Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies in Education

EDUA - 6381 Critical Issue in Ed Tech

In the TED Talk video “How A.I. can Save (Not Destroy) Education,” Sal Kahn (TED, 2023) discusses the ethical divide on whether Artificial Intelligence should be used in the classroom to enhance student learning. Whenever we enter a new era that is moved by innovation and technology, the speed and magnitude of the change have profoundly impacted the reshaping of society, i.e., the industrial revolution at the turn of the 20th century. We have already had these ethical discussions at other time periods of history, and at the heart of this discussion today is how to best integrate new and emerging technologies, like A.I., in schools, work, and everyday life.

Sal Khan (TED, 2023), in his discourse, supports the notion that “we are at the cusp of using A.I., giving every student an A.I. tutor and giving every teacher a teaching assistant. Benjamin Bloom further expands on this idea by citing the “two sigma study or two sigma problem,” that personal one-to-one tutor can elevate an average student to exceptional, a below average student to above average, all crediting A.I. as the tool that has the capability to elevate achievement as described.

Therefore, harnessing the power of (A.I.) artificial intelligence in the classrooms to assist both students and teachers should be easy to figure out, except that understanding the potential of A.I. raises ethical questions about student cheating, student learning, and other factors about the impact A.I. will have in the classroom and the educational system. Sal Khan (TED, 2023) argues that you can “mitigate” some of these fears or concerns by setting parameters on how A.I. technology is used in the classroom. ChatGPT is at the heart of this controversy, and some question how students should be allowed to use it. ChatGPT is a writing assistance tool that supports and enhances students' writing abilities.

On the other side, some argue that the writing assistant is doing all the work for the student and students will eventually not learn how to write. Mr. Khan cites multiple examples of how A.I. can be used as part of the integrated technology that is necessary and available to help students if we can only get past the hyperbole and start to assess and measure the impact A.I. can have on the student’s learning and the teacher’s ability to elevate her teaching or instructional capacities to deliver elevated instruction strategies or lesson plan for her students.

In the video, “How Will Schools Respond to The A.I. Revolution?" (How Will Schools Respond to the A.I. Revolution? #Chatgpt #Artificialintelligence, n.d.) John Spencer states, "A.I. has the power to synthesize information, find new ideas when we are stuck, and that A.I. can be a powerful writing tool that will enhance student learning.” Also, it states that vintage innovation defines how using A.I. wisely is a teacher’s ability to be an innovator, the architect of new ways of teaching. A.I. and other emerging technology will never replace them in the workforce because teachers will permanently change the world.”

The article “Exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence in K-12 education” (Exploring the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education – News – the Latest at the College of Education – Michigan State University, 2021) indicates that A.I. is everywhere, from reading emails to referencing search engines. A.I. in the K-12 classroom has “become more prevalent, and because of learning shifts brought about by the high demand for online learning due to COVID-19, the acceleration of using these tools has raised societal and ethical implications”. The article cites multiple examples of how A.I. can help students do better and teachers improve their teaching. Akgun and her co-author, Associate Professor Christine Greenhow, cited four key areas teachers should consider when using A.I. in their classrooms. There is the issue of privacy, students giving consent to access personal data; surveillance, which is monitoring and tracking student’s conversations; autonomy, and the use of algorithms to predict student’s performance on tests and issues of fairness and self-freedom; and finally, bias and discrimination, algorithms which box students into potential career pathways, such as she is a nurse or a doctor, that may not be accurate or giving student’s false inclinations on career choices.

A.I. does have the power to alter or change our lives, sometimes just being awed by the potentials of A.I. Yes, it is quick to calculate or able to find alternatives to problems or gives you instant solutions and while I agree, all these factors make valid arguments about why A.I. is helpful, there are other factors to consider. We must consider all facets of this equation and investigate and develop innovative approaches to utilizing A.I. in the classrooms instead of just discounting these tools as a no-option. We also should invest in ways to best utilize A.I. and other emerging technology as a tool for enhanced learning. We must search and identify these balances when using A.I. because it is no longer a choice. A.I. is already here; the only question to be asked is how schools will manage A.I. and other emerging technologies and harness the power in a safe and efficient alternative to enhance teaching or learning as one more strategy in the classrooms.

References

Exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence in K-12 education – News – The Latest at the College of Education – Michigan State University. (2021, November 3). Education.msu.edu. https://education.msu.edu/news/2021/exploring-the-ethics-of-artificial-intelligence-in-k-12-education/

How Will Schools Respond to the A.I. Revolution? #chatgpt #artificialintelligence. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgygRCdHbmc

TED. (2023, May 1). The Amazing AI Super Tutor for Students and Teachers | Sal Khan | TED. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJP5GqnTrNo