What are the tensions between “efficiency” arguments and fundamentally new paradigms for teaching and learning? Yes, AI will contribute to a transformation of education. And yes, AI has the potential to benefit students and help teachers with their workload. But we need to remember the human aspect of teaching and learning. And AI can never be human. And AI can never replace a human teacher.

“Personalization” is a hot topic, but what needs to happen in collective/collaborative environments? In the video “Generative AI & the future of education” (Oxford Generative AI Summit, 2023), Laura Knight said about personalization, feedback and assessment, we need to remember the collective and collaborative aspects of schools and education. So one of the benefits of AI that is talked about a lot is personalization. First, we would need to think about Special Education students, accessibility and differentiation. We need to be careful that when we build AI systems such as Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) and adaptive learning systems that one size does not fit all. Second, school is a collective community activity, collaboration, students working with peers, and working with human teachers are all important aspects of schools. So in schools and education, the larger community that the student lives in, the society, is an important aspect. And culture is also important aspect of teaching and learning. So there is a tension between the individual and personal and the collective aspect of teaching and learning. And the social and emotional aspects of teaching and learning are protected. I recall Rebecca Winthrop pointing out that now it is more important that student learn about oracy and speaking skills and interacting with other human peers.

In the video “Generative AI & the future of education” (Oxford Generative AI Summit, 2023), I like how the moderator captured some of the main themes. AIED came into the mainstream spotlight with ChatGPT and generative AI but that AIED is not new and at one time the spotlight was on personalization. So pertinent questions are what AI can do. Can AI be a peer learner for students? And back to the question of personalization. And questions about student data and privacy. And how does AI tie into Learning Management Systems. How can generative AI be a tool to help teachers with their workload or help students and teachers with their creative thought processes. So AI is an enabler. And the new word is augmentation.

Phillip Colligan, CEO of Raspberry Pi Foundation reported that an issue that exists with AI is anthropomorphization, in that if we talk about AI as if they are humans then students develop misconceptions that prevent them from understanding more advanced concepts.

Laura Knight warned that we need to teach students about synthetic experiences and relationships when interacting with AI so that the AI tool is not some magical fairy or genie but more like a sophisticated search engine. This reminds me that Steven Pemberton talking about ChatGPT as a stochastic parrot.

Prof. Jeremy Knox talked about it not about having access to technology but rather what one does with the technology when one has access to the technology. Consider two scenarios. On one hand you have a classroom with students sitting in front of a personalizing AI software tool and the teacher in front of the class teaching. So there is whole class teaching in combination with at times students working alone with their personalized AI systems. At the other end of the spectrum is a scenario where you have a classroom space is composed of a series of AI systems with the students in front of them alone for most of the lesson engaging in a one-to-one relationship with the AI system, doing self-directed learning or preparing for assessments and so on. I see the value of self-directed learning. One can imagine that students sitting alone engaging with AI, even if it is a personalized AI system, is not the best scenario and the better scenario is one with a teacher present.

References

Oxford Generative AI Summit. (2023, Nov 7). Generative AI & the future of education. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxRKWocH9zs