Source: https://pixabay.com/en/thought-idea-innovation-imagination-2123970/

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made a major impression in many areas of our day-to-day lives. According to an infographic by Ohio University, many different industries will be heavily impacted by AI in the future. These include healthcare, finance, management, transportation, manufacturing, and analytics. Chances are, you’ve encountered some form of AI in your everyday routine already, whether you’re aware of it or not.

 

Perhaps one of the most incredible uses of AI lies in the education industry, where machine learning has the ability to augment (but not replace) the work of educators in a variety of different ways. In terms of education, the infographic states “AI can track student’s learning and estimate their understanding of a subject, provide appropriate feedback and guidance and help develop key learning habits” – and that’s putting it mildly. As we can see from recent applications, the potential for AI in education is almost infinite. In fact, according to an article on Forbes that quotes an “Artificial Intelligence Market in the US Education Sector” report, AI in U.S. education is expected to grow by 47.5 percent by 2021.

Customized Learning Capabilities

In schools with low budgets and minimal staff, it’s hard for educators to adjust learning based on every individual student’s needs. AI can help combat this problem, allowing for a level of differentiation that would otherwise be impossible to achieve for teachers who have to manage many students in class.

 

The Forbes article draws upon examples of companies like Content Technologies and Carnegie Learning that are “currently developing intelligent instruction design and digital platforms that use AI to provide learning, testing and feedback to students from pre-K to college level that gives them the challenges they are ready for, identifies gaps in knowledge and redirects to new topics when appropriate.”

 

There is even potential for AI to read and analyze the expressions on student’s faces, so as to instantly know whether the student is struggling to comprehend a lesson. Based on this, the AI will then modify a lesson plan to respond to these expressions. While teachers today might not be able to customize lesson plans to suit each student’s needs, AI-powered applications definitely have the potential to do so.

Changing Interactions with Information

AI might be unable to provide the human element that is integral to learning, but it definitely has a significant role to play in less formal methods of instruction. For instance, applications developed by the online learning and educational resources company Quizlet are changing the way students interact with and assimilate information.

 

In February 2018, Quizlet raised $20 million in venture capital funding to further develop its AI offerings. Their goal is to create a low-cost accessible alternative to private tutors, easily available for students anywhere in the world who might not be able to afford external educational assistance. In an interview, Quizlet CEO Matthew Glotzbach stated, “This new functionality really helps give a guided study path that most effectively and efficiently gets someone to mastery on the information they’re studying.” What’s important to note is that Quizlet is not aiming to replace educators or formal education systems. Rather, it intends to provide supplemental resources that assist with materials that students are learning in the classroom.

The Automation of Basic Activities

In schools and colleges, grading homework and tests can be mundane and time-consuming work. The act of grading and then logging in grades can be tedious, and in most cases, this time could be used to better interact with students, thoroughly prepare for class, or even work on professional development and research.

 

As a technology, AI can help automate various processes. Experts at Pepperdine University state that AI is crucial to streamlining processes across industries: “Performance improvements can be made by replacing the workers or augmenting the workforce. Augmenting allows workers to do their jobs faster and better.” In this way, while AI might never be able to completely replace human grading, it’s definitely in the running.

 

According to an article on Teach Thought, AI makes it possible for teachers to automate grading for multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank testing. Essay-grading software is still in its infant stages, but don’t be surprised to soon see AI utilized in the grading of various types of writing assignments. The main benefit of AI in this area is that it frees up a lot of time for teachers to use more innovatively and productively.

Universal Access to Education

With AI, a global classroom is no longer an idealistic vision for the future. Currently, AI tools allow for classrooms and knowledge to be accessed by students all over the world who speak different languages, or those who might have hearing and visual impairments.

 

As stated in the Forbes article, one example of this technology is Presentation Translator, a “free plug-in for PowerPoint that creates subtitles in real time for what the teacher is saying.” This sort of AI application allows for education to be universally accessible and at a very low cost.

 

It also opens up learning possibilities for students who are unable to physically attend school due to illnesses, or those who require learning at a different level. Additionally, it gives students the freedom to study subjects that are not available in their own school, from experts in that specific field. It might take a while to successfully implement these capabilities across the globe, but the potential is very much present to do so.

 

Ultimately, access to education is a basic human right, and AI is extremely useful in making this access totally universal, regardless of the physical barriers and other inherent disadvantages some students may face.

 

There is no doubt that technology is indeed changing the face of education. With consistent development, education at all levels could soon be more accessible at a significantly lower cost. In the coming years, we will surely see the applications of AI in all aspects of teaching and learning.