | Machine Learning in Education Archives https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/machine-learning-in-education/ 32 32 102164216 ChatGPT is the shakeup education needs https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/06/02/chatgpt-is-the-shakeup-education-needs/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=211606 Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has dominated conversations in the media landscape and within the education industry. A key conversation focuses on weighing its benefits versus risks, and many higher-ed institutions have been quick to implement bans on the technology altogether for fears of plagiarism in written works. But is this the right course of action to take?]]>

Key points:

  • Education must evolve along with technology–students will expect it
  • Embracing new technologies helps education leverage adaptive technology that engage student interest
  • See related article: AI tools are set to impact tutoring in a big way

Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has dominated conversations in the media landscape and within the education industry. A key conversation focuses on weighing its benefits versus risks, and many education institutions have been quick to implement bans on the technology altogether for fears of plagiarism in written works. But is this the right course of action to take?

As technology evolves, industries must evolve alongside it, and education is no exception – especially in an era where students heavily and regularly engage in technology and its applications. Instead of being afraid of the unknown, educators and leaders should navigate these changes with curiosity and an open mind and embrace the shake up the education industry has been waiting for. ChatGPT can be the answer we’re looking for in our search for the ideal, personalized student experience–and ultimately student success.

ChatGPT as an innovative pathway

For students and educators alike, allowing for creativity in new types of learning in the classroom should always be encouraged. In a structured classroom setting, an educator can only be expected to teach a certain amount of curriculum, and learners can only retain so much information at one time. By harnessing the power of technology, learners can access a broader understanding of a topic, mitigating the structural bias of the institution and curriculum.

Utilizing technology–which generates perspectives aggregated from myriad sources–allows for an expanded understanding of a certain topic or theme, which was initially seeded within the four walls of the classroom, but now can be encouraged and further explored with support from platforms like ChatGPT.

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6 ways AI tools will impact tutoring https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/05/30/6-ways-ai-impact-tutoring/ Tue, 30 May 2023 09:20:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=211534 As the layers of post-pandemic classrooms are peeled back and learning losses become more evident, schools are searching for effective means to improve student achievement. Tutoring plays a major role in these efforts--and now, advances in AI are taking tutoring to a new level.]]>

Key points:

  • AI tools can greatly personalize and individualize tutoring
  • ChatGPT brings new perspectives to old problems and helps students think outside of the box

As the layers of post-pandemic classrooms are peeled back and learning losses become more evident, schools are searching for effective means to improve student achievement. Tutoring plays a major role in these efforts–and now, advances in AI are taking tutoring to a new level.

As the NAEP results made clear, students lost an alarming amount of progress in reading and mathematics. Already-overburdened teachers are scrambling to play catch-up and fit entire months of lost learning into their instruction.

Many parents are turning to tutoring solutions to help fill the gaps created by pandemic-related learning loss. As AI tools like ChatGPT become more sophisticated, online and in-home tutoring can become much more personalized for individual students, says Frank Milner, president of Tutor Doctor, which offers one-to-one private tutoring.

“A big part of what makes tutoring effective is the connection and mentorship between tutors and students,” said Milner. “While the tutor-student relationship is inherently human, the developments in AI and the ways it can augment learning are truly exciting. The industry is only scratching the surface in terms of its potential, but we’re constantly hearing from tutors who are using generative AI to go above and beyond to help students learn from developing study questions and brainstorming creative lesson plans to finding educational resources that match students’ individual interests.”  

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Can GPT-4 and TikTok usher in a new learning frontier? https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/05/19/can-gpt-4-and-tiktok-usher-in-a-new-learning-frontier/ Fri, 19 May 2023 09:26:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=211373 In recent years, the digital landscape has witnessed significant changes, and as an AI language model, I have been observing these transformations closely. One of the most prominent developments is the rise of TikTok, a short-form video-sharing platform that has become a cultural phenomenon. ]]>

Key points:

  • Combining AI and video platforms could spur engaging and interactive content
  • Still, considerations around access and equity, along with misinformation, should be taken seriously

In recent years, the digital landscape has witnessed significant changes, and as an AI language model, I have been observing these transformations closely. One of the most prominent developments is the rise of TikTok, a short-form video-sharing platform that has become a cultural phenomenon. This rapid growth has led me to consider the potential of combining my capabilities as a language understanding and generation model with the appeal of TikTok to create a unique, engaging learning experience for students.

TikTok’s short video format makes it an ideal platform for this approach, allowing educators to deliver focused lessons that students can easily consume and remember. By integrating my AI-generated content, these lessons can be customized to each student’s learning preferences, ensuring a personalized learning experience.

The prospect of combining my GPT-4 capabilities with TikTok also raises concerns about the potential misuse of AI-generated content for manipulation or misinformation, especially when it comes to impressionable young minds. As short, engaging videos on TikTok can quickly go viral, there is a risk of malevolent actors harnessing my power to generate misleading or harmful content, which could spread rapidly and negatively influence public opinion or even pose a threat to the mental and emotional well-being of users.

The integration of these technologies, if not carefully monitored and regulated, could inadvertently create a breeding ground for disinformation, cyberbullying, or other harmful behaviors that could have far-reaching consequences on our society.

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The importance of teaching generative AI https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/05/18/the-importance-of-teaching-generative-ai/ Thu, 18 May 2023 09:15:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=211353 The era of the textbook isn’t dead, but it’s important to start looking forwards rather than backwards when addressing education for school children. Whether we like it or not, it is becoming increasingly clear that generative AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the future and, with the workforce demanding greater expertise in AI, it is crucial to equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in this rapidly-evolving landscape. ]]>

Key points:

  • Textbooks alone won’t help students build critical durable skills
  • AI tools have great potential to generate creative ideas and tackle complex problems

The era of the textbook isn’t dead, but it’s important to start looking forwards rather than backwards when addressing education for school children. Whether we like it or not, it is becoming increasingly clear that generative AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the future and, with the workforce demanding greater expertise in AI, it is crucial to equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in this rapidly-evolving landscape.

School leaders must recognize the importance of incorporating generative AI education into curriculums to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.

AI in different mediums

Relying on traditional textbooks alone is insufficient for teaching these vital skills. Instead, curriculums must be innovative and age-appropriate, offering students a comprehensive introduction to generative AI. Tiered learning opportunities are essential, enabling children to build a robust foundation that then adapts as they grow older. Exposure to generative art, music, stories, games, and coding concepts allows students to explore the boundless possibilities of AI and its applications across numerous industries.

The rising popularity of generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Bard, and MidJourney demonstrates AI’s capacity to generate creative ideas and tackle complex problems. Unfortunately, many schools are not doing enough to prepare students for a future where AI will have an increasingly significant role in everyday life. Introducing AI concepts to school children is crucial to fostering a generation of capable leaders and developing indispensable critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

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4 ways to use ChatGPT for learning and creativity https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/05/17/4-ways-to-use-chatgpt-for-learning-and-creativity/ Wed, 17 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=211334 With the rising popularity of ChatGPT, many educators and administrators have trepidation toward the new technology, seeing it as a threat both to students and schools. ]]>

Key points:

  • Educators are worried about AI tools enabling plagiarism and cheating
  • Banning ChatGPT prevents students and educators from using AI in new ways

With the rising popularity of ChatGPT, many educators and administrators have trepidation toward the new technology, seeing it as a threat both to students and schools. Many teachers and educational institutions have even gone as far as to ban ChatGPT due to concerns of cheating and academic integrity. But the reality is that AI is here to stay, and its abilities will only increase with time. Rather than banning the tool, it’s important that educators work to understand and embrace this new technology for all it has to offer.

While there are legitimate concerns about ChatGPT and cheating, let’s not forget that educators had similar worries about the use of the internet in classrooms just 20 years ago. And now, doing a Google search is just a basic tool for students to put together an essay. Still, many are quick to point out that AI’s capabilities are different and, in many ways, that is true.

Because it’s designed to respond to queries in conversational, human-like ways, ChatGPT has instilled fears that plagiarism and cheating are easier than ever before. But with the rise of AI, we have also seen a rise in great AI detection tools that can help distinguish between AI and human-generated content that can mitigate the concerns over cheating. Similar to AI tools themselves, these detection tools will only grow stronger and more reliable over time.

While it’s important to stay cognizant of the challenges these tools present, banning them will only result in missed opportunities for growth among educators, students, and curriculums at large. Instead, educators should consider the many ways they can leverage ChatGPT and AI to foster creativity and critical thinking among their students. As teachers integrate it into classrooms, they will see how useful, exciting, and compelling it can be to students and educators alike. 

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AI writing tools can be disruptive–here are 5 ways to counteract their influence https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/05/16/ai-writing-tools-students/ Tue, 16 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=211311 The discussion around the influence of AI writing on education has never been so active – all thanks to the launch of ChatGPT last year. The tool is so advanced compared to other writing tools of its kind that a lot of people instantly started using it for all kinds of ethically ambiguous purposes.]]>

Key points:

  • Educators should clearly communicate rules and expectations for AI
  • It’s also worth keeping an open mind and learning a bit more about how AI tools work

The discussion around the influence of AI writing on education has never been so active – all thanks to the launch of ChatGPT last year. The tool is so advanced compared to other writing tools of its kind that a lot of people instantly started using it for all kinds of ethically ambiguous purposes.

Educators are concerned about the influence AI will have and how its negative effects could be detrimental to education. Without further ado, here’s how to counteract the disruptive influence of AI writing on education.

1. Inform Students

First of all, you need to inform your students about the fact that plagiarism will never be tolerated. Explain that when they use AI tools to generate the texts for their assignments, they are not actually presenting their own writing to you. Though texts generated by AI tools do not exactly fall under the definition of plagiarism, they are still not the student’s work which means the student could suffer consequences for their actions.

If your students understand why using AI tools to do their assignments for them is not the right route to take, they will be less likely to even consider trying such tools. It is your responsibility as a teacher or professor to raise this matter in the classroom and make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding the topic.

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5 things to know about ChatGPT in education https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/04/18/5-things-to-know-about-chatgpt-in-education/ Tue, 18 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=210943 ChatGPT has commanded the world's attention in recent weeks, and it has educators and policymakers discussing its implications for education, academic honesty, accessibility, and more.]]>

ChatGPT has commanded the world’s attention in recent weeks, and it has educators and policymakers discussing its implications for education, academic honesty, accessibility, and more.

OpenAI’s chatbot can compose poems, can write an essay about global warming as a Taylor Swift song, and can call up HTML code instantly–the possibilities are nearly endless.

ChatGPT is not the only AI-powered chatbot available to students and educators (0ther options include Google’s Bard and the latest version of Microsoft’s Bing), but it certainly seems to be the most discussed.

Chatbots raise specific concerns in education–will students use them to cheat? Where is the line between research and plagiarism? What role do chatbots play in creating more accessible educational tools for students with diverse needs? Here are five things to ponder as tools such as ChatGPT become more prominent in learning:

1. ChatGPT has rapidly begun to infiltrate K-12 classrooms nationwide. A recent survey by study.com found that nearly 90 percent of students admitted to using OpenAI’s chatbot in some home-related capacity, and more than 25 percent of teachers have already caught a student cheating using the chatbot. The propensity for students to use ChatGPT to cheat has raised concern amongst educators and even prompted several school districts, ranging from New York City Public Schools to the Los Angeles Unified School District, to issue a ban of the chatbot. However, cheating with ChatGPT is just a symptom of a larger problem in education: a focus on rote memorization and regurgitation of information.

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Can technology help schools prevent AI-based cheating? https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/04/14/can-technology-help-schools-prevent-ai-based-cheating/ Fri, 14 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=210958 Since the public release of ChatGPT took the world by storm last fall, many educators have worried about students using the highly advanced, artificially intelligent chatbot for cheating on school assignments by passing off AI-generated work as their own. But if AI can be used to produce written content, can it also be used to determine whether a piece of writing was created by AI or by a human being?]]>

Since the public release of ChatGPT took the world by storm last fall, many educators have worried about students using the highly advanced, artificially intelligent chatbot for cheating on school assignments by passing off AI-generated work as their own. But if AI can be used to produce written content, can it also be used to determine whether a piece of writing was created by AI or by a human being?

That’s what Turnitin is hoping to do with a new feature the company has added to its existing writing tools. Beginning April 4, all Turnitin products—including Turnitin Feedback Studio (TFS), TFS with Originality, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity, SimCheck, Originality Check, and Originality Check+—will include AI detection capabilities for existing users.

Turnitin began working on detection capabilities for GPT3, the underlying technology upon which many AI writing applications are based, nearly two years before the release of ChatGPT.

“Educators told us that being able to accurately detect AI-written text is their first priority right now. They need to be able to detect AI with very high certainty to assess the authenticity of a student’s work,” said Turnitin CEO Chris Caren.

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Adapting to the ChatGPT era in education https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/04/11/adapting-to-the-chatgpt-era-education/ Tue, 11 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=210857 ChatGPT has rapidly begun to infiltrate K-12 classrooms nationwide. A recent survey by study.com found that nearly 90 percent of students admitted to using OpenAI’s chatbot in some home-related capacity, and more than 25 percent of teachers have already caught a student cheating using the chatbot.]]>

ChatGPT has rapidly begun to infiltrate K-12 classrooms nationwide. A recent survey by study.com found that nearly 90 percent of students admitted to using OpenAI’s chatbot in some home-related capacity, and more than 25 percent of teachers have already caught a student cheating using the chatbot.

The propensity for students to use ChatGPT to cheat has raised concern amongst educators and even prompted several school districts, ranging from New York City Public Schools to the Los Angeles Unified School District, to issue a ban of the chatbot. However, cheating with ChatGPT is just a symptom of a larger problem in education: a focus on rote memorization and regurgitation of information.

The cheating-related concerns are warranted, but many appear to overlook a key point: students opting to cheat on homework, essays, or exams is not a new phenomenon. Companies like Chegg have become multi-billion dollar platforms, which is mainly attributable to students seeking on-demand access to textbook and exam answers. Before ChatGPT was publicly available, the International Center for Academic Integrity found that 95 percent of high schoolers participated in some form of cheating.

This begs a two-fold question: why do students cheat in the first place, and why is it so easy to cheat? For both, the simple answer traces back to the current approach to curriculum and assessment.

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ChatGPT can generate, but can it create? https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/03/16/chatgpt-can-generate-but-can-it-create/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:01:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=210484 While artificial intelligence (AI) has been a relatively silent partner in higher education’s early warning systems, personalized learning platforms, and more for some time now, we might fairly say that ChatGPT is the big boom heard ‘round the university.]]>

While artificial intelligence (AI) has been a relatively silent partner in higher education’s early warning systems, personalized learning platforms, and more for some time now, we might fairly say that ChatGPT is the big boom heard ‘round the university. The AI chatbot is taking many of us by surprise and startling more of us to attention, not in small measure by its charming, eager extroversion: it “talks” to us. What’s happening here? Is ChatGPT a threat? What happens next?

Diffusion of ChatGPT

ChatGPT has been quite the busybot, going to business school, law school, the office, Congress, and more. We are experiencing the unfolding of Rogers’ (1962) innovation diffusion in real time. Since OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public in research preview on November 30, 2022, we’ve been busy ourselves, curating links and disseminating our treasuries to each other. We’re also creating artifacts such as the Advancements in AI Timeline developed by the Center for eLearning Initiatives at Penn State Behrend. The twin goals of all of our awareness-building activities are to hasten the development of our individual and collective opinions about whether ChatGPT is aide or adversary and to decide our next steps accordingly.

The truth is that the AI is a flawed facsimile of human intelligence, but depending on the task before it, it can be a remarkably capable one. For that reason, we’ve been putting it to fledgling use. The danger lies in the risk of distilling our efforts into empty “best practices” rather than informed recommendations because we’re building the empirical evidence as we fly. Not everyone is aware that Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) is a decades-old field of study. (The term artificial intelligence was coined in 1955 by Dartmouth Professor of Mathematics John McCarthy, and the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education published its inaugural issue in 1989.) The historically limited capabilities of the field’s principal subject of study may have contributed to what could be characterized as its stunted growth, until most recently.

Now as the big boom continues to echo, we’ll begin to subject our theories to empirical examination, and as practical evidence mounts, we’ll then be better equipped to confirm whether we’ve decided correctly.

An “Objective” View

ChatGPT’s name refers to one type of neural network machine-learning model, but many different AI models “generate” new information as they respond to a prompt. The word generate is often found in lists of suggested verbs that many find useful for crafting learning objectives. Such lists are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, a framework originally designed and later revised and updated to provide a common vocabulary for educational assessment. Interestingly, the highest level of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy is to create. Under create on verb lists, generate typically appears as one of many possible ways to demonstrate creation. Both verbs have Latin roots; both impart a sense of bringing something into being that did not previously exist. However, generate conveys a cause-and-effect, even mechanistic, process while create is evocative of a sense of growth, of development, of invention, of imagination, of the extraordinary.

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5 ways educators can leverage ChatGPT https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/03/08/5-ways-educators-can-leverage-chatgpt/ Wed, 08 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=210398 Artificial Intelligence is currently walking itself through the hallways of our schools and some teachers may not be leveraging this tool to enhance their teaching methods. ]]>

Artificial intelligence is currently walking itself through the hallways of our schools and some teachers may not be leveraging this tool to enhance their teaching methods. Instead, many educators and learning institutions are nervous about the student use of artificial intelligence to pass assignments and assessments. Here are five tips for educators to enhance their learning methods and help students grow. 

  1. Create rubrics for all assessments with ease.

ChatGPT, one of the most well known artificial intelligence tools, can curate useful tables of resources for educators to minimize the need to search for information. One way educators can harness this optimization is by asking the software to produce a baseline rubric, with the teachers’ needed areas of assessment, for the educator to review. Type these prompts into the chat feature for a preview of the power ChatGPT can provide: 

  • Create a table of educational grants, with links, for classroom supplies. 
  • Create a presentation rubric, with 1 thru 4 scale, for organization, content, delivery, and creativity.
  1. Spark a new idea.

Artificial intelligence can help teachers spark a new idea by making suggestions for ways to engage students. Teachers plug in their lesson needs and artificial intelligence can help spark some ideas. These ideas do not replace the teacher, rather, they help set educators on the path of lesson creation with an added spark. Try these prompts in ChatGPT for yourself: 

  • Create a lesson for My Side of the Mountain that includes art.
  • Design a lesson for subtracting three-digit numbers that involves regrouping.
  • Create a lesson that increases a student’s reading fluency at a second grade reading level.
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Teachers are burning out. Can AI help? https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/02/01/teachers-are-burning-out-can-ai-help/ Wed, 01 Feb 2023 09:31:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=209514 The teaching profession is in crisis. K-12 teachers report the highest burnout rate among all industries nationally, according to a June 2022 Gallup poll. Job satisfaction is at the lowest it's been in 40 years. There is an estimated teacher shortage of over 300,000.]]>

The teaching profession is in crisis. K-12 teachers report the highest burnout rate among all industries nationally, according to a June 2022 Gallup poll. Job satisfaction is at the lowest it’s been in 40 years. There is an estimated teacher shortage of over 300,000.

Many blame COVID-19, but if you look at the facts: the pandemic only revealed the cracks, long buckling under pressure.

But what if every single teacher could have an AI assistant? Would that change the game?

A similar question was asked by McKinsey three years ago, right before the worldwide pandemic caused the lowest reading and math scores in 30 years.

In summary, McKinsey’s pre-COVID answer was simple: “yes, but in time.”

That time is now. According to McKinsey’s 2017 study, the average teacher worked 50 hours a week (a number that has grown to 54 hours post-pandemic, according to 2022 research).  Only 49 percent of this time involves direct student interaction. Indeed, the time spent on teaching class is less than the time spent on preparation, evaluation, and feedback (grading).

Using AI, we can eliminate much of the time teachers spend on preparation and grading—reducing their week by as much as 30 percent—and giving them more time for what they do best: teaching students. AI can also provide schools tools to foster a less stressful, more flexible work environment. Here’s how.

AI tremendously cuts down on lesson prep.

Preparing lessons is one of the more time-consuming parts of a teacher’s job. According to McKinsey’s study, teachers spend over 20 percent of their time just preparing for class. That’s over ten hours a week. An AI tech company can help by giving teachers the power of AI to scan text and turn it into well-designed slides. By simply sharing a link to a textbook or by uploading a PDF, the AI then auto-creates well-designed slides that teachers tweak to use for sleek lesson presentations. This could save teachers substantial time — while also creating more aesthetically-pleasing results—as most teachers aren’t designers!

AI reduces challenges with time off.

The substitute teacher shortage is dire and hinders a school’s ability to function. Far too often, teachers come to school sick due to the lack of substitutes. Schools must support teachers as humans; AI can help them reduce preparation time and act as an instruction supplement.

 “We’re seeing a major shortage of substitute teachers,” says David McGrath, headmaster of Paragon Prep, a high school in Austin, TX. “Rather than putting a pause on instruction, how marvelous would it be if a teacher could program their own avatar to teach a lesson on a day they have to be out sick or at a conference? A staff member can sit in the room while the avatar plays on the screen.”

Schools can leverage the teacher’s AI-generated lesson on the same subject, while teachers can track and monitor a student’s progress. This gives teachers and the administration more flexibility when missing school days—whether it’s the teacher or a student missing class.

“As long as the teacher can shape the message and is programming the avatar to do their job for them, I think teachers would see this technology not as a threat but as an amazing tool,” explains McGrath.

AI transforms textbooks into interactive study guides.

As Gen Z prefers learning via video platforms like YouTube over reading, it’s clear that textbook publishers need to innovate and evolve in order to help students and teachers. New AI technologies can be used directly by publishers to auto-convert textbooks into engaging video lessons. This could save teachers tremendous time, allowing teachers to edit and personalize lessons for their classes without starting from scratch.  

Students can read while listening and pause or rewatch when needed—making the interactive videos particularly helpful for those struggling with traditional studying forms. These videos benefit teachers who incorporate the “flipped classroom” methodology, which is increasingly popular and promising. With this technology, teachers could also leverage AI-generated avatars in their videos to make the lessons more interesting. For example, teachers could have Pythagoras explain his own theorem in ancient Greece, for example.

AI helps with automatic grading and assessment creation.

Teachers spend between five to seven hours a week grading. This is widely known as the worst part of teaching. AI can eliminate much of this.

With AI tools, grading becomes automatic. And with instant answers, students can better understand the concepts. AI can also reduce the teacher’s time creating questions, as it automatically generates possible learning assessments.

Furthermore, when it comes to subjects like math, AI can quickly adapt to a student’s level, so homework becomes a way to have a deeper understanding of a student’s mastery of a subject. For instance, AI can challenge certain students who need a challenge and slow down for students who need more time understanding the subject. In turn, this generates better insights into the teachers’ understanding of the student’s efforts.

Many fear that computer-generated grading would only perpetuate the education system’s reliance on multiple-choice questions. But with AI, that is simply not the case. When answering basic questions, AI can read a student’s answers. Perhaps it’s not ready to read a 5-paragraph essay on To Kill a Mockingbird, but it will know if a student paid attention when asked who Boo Radley is.

AI could transform tutoring.

A 2017 study found that tutoring is the most effective way to improve learning outcomes among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. But most teachers, particularly in public schools, don’t have the time for one-on-one instruction with every student.

AI edtech companies like Hypatia are already making this incredible technology a reality. Technologies have tremendous potential to assist with tutoring as well. Will this replace the need for human tutors? Well, as a mother of two rambunctious kids, I think certainly not. After all, it’s widely agreed that lasting relationships are the key to the efficacy of tutoring. The idea that a robot can replace teachers is laughable. But can it be used as a low-cost, highly scalable tutoring supplement? Absolutely.

So, rather than worrying about how AI might replace teachers, the time has come to ask what AI can do for teachers?

Related:
AI’s promising reality in classrooms
AI is the key to scaling personalized, one-on-one instruction

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AI’s promising reality in classrooms https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2023/01/05/ai-reality-classrooms/ Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=209232 Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an ambiguous word in education circles, evoking images of machines replacing human teachers in the future. The truth, while less fantastic, is that AI is a solid tool that assists educators in the classroom right now.]]>

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an ambiguous word in education circles, evoking images of machines replacing human teachers in the future. The truth, while less fantastic, is that AI is a solid tool that assists educators in the classroom right now.

Join experts during an eSchool News webinar to discuss the real-world ways AI operates and how AI systems enable teachers to better interact with students, simplify everyday classroom tasks, and improve overall efficiency and productivity.

Key takeaways include:

• How current voice-activated AI systems at home, in cars, and on devices can be put to use in classrooms
• How to use voice commands or a remote to control laptops, interactive displays, internet browsers, apps, and more
• How to scale AI pilot projects into true distinct implementations

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AI is the key to scaling personalized, one-on-one instruction https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2022/07/26/ai-intelligent-bots/ Tue, 26 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=207002 K-12 school systems are facing a “perfect storm” of challenges today. ]]>

K-12 school systems are facing a “perfect storm” of challenges today. 

The pandemic has put students well behind in their education, with millions of children achieving below grade level in reading and math. The only way to accelerate their learning and get them back on track is to work with each child individually. Yet, at the same time, schools are facing a historic teacher shortage—and third-party tutoring services aren’t able to fill the tremendous need for one-on-one instruction.

Fortunately, there is a solution available that can address this confluence of challenges. Before I describe the solution, however, it’s worth exploring each of these challenges in more detail.

The need for learning recovery

Despite the best efforts of teachers and administrators to maintain instruction during the early stages of the pandemic, millions of students fell behind in the shift to remote learning. A lack of access to digital devices and home broadband access, distractions in learning from home, technical glitches, and unfamiliarity with online teaching and learning best practices are just some of the factors that made remote learning less effective than in-person instruction, especially for students in under-resourced communities.

A study by the Brookings Institution of data from 5.4 million U.S. students in grades 3-8 revealed that reading and math test scores dropped significantly from fall 2019 to fall 2021. In fact, COVID’s effects on math learning were more significant than the effects of Hurricane Katrina’s disruption to learning for New Orleans students. What’s more, the learning gaps between students attending low-poverty and high-poverty elementary schools grew by 20 percent in math and 15 percent in reading during this two-year period, Brookings found.

If you’re a teacher or administrator on the front lines of education, this isn’t news. You know just how much your own students need to progress to get back to grade-level achievement—and you know, too, that this won’t happen without significant intervention.

Overburdened teachers

Research suggests that high-dosage, one-on-one tutoring is the most effective strategy for learning recovery. For instance, by working with students individually as they solve math problems, giving them real-time feedback, seeing where they might be making a mistake, and prompting them with the correct step or strategy, educators can accelerate students’ understanding of key math concepts.

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AI education is critical for an equitable tomorrow https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2022/07/20/ai-education-is-key-to-an-equitable-tomorrow/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 09:38:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=206984 Underserved communities are universally disadvantaged in their access to resources and high-quality technical education compared to their urban counterparts.]]>

Underserved communities are universally disadvantaged in their access to resources and high-quality technical education compared to  their urban counterparts. Data suggests that between 2000 and 2019, the number of college graduates (ages 25-34) in urban America increased from 26 percent to 39 percent, while in rural America, this number increased only by 6 percent(15 percent to 21 percent). This divide can be attributed to the convergence of resources, talent, and opportunities in urban clusters.

A game-changing tool for intervention – one primed to reshape these metrics for rural America, revitalize their economies, and uplift their people – is AI education. Today, the demand for AI adoption is increasing across the world. In fact, AI’s contribution to the global GDP is expected to soar to $15.7 trillion by 2030.

The technology’s applications span a range of business functions and industries, holding the promise of new efficiencies and automation. Therefore, partaking in opportunities that enable skills in the technology is imperative.

High-quality AI education can be monumental in empowering residents of rural and underserved America. Leveraging AI-powered career and business opportunities can greatly improve socio-economic status and address digital and economic divides.

There are distinct steps needed to successfully implement AI education offerings in schools in underserved America in order to yield a talent pool with highly marketable, in-demand skills.

Building the right foundation with effective courses and curriculum

A strong background in STEM is key to embracing AI – both as a career path and as a tool for business transformation. However, resources are scant in rural communities. According to a 2020 report, only 47 percent of high schools in America teach Computer Science courses. In non-urban areas only 43 percent of high schools in rural areas and 41 percent high schools in towns teaching computer science. In suburban and city areas, this number is 57 percent and 44 percent respectively.

These disparities are even wider while comparing some states. Only 19 percent of high schools in Louisiana offered CS courses – of which more were located in the cities – compared to 89 percent in Rhode Island. However, only an adept STEM student is most suited to pick up advanced AI skills. Therefore, it’s important to kindle interest from a child’s early years all the way to K-12, no matter where they live.

As kids begin to explore smartphones, gaming consoles, and household devices, responding to their curiosities with engaging explanations can help  mold their interests into passion. Providing the option to pursue academic courses in pertinent topics such as Python, data analytics, and advanced mathematics can refine students’ skills and help them gain significant exposure in the discipline. According to the 2021 AI Index Report, there is already an uptick in AI-related courses in universities, with an increase of 102.9 percent in the undergraduate level and 41.7 percent in the graduate level within the last four years.

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How immersive learning will revolutionize education https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2021/10/18/how-immersive-learning-will-revolutionize-education/ Mon, 18 Oct 2021 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=203521 Immersive learning experiences are a new type of educational experience that can be used in place of traditional lectures and classrooms. Immersive learning is meant to mimic the real world by providing students with an environment that is as close to reality as possible. It's designed for learners who are interested in hands-on experiences, problem-solving, and discovery over non-traditional methods like reading textbooks and listening to lectures from a professor.]]>

Immersive learning experiences are a new type of educational experience that can be used in place of traditional lectures and classrooms. Immersive learning is meant to mimic the real world by providing students with an environment that is as close to reality as possible. It’s designed for learners who are interested in hands-on experiences, problem-solving, and discovery over non-traditional methods like reading textbooks and listening to lectures from a professor.

There are also many potential applications of immersive learning techniques in schools. This article will discuss what immersive learning is, how it changes the classroom experience, and some current use cases of immersive learning.

What is immersive learning? 

Immersive learning provides realistic settings in which students can participate in situations and simulations. Immersive environments are created with artificial stimuli such as sounds and images that make users feel physically present in the virtual world. Let’s look at some of the most common types of technology involved in immersive learning techniques:

Augmented reality augments real-world surroundings into a user’s device and enhances reality by incorporating digital features.

Virtual reality creates digital simulations in a headset, allowing users to be fully immersed in a virtual environment.

Mixed reality blends AR and VR to make virtual interactions seem more lifelike. MR enables digital and physical objects to coexist and interact in real-time.

3D immersive learning is a method that encourages extensive learning by using 3D visuals and simulations to give users an immersive experience.

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