Diversity in the classroom is to be celebrated. In the last few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a significant feature in technology and education, including at university. In this article, we will explain what AI is and then establish how the technology works, examine the benefits to educators and students, and outline the opportunities and challenges AI poses to the education community.
Definition
The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines AI as a technology in which computers are trained to utilise large language models ‘to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision making and translation between languages’. Google explains that:
Artificial intelligence is a field of science or engineering concerned with building computers and machines that can reason, learn and act in such a way that would normally require human intelligence or that involves data whose scale exceeds what humans can analyze.
We begin by explaining some of the popular terms and tools used in navigating AI. One such term is ChatGPT which refers to the helpful hand provided by way of a Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, which refers to how ChatGPT processes requests and formulates responses. This is a computer trained program that uses many language models to collect and quickly disseminate information. Consider the ways in which we use a web-based search engine to look for information. ChatGPT uses a similar model, only that it uses a larger data base and works many times faster. It is a tool that lets users enter prompts to receive human-like images, text, or videos created by AI.
Common questions in education
Educators might be curious to understand how AI is used to advance our understanding of some concepts. Also, they may have many questions about the challenges that AI introduces to the field. These questions might include:
· What aspects of AI benefit teachers?
· How can teachers use AI in planning and programming?
· In what ways would students use content provided by AI and present it as their own work?
· What ethical considerations does AI pose to both teachers and students?
· In what ways can knowledge gained through AI be misused?
· How has AI been used to spread disinformation?
· What disciplines are more vulnerable in the face of AI?
The challenges related to differentiating students’ original work and work that is AI-generated poses problems for students. We should ponder whether AI encourages research or creative work. Also, are some disciplines more vulnerable than others? How would some disciplines, such as visual and performing arts, respond to content produced by AI?
Usefulness
AI technology is useful because it processes and disseminates information in record time. AI can be used to empower humans through technology. Advances in medicine have led to the cure of debilitating diseases, including some forms of cancer. New medicine has been introduced and released in record time. Processes that took nearly ten years before only take months when creating new medicines. These advances have perhaps given humanity more faith in science.
There are gains to be made using AI in education. Teachers can research information about topics they need for their teaching and get faster responses without spending days looking for content. This means less time is spent on planning and programming. AI makes their work more manageable. Students can also research assignments and use AI to get a head start on their work. AI should not be expected to complete all student assignments. However, ideas initiated by AI can be developed and shaped by students if they also acknowledge that they have used AI in preparing the initial concepts of their work. This would save them from being found to have breached academic integrity in preparing their work. Students can be guided so that they do not cut and paste content and then present the work as their own.
Risks
Subjects such as Creative Arts including drama (script writing) and music (composing) are possibly the ones most vulnerable in the age of AI. Creative Artists have protested that machines could be used to replace them in their trade. Teachers and students of creative arts should respond to such challenges so that they retain creativity and authenticity. Art needs to be used to help us communicate with each other about human experience.
However, in the wrong hands, the technology can also be misused. In politics, for instance, voice technology has been used to fake voices of people and mislead entire populations about characters in the political arena. Young people are particularly vulnerable as the tech giants are seen to be influencing the lives of our youth. As a tool, social media has been used to influence the younger generation who may be social media users. Therefore, it becomes necessary to have safeguards along the way. Teachers and students should learn to identify instances where misinformation is presented as truth.
Ways to use AI with students
For teachers and students, it is necessary to get a clear picture of how best to use this new technology. For instance, teachers need to prepare their lessons, which takes time. AI uses tools where new technology assists teachers in accessing content quickly. Lesson plans can be prepared within a span of eight minutes. South Australia’s Department of Education suggests several ways teachers can use AI tools. AI tools can be used to reword information so that students at different stages of learning understand it. It can also be used for inspiration on topics, to create or prompt questions as the basis for conversations or assessments for students and to tailor a task to support engagement.
Students may use AI tools in their learning in various ways. A child can use AI to answer simple questions on a topic, start creative tasks like stories or poems or explain information in different ways to help their understanding. Parents and caregivers consider privacy, security concerns, and students’ learning needs.
Academic integrity matters should also be considered. Schools can encourage students to use AI to support their original thinking rather than replace it. Chatbots can present work that is very close to what human beings produce, even without the aid of computers. Telling the difference in texts can be very challenging.
Conclusion
Within educational systems all over the world, AI brings benefits and risks. The ways in which teachers and students respond to issues related to the use of AI for academic purposes can be both a challenge and an opportunity. Educators can learn to use AI to assist with teaching but also guard against the misuse of this new and emerging technology.
The use of AI represents the shifting nature of educational technology. Teachers and students cannot escape the challenges and opportunities presented by this technology.
