In the debate over whether Artificial Intelligence is beneficial for our society, how does AI influence our system of pedagogy?
In Takamatsu, Japan at Kagawa University, special needs classrooms are using new-found technology to aid and provide the right support for students with varying disabilities and development levels. A special needs education specialist named Satoshi Sakai says, "We would like to build a system that can provide appropriate help so that teachers can support students with special needs, regardless of distance or environment." (Yamaguchi p. 11) This perfectly describes a situation where Artificial Intelligence can step in and use its capabilities to assist students. Artificial Intelligence already holds a prominent position in pedagogy for a number of reasons. It aids instructors by completing tasks that would otherwise detract from the instructor’s ability to expound on how to apply learned material to “real-world” scenarios, as well as personalizing information for specific students. Expounding on that topic, AI also gives individual, in-depth lessons that provide unique learning tactics for students. My perspective is if Artificial Intelligence can better our education system in any way, we should capitalize on that opportunity. If AI can help further the education of students with, autism, visual or auditory impairments, and other learning disabilities, it should immediately be incorporated into the curriculum. Artificial Intelligence is not only beneficial, but also a valuable asset for humans to use. There are endless possibilities that AI can reach when it comes to our education system, and the introduction of it into pedagogy will immensely benefit our students.
Pedagogy systems today are aided by various forms of technology which include (but are not limited to): tablets, computers, interactive projector screens, wireless connections, and interactive whiteboards. Although these options provide advanced resources for students to learn and show mastery, there is still a gap between technological options students and teachers currently have access to, versus what Artificial Intelligence can provide for them. Across the board, there are current forms of technology that can each be improved by AI. Presently, educational programs on computer-automated systems (computers, tablets, etc.) provide alternative options deemed “sufficient” for students to learn, but with the implementation of AI, students will be able to interact with the technology in real-time. This allows the technology to not only better assist the student, but form an authentic curriculum for that individual student. My position correlates with Santhanam’s and Schniederjans’s as they express in their article, “Students should be given an overview of hardware and software tools, such as problem-solving shells, programming languages, and workstations…” (Santhanam and Schniederjans p. 10) We agree on the level of policy where students should be given the appropriate tools, strategies, and accessibility to upgraded technology.
One specific area that Artificial Intelligence can immediately improve is collaborating with instructors/ teachers. There will never be a classroom where teachers are not a vital part of its purpose. My mother is a 1st-grade teacher of 25 years, so I know first-hand the effect that teachers have on a classroom. Teachers set the tone of their classrooms, construct a welcoming environment, mentor and nurture students, become role models, and listen and observe for signs of trouble and obstacles that students may encounter. AI will be incorporated into classrooms strictly to aid teachers and give them resources to provide to students as they see fit. Currently, teachers have tasks every day that they have to manually take care of. These inevitably detract from the amount of time and focus teachers have when preparing/ instructing a class. But imagine if some of these tasks were performed by AI? Instead of teachers having to sit down and manually grade students’ tests and assignments, AI (which already grades multiple choice exams) can remove this from the equation so that teachers will have fewer duties to tackle when they could be focusing on students in the classroom. Rather than exclusively relying on students’ exam scores to assess how well they are understanding the material, Sean Kelly, a sociologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, and his team has created a computer model that can distinguish when a teacher is asking students an “authentic” question. “I’m sure if you just let the engineers loose, they could come up with a program that would give teachers all sorts of feedback, but would that be the same feedback that a content expert would give? That’s what our research is all about. We were very happy to see reliabilities as high as we did” (Barshay p. 5) said Kelly in early 2018. Having the ability to observe and then adjust how well your classroom functions would abet teachers in making their classrooms as efficient as possible. Teachers and educators are the backbones of our pedagogy system, and relieving them of monotonous tasks using AI will allow their primary focus to shift to the condition of the students in their classroom.
Special education classrooms are vital to serving the needs of every student. They exist to provide students with disabilities comprehensive education services and meet their unique needs while preparing them for higher education and future employment. In the United States, referring to the age demographic of six to twenty-one, 8.4% of them require special education services, which adds up to be approximately 7 million students nationwide (Editors of Masters in Special Education Degrees p. 2). Special needs programs, possibly, could be the school system demographic that benefits the most from incorporated AI. Since special needs programs are already providing alternative learning methods, Artificial Intelligence would further expand the opportunities for new instructional techniques to be used. Of the 7 million special needs students in the U.S., an astonishing 51% have specific learning disabilities. Artificial Intelligence would personalize the curriculum, allowing students to access new ways of circumventing their ailment and receive the education they deserve. Heidi Hinrichs Devore and Laura T. Zionts, who co-wrote the article “A New Era in Special Education”, say, “Ensure assessment tools that include accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities” (Devore and Zionts p. 13). With the use of AI as an option for instructors, special needs students will be able to receive the best sources of information available, while grasping that information using endless amounts of comprehension strategies.
Most public opinions on furthering the use of technology and Artificial Intelligence in education systems are positive, yet there are some that still oppose the thought of the progressing, technology-rich educational era. An opinion that I oppose is one of W.F. Clocksin, a former professor at Oxford and Cambridge, “Computers don’t have the processing power or memory capacity to do the job properly” (Clocksin p. 7). I come upon a few problems with Mr. Clocksin’s proposal. Even with their few imperfections, is AI not able to withhold more information than us humans can? Are they not able to find ways to perfect their methods along the way through trial and error? If a student is progressing slowly, to show mastery, AI has the ability to attempt new teaching methods, as well as adjust to the student’s specific way that they receive information. Junaid Mubeen, the head of product at Whizz Education, possess a troubled view of AI in education. He states, “With the rise of AI-driven intelligent tutors, educators have been forced to confront their own existential crisis: can a machine teach and, if so, where does this leave teachers? (Mubeen p. 4). Mubeen claims that even the term “Artificial Intelligence” kindles a fear of human ability displacement. As previously stated, teachers will always be the cornerstone of a classroom. AI will be an advantageous option for teachers and instructors to use when they deem it necessary for the betterment of the student’s education. This will not endanger the jobs or roles of teachers in the classroom, instead, AI will thrive as a powerful, new instruction tool.
Artificial Intelligence’s presence in our education system has (will continue to) provided the “gold standard” of the curriculum in our education system. As it develops further, Artificial Intelligence will continue to contribute our country’s students with innovative and precise tools that give them the best chance to excel. Humans will always be a critical part of our education system, but with the aid of AI, our opportunities to push the limits of our pedagogy will be endless. This is on the level of quality, because of individuals’ opinions that teachers alone can do an acceptable job of leading our students into a new age of pedagogy. The latter says that AI will bring an infinite amount of information and strategies, strictly for the improvement of our education system. Informing and explaining the benefits of Artificial Intelligence included in pedagogy is my main focus in constructing my article. It would do academic readers a disservice to attempt to persuade their opinions, I am merely informing them of the pros and cons that Artificial Intelligence, included in our education system, presents.
Personally, as a current college student, having the best sources to broaden the horizons of my educational experience is something I greatly desire. To easily be able to learn an aspect of a subject that I don't fully understand would immensely improve my performance and motivation. When I lack comprehension of a subject, I tend to stall and lose motivation. With more options that provide helpful material, on a personal level, it would allow me to exceed in previously challenging areas of academia. Artificial Intelligence’s ability to aid students and faculty of schools, colleges, and universities is endless. With advanced technology, students are able to receive an exceptional learning experience with various options of how it is presented to them. With so many opportunities for technological improvement to change the landscape of our pedagogy, I eagerly await the dawn of the new educational age.