Editor’s note: WRAL TechWire contributing writer Jen McFarland has 20+ years working in IT with experiences across a range of tools and technologies. She wants to help small businesses and teams design, improve, and maintain the technology that helps them succeed. In 2022, she incorporated Marit Digital.
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“Well-informed people know it is impossible to transmit the voice over wires and that were it possible to do so, the thing would be of no practical value.”
– Boston Post Editorial, 1865
“Cell phones will absolutely not replace local wire systems.”
– Martin Cooper, inventor of the first mobile phone, 1981
“The Internet is the most dangerous thing invented since the atomic bomb.”
– John Mellencamp, 2010
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RALEIGH – History is littered with examples of technological progress dismissed and discouraged. The publishing industry fought against e-books. The film industry resisted streaming services. And the music industry kept up a particularly vitriolic fight against digital downloads for many years before finally finding a way to embrace the technology.
AI is perhaps unique in that its potential impact is so broad; almost no industry will be untouched by it. And to be fair, many industries have welcomed the technology. But one segment that may be slower to embrace AI is education – and for good reason.
Early Issues
The obstacles and concerns for teachers are numerous. The US Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology last month released its 71-page report on “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning.” In it, the OET cited privacy concerns, including teacher surveillance, as well as shifting workloads that may negate the benefits of AI. The paper also raised the issue of training teachers, who in turn must train students, while trying to keep adequate oversight of AI usage.
Teachers, already overwhelmed (and underpaid) have limited bandwidth to delve into the possibilities – or the potential pitfalls. One of the first use cases for ChatGPT was to have the Large Language Model (LLM) generate homework responses and even full essays. Teachers have taken advantage of several tools that claim to distinguish the difference between AI and human-written text, including one claiming up to 99% accuracy. However, false positives have also been well-documented, some with daunting effects. Teachers will need to be trained on how to use these tools to the best effect.
https://maritdigital.com/2023/06/15/virtual-reality-your-data-be-warned-security-is-lacking-across-emerging-tech/
The Promise of Quality Educational Experiences
Meanwhile, the use cases for AI in improved educational outcomes are many. Dr. James Lester, NC State Goodnight Distinguished University Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning spoke at the NC TECH Exponential on this topic, specifically referencing the potential for AI tools to replace the tutor experience, widely understood to be one of the best ways to learn.
“It may be maybe because of coaching or problem-solving, natural language interaction, modeling the affect or emotional states of students. These are all what very expert tutors are known to do,” said Lester. “Providing metacognitive support, motivating students, and a dozen other things.”
Lester acknowledged, “This is not something we can all afford.”
But the power of AI can democratize this experience, creating a support tool available to every single student, tailored to their needs.
The OET report offered tempting glimpses into use cases of these kinds of engaged learning. An AI interacting with a student might discern a weakness overlooked by a teacher with a full classroom. AI assessments might offer insights into career paths or future areas of interest for a student. Other AI-supported tools might support a teacher seeking to create more neurodiverse materials. The AI teacher’s assistant of the future has plenty to keep them busy.
A tutor for every child is prohibitive.
“What is scalable,” said Lester, “is developing AI technologies that can really provide personalized learning experiences to students that can take on lots of innovative forms that we’re just beginning to imagine.”
The Classroom Transition
In addition to the usual AI concerns of bias and privacy, more subtle obstacles arise when considering AI in the classroom. The OET report cites the risk of AI resulting in less respect and value of teachers as a major issue, especially at a time when there is waning interest in joining an educational profession.
Teachers must be afforded the opportunity to contribute to AI as a solution, including writing policy, developing new skills, and designing new tools and processes. And they must be compensated for this work. The OET report acknowledged these issues throughout, including their recommendation to "Inform and Involve Educators."
"We call upon institutions that prepare teachers to integrate technology more systematically into their programs" the report states on page 59. "For example, the use of technology in teaching and learning should be a core theme across teacher preparation programs, not an issue that arises only in one course."
Indeed, for the teaching profession, integrating AI will be a marathon, a fact the OET report acknowledged. While AI has the power to democratize information, that functionality will in many cases only make it to the classroom once guidelines are in place to manage it. For many across the US, this will be a technology whose access is defined not by classroom funding, but by the pace of local politicians and school boards.
Because a core challenge of AI is that much of its functionality remains opaque, even to the scientists and developers building it. According to the OET report, a foundation of AI in education must be transparency, including AI tools that must be "inspectable" and "explainable." Educational and community leaders will have to weigh the benefits to teachers and students against the uncertain risks of the tools.
https://maritdigital.com/2023/06/07/who-owns-an-ai-created-brand-name-local-branding-and-marketing-ceo-says/
“Buckle Your Seatbelts”
The educational system is facing an immense challenge to integrate these tools for students and teachers, but there’s no time to lose. Many of us are going to be (or already are) expected to use these tools for our jobs. Students cannot leave educational institutions where AI is taboo and expect to be successful in a labor market where it is required.
I have little doubt that my kids, 3 and 6, will be utilizing these tools by the time they reach high school. In fact, with AI encroaching on almost every online experience, I suspect one day they’ll ask what the internet was used for before AI.
As Dr. Lester said in closing, “It’s really the case, again, without exaggeration, that we have technologies that we’ve never seen before. And they’re not only really good, they’re getting better, really quick.”
It’s time to start learning – and teaching – how to use them.
