Using artificial intelligence in schools can result in many benefits for everyone involved in the learning process. Here, we’ll discuss the role of AI in education and how it can be integrated into classrooms to empower teachers and students.
The education industry is gradually becoming one of the top industries to adopt AI. The Sub-Saharan region has the highest number of young people who are embracing new technologies. Parents, too, are letting their kids rely on digital devices and AI chatbots to fill the gaps. Moreover, the government of Ghana had distributed tablets to senior high school students across the country to promote greater tech literacy and reduce the digital divide. In some African countries, both government schools and private schools have made it mandatory for students to learn how to use smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.
This is particularly helpful since stationery is limited in many schools. On the other hand, an e-book can be shared or read together by a group of students without the need for more paper or physical copies. At the same time, overreliance on technology and AI can hurt students’ well-being and critical thinking.
That’s why it is important to know how AI in education can empower teachers and students and how educational institutions can maximize the benefits and minimize risks.
AI in the Classroom: Teachers
There are different ways to use artificial intelligence in teaching. Teachers can use AI in classrooms and classroom activities as well as for administrative tasks. The idea is to reduce their workload through automation while ensuring the quality of the outcome. With so many EdTech solutions in the market, it is important to know which tools are suitable for your specifications and how they can help you streamline lessons, exams, assignments, and more in the classroom.
Quiz Generator for Assessments
The simplest way to empower teachers using advanced technology is through an AI quiz generator. It is a powerful tool to convert input data into question papers, quizzes, etc., in a quick time. Teachers don’t have to spend several hours preparing a test paper. They can do it right in the classroom in a couple of minutes using a question generator from text. This allows them to conduct more tests, organize quizzes for fun learning, and initiate discussions in the classroom by asking questions.
Even summative, formative, and final exams can be created and conducted using the quiz generator. For example, PrepAI, an NLP-based (natural language processing) quiz generator, creates exam papers with varied question types (multiple choice, true or false, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, crossword, and descriptive questions) from the given input. It can also add visual content, like diagrams, charts, tables, graphs, and images, to the test papers. For online exams, the tool automatically grades the submitted answers and shares instant results, further reducing workload for teachers and providing quick feedback to students.
Generative AI for Content Creation
Generative AI for teachers helps in creating new content, such as study material, notes, lesson plans, assignments, and more. It can summarize large pieces of content into simple and shorter lessons. GenAI tools like ChatGPT are also good for brainstorming ideas that allow teachers to come up with interesting and engaging ways of teaching lessons in the classroom.
For example, tools like Microsoft Bing are great for generating images and short videos. There are many AI tools that can create audiovisual content based on the given input. By using such tools, the classroom atmosphere will be lively and encourage students to pay attention to the lessons. Furthermore, teachers can generate certificates and electronic rewards or badges for students and create healthy competition in the classroom. AI is the best tool for gamifying lessons and assessments.
AI for Translation and Inclusivity
Smart classroom technology can help teachers bridge the gap between students from different communities. AI and NLP-powered tools translate content from one language to another, allowing teachers to discuss the lessons in more than one language and to interact with all students. Similarly, accessibility features like read-aloud, screen contrast, etc., can create an inclusive classroom where students with disabilities can also engage with the lessons.
A recent news report says that Orange, a telecom provider in eighteen African countries, had signed a deal with OpenAI to use its pre-release models to translate regional African languages. That’s because the continent is home to over 2000 languages, and many AI models so far haven’t worked with them due to a lack of access to data. This deal will change things in many ways and can help teachers converse with and teach students from diverse languages.
AI for Critical Thinking
A common concern about using AI in education is that it could reduce critical thinking in students and make them rely on technology for everything. While the concerns are valid, AI can be equally helpful in identifying and enhancing critical thinking skills. It depends on how much the technology is used.
For example, PrepAI is an AI question answer generator supported by Bloom’s Taxonomy framework. It creates tests that measure the higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) of students and helps teachers provide personalized feedback to enhance their abilities. The questions created by the tool actually encourage students to think and apply their knowledge to score better marks in the examinations.
AI in the Classroom: Students
Just like how technology helps teachers, empowering students with AI is also possible by introducing new tools in the classrooms. Moreover, AI can be used to promote online/ remote learning, where students can attend lessons from their homes. This helps students who live away from schools to still have access to education.
Intelligent Tutoring Systems
Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) are AI-based learning tools that provide one-to-one lessons to students through AI chatbots and virtual assistants. Moreover, the software analyses how kids learn, how they arrive at a solution, what lessons are difficult for them, etc., and creates personalized learning processes. Details that a teacher might miss in the classroom due to the number of students can also be tracked and highlighted using ITS.
AI for Communication
EdTech AI solutions are not limited to learning but also focus on improving the soft skills of students. Some students may feel uncomfortable interacting with others at school. For them, AI chatbots offer an alternative to share their queries and clear their doubts. Similarly, students can learn to speak better by practicing with AI tools. They can chat with other students if they are too shy to talk to them. Gradually, teachers and AI tools can instill confidence in young minds and encourage them to interact with others face-to-face in the classrooms.
AI for Creative Learning
Like teachers, students can create images, videos, etc., using AI tools as a part of their homework or assignments. At the same time, kids can understand how to use AI ethically and responsibly, and ways to avoid plagiarism. That way, AI in education can be used for creative learning while promoting awareness about being responsible with others’ intellectual property. They can create practice tests using question-answer generator tools to do well in the exams.
Final Words
From encouraging teachers and students to learn new information to automating recurring tasks and assisting with complex activities, AI in education has a diverse and varied role. The results of using AI depend on how educational institutions incorporate it into their systems. Those unsure of the process can start by using quiz AI tools to streamline assessments and save resources.
