Key points:

• Educators need more information on AI-powered tools, and they need it yesterday
• Administrators will be tasked with staying up to date on what’s happening in the world of AI–and with helping teachers become more comfortable with it
• See related article: 5 things to know about ChatGPT in education

As the ‘23-’24 school year comes into focus, there is now little doubt we are on the brink of a major technological revolution that will affect our schools, our jobs, and our lives in ways we can’t yet fathom. By now, you’ve likely seen countless variations of “The Robots are Coming” headlines from clever copywriters hunting for clicks. But when is this tidal wave of innovation going to hit, and how can we be ready when it does?

There are legitimate concerns about early-stage AI, including:

• Security and privacy
  Of all the issues, this one feels like the easiest to address. In short, if you’re working with a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT and want to stay compliant with student data privacy laws, simply do not input any identifiable information about your student. Ask questions to confirm that any AI-integrated apps are keeping prompts and identifying data separate.  Assume anything that goes into your prompts can and will be seen by others.

• Bias and discrimination
  There’s no getting around the fact that AI is biased. It’s biased because people are biased, the data it’s been trained on is biased, and its lack of nuance or self awareness means it has a hard time even identifying the possibility of bias.
  
  The deeper problem is that nobody will ever agree on how much (if any) moderation should be present. Heck, we can’t even agree on how to define the concept of “bias” to begin with. This is a problem without an easy answer, but the long and short of it is that AI is not any more biased than any other medium we or our kids are exposed to in the modern world. If we sit around waiting for “unbiased AI,” we’ll be waiting a long, long time. The onus is on developers to account for and mitigate this risk whenever possible. It’s also on the adults in the room to help our children better understand the concept of bias and how it can influence the media we consume, not just within the realm of AI.

Key points:

• It’s time to welcome ChatGPT into classrooms–and embrace the opportunities that come with it
• Using the AI tool in writing instruction can help students develop critical digital literacy skills
• See related article: 4 ways to use ChatGPT for learning and creativity

When ChatGPT appeared in November 2022, most educators felt it could become a threat and change the whole niche forever. No wonder: This language model algorithm is smart enough to produce logical and grammatically correct texts for any prompt.

Today’s digital-savvy students welcomed ChatGPT with open arms and began using it for writing assignments. According to a new study from Academic Help, 67 percent of students use AI for creating texts – the basis for their essays and other papers.

The issue here is not only about the academic integrity violation. AI tools are on the rise, and students use them for different purposes:

• Grammar checking
• Citation generation
• Plagiarism checking
• Generating topic ideas, outlines, and reference lists for academic papers

Like it or not, AI is here. While 42.55 percent of students say their schools don’t allow AI tools, we understand it’s not the proper solution to the problem. It won’t go anywhere, and teachers can’t separate students from access to this technology.

Key points:

• Generative AI can provide consistent, personalized feedback to students
• It’s crucial to remember that AI is a tool, not a replacement for teachers–it’s there to enhance the educational experience
• See related article: The importance of teaching generative AI

Today, we’re going to take a peek behind the curtain of edtech to examine the developing phenomenon that’s on all of our lips: Generative AI. The question, of course, is whether this fancy newcomer is the secret weapon educators have been waiting for or just another high-tech toy with a lot of hype and little substance. Spoiler alert: It might just be the former.

A brief primer on generative AI

For the uninitiated, generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that can create new content from scratch. It’s like a digital Picasso, but instead of painting, it might be writing essays, producing music, or even generating feedback on students’ work. Exciting, right? But, can it really help in a classroom setting?

Personalized learning: The holy grail of education

Personalized learning has long been the holy grail of education. The idea of tailoring a curriculum to each student’s unique needs and strengths is the stuff of dreams for most educators but, with large classes and limited resources, it’s been more a dream than a reality–until now. Enter generative AI, stage right, ready to transform this dream into a tangible, achievable goal.

Generative AI offers an unprecedented level of insight into student performance and progress. It learns from each student’s work, identifying strengths and weaknesses, areas of interest, and even learning styles. In doing so, it allows for the creation of a truly personalized curriculum, with targeted feedback and resources for each individual student.

Key points:

• ChatGPT-4 enriches curriculum, fosters collaboration, and prepares students for the challenges of the digital age
• As higher learning institutions embrace ChatGPT-4 and AI technologies, they contribute to shaping a future-ready generation of learners
• See related article: At ISTELive 23, balancing humanity with AI

In an era defined by technological innovation, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has become a game-changer in higher education. ChatGPT-4, developed by OpenAI, presents an extraordinary opportunity for higher learning institutions to revolutionize education. By incorporating ChatGPT-4 as a required part of the learning experience, institutions can unlock a new realm of innovation, critical thinking, and personalized learning.

The integration of ChatGPT-4 enriches the curriculum, fosters collaboration, and prepares students for the challenges of the digital age. Dr. Ryan Watkins, a professor of education at The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development, said he plans to have his students use ChatGPT to write outlines for class presentations: “I might have my students use it as a starting place, and then they can add their content in and comment about how useful or not useful it was.”

ChatGPT-4’s integration enables students to engage in nuanced discussions, evaluate complex information, and think critically. Its interactive nature encourages learners to question assumptions, analyze perspectives, and develop evidence-based arguments. By engaging with ChatGPT-4, students gain a valuable opportunity to enhance their ability to solve real-world problems using AI-driven approaches.

To implement ChatGPT-4 into the curriculum, institutions can explore various approaches. Firstly, they can partner with organizations like OpenAI to ensure access to the latest AI technologies and updates. Secondly, they can collaborate with instructional designers, AI specialists, and faculty members to develop guidelines, best practices, and ethical frameworks for AI integration. Lastly, they can provide training programs and resources to empower educators to incorporate ChatGPT-4 into their teaching methodologies effectively.

Key points:

• Many educators are unsure of the role generative AI will play in their classrooms
• Despite this hesitation, there are some compelling reasons to use AI to augment teaching and learning
• See related article: How ChatGPT made my lessons more engaging

Artificial intelligence is not a completely new concept in education; it has been used for years. Consider spelling and grammar checks that are built into word processors and autofill suggestions in search engines. What has become new to us this year is easy access to generative AI models, which can generate text and images with simple prompts.

In response to these new tools becoming available to the public, many teachers found themselves resisting AI, considering the ways in which it could complicate verifying academic honesty in student writing and artwork, acknowledging the inaccuracies that AI can generate, the human biases that impact the dataset AI uses, and more.

These are legitimate concerns, and educators must embrace a new wave of change with these new AI tools available.

Argument #1: Students will lose their writing skills if they lean on AI to do it for them. 

When students began using Microsoft Word and Google Docs to draft their essays years ago, the spelling and grammar checking software automatically pointed out or corrected common mistakes. Autocorrect and spell check tools didn’t replace our students’ needs to have a base understanding of the conventions of writing; they simply offered assistance with proofreading. Similarly, widespread use of the calculator didn’t erase the need for mental math; instead, knowledge of how to use the calculator to one’s advantage became just as important as the math itself (Ditch That Textbook, 2023).

Key points:

• Teachers shouldn’t be afraid to try AI language tools as part of their instruction
• AI-powered tools can help students write well and revise their writing more efficiently
• See related article: Is AI the future of education?

Since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT several months ago, there’s been an almost-complete panic in academic circles about the possibility (and sometimes, the reality) of students using AI-powered tools to cheat. 

As an English teacher myself, but also as someone who’s been interested in the development of OpenAI’s work since my own high school days, I admit that I’ve been rather more excited than worried by this development. AI-powered tools, especially language tools, have the potential to help students write well, revise their writing more efficiently, and even to think about languages in a more sophisticated way. 

Here are four AI-powered language tools that I use in my own classroom. While they all have paid options, I’ve found that the free versions work just as well for classroom purposes. 

1. Grammarly: Grammarly is, essentially, a leveled-up version of the autocomplete function on your phone. In that sense, it’s not really a dramatic innovation–more like one step further than you’ve already taken in your personal life. In the classroom, it can help students avoid the kinds of typos that are inevitable when typing (for example, this sentence originally warned against inevitable tpyos). 

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

As Chancellor of the nation’s largest school system, New York City Public Schools, I anticipated starting 2023 by continuing the crucial work of ensuring every student can read proficiently, preparing each student for well-paying jobs, and providing quality schools that are safe, welcoming, and supported by the entire community.

Naturally, our best-laid plans are sometimes disrupted by the advance of technology and innovation. 

In November, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the public, unleashing the power of generative artificial intelligence and other programs that use vast data sets to generate new and original content. Due to potential misuse and concerns raised by educators in our schools, ChatGPT was soon placed on New York City Public Schools’ list of restricted websites. This doesn’t prohibit its use entirely, but it does require schools to request access for staff and students; websites like YouTube, Netflix, and Roblox share this classification.

This response allowed principals and educators to use ChatGPT while also signaling fear and risk, and it has sparked over 1,000 news articles since January. The knee-jerk fear and risk overlooked the potential of generative AI to support students and teachers, as well as the reality that our students are participating in and will work in a world where understanding generative AI is crucial.

Key points:

• A new survey highlights potential complications down the road as AI takes hold in classrooms
• Many districts don’t currently offer professional development for AI
• See related article: Edtech leaders offer guidance on safe AI classroom integration

A majority of teachers and administrators in a recent survey believe artificial intelligence (AI) will have a significant impact on teaching and learning–but that impact may not be all positive, as roughly half of surveyed teachers believe AI will make their jobs more challenging.

As artificial intelligence (AI) quickly becomes a focal point in U.S. schools, the new survey of educators and administrators conducted by Clever, a digital learning platform, underscores the need for greater preparation for educators and administrators on the use of the emerging technology in classrooms.

Clever conducted a comprehensive survey of over 1,500 teachers and administrators nationwide, coupled with insights from over 100 leading edtech companies in spring 2023. The findings emphasize the need for the edtech sector to proactively address the emerging challenges and opportunities presented by AI.

Divergent views on the impact of AI among teachers and administrators: Eighty-five percent of teachers and 78 percent of administrators believe AI will have a significant impact on teaching. However, a striking discrepancy emerges when they consider the consequences: Half of the teachers surveyed (49 percent) express concern that AI will make their jobs more challenging within three years, while a similar proportion of administrators (46 percent) envision AI easing the teachers’ workload.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

Much of the education narrative around ChatGPT has focused on the potential downsides of the AI tool (think Skynet from “The Terminator”). But as a high school teacher who has experimented with the sophisticated word predictor app in my economics, U.S. History, and speech and debate classes, I’ve found that ChatGPT provides opportunities to engage the students in class activities. Here’s how I’ve harnessed a tool that is here to stay (no matter how many school districts try to block it). 

I welcomed our first “speaker,” ChatGPT.

Our student learning is anchored around Harkness discussions, an educational approach in which students discuss class readings, course material, and other texts. Students learn how to prepare for a discussion, have difficult conversations, understand different perspectives, and meaningfully participate. While many students grasp the notion of voicing their ideas, teaching them to build upon another student’s point is more difficult.

In Economics, we spent one class analyzing the dot-com bubble at the turn of the millennium. To prepare, I asked ChatGPT what caused the bubble, and here was the response:

“The dot-com bubble was caused by a combination of factors, including:

1. Irrational exuberance: Investors were overly optimistic about the potential of internet-based companies, leading to a huge influx of investment capital.
2. Overvaluation of tech startups: Startups with no revenue or profits were valued at extremely high prices, leading to a bubble.
3. Lack of regulation: The SEC failed to adjust its regulations to the new realities of the internet and the stock market.
4. Hype around internet technology: There was a lot of hype around the potential of the internet, which fueled the bubble.
5. These factors combined to create the Dot-com Bubble, which burst in 2000-2001 causing many internet-based companies to fail, leading to a significant loss of investment capital.”

Key points:

• AI detection tools are skyrocketing in popularity–but how efficient are they?
• A look at different AI detectors offers an eye-opening look at whether or not AI-generated pieces are identified as such
• See related article: Is AI the future of education?

Nearly every school or university faculty is having at least a few conversations about how to address a world rich in easy-to-use artificial intelligence tools that can generate student assignments.

Multiple AI detection services claim efficacy in identifying whether text is generated by AI or human writers. Turnitin, ZeroGPT, Quill, and AI Textclassifier each represent this ability and are in use by higher-ed faculty and K-12 educators.

In an attempt to determine the effectiveness of Turnitin’s ability to identify artificial intelligence generated materials, students in a doctoral methods course were asked to submit one or two assignments that were fully generated by ChatGPT or another generative tool like Google’s Bard or Microsoft’s Bing AI. It appears that most students used ChatGPT. Of 28 fully AI-derived assignments, 24 of 28 were determined to be 100 percent AI generated. The other four ranged from zero to 65 percent AI-derived. The size of the papers ranged from 411 to 1368 words.

Turnitin returned evidence of potential plagiarism through its Similarity Scores in the range from zero percent to 49 percent. The average AI generated paper was noted to be 13.75 percent similar to other extant materials. (You can find Turnitin’s AI Writing detection tool FAQ here.)

Key points:

• While AI has its place in the classroom, humans–and their humanity–are a driving force
• There are 5 skills teachers should ensure students have as they move into a world full of AI
• See related article: Edtech leaders offer guidance on safe AI classroom integration

What does it mean to be human in a digital world? At ISTELive 23, that question was central to the annual edtech conference’s focus on what’s happening in education—and what’s next.

“Four years ago, I made a prediction: I predicted that in five years, education would be completely transformed by two factors: a dramatic increase in connectivity, and a dramatic increase in the capabilities of AI,” said ISTE CEO Richard Culatta. “At that time, less than half the schools in the country were one-to-one, and nobody really knew what AI was. It’s interesting to think about where we are just four years later, and how this combination of increased connectivity and AI capabilities is totally changing our world. AI can do some pretty amazing things.”

While AI has exploded in recent months, it’s important to define its place in teaching and learning and identify the skills teachers and students will need as they move into this next generation of education. To that end, ISTE has released a number of resources and guides focused around AI in education.

Three questions have emerged as critical to this process:

1. How can schools use AI to support student learning?
2. How can AI support educators in teaching and in freeing up time?
3. How can we prepare students with the skills they need to thrive in a digital and AI-infused world?

“That last one is one of the most important and also getting the least attention,” Culatta said.

Key points:

• AI will have a wide-ranging impact on education, particularly on personalized learning
• Education’s unpreparedness for the future is exemplified by the emergence of entirely new fields driven by prompt engineering
• See related article: Is AI the future of education?

Some of my most distinct memories from high school involve struggling to grasp abstract concepts without visual or interactive tools. When I was a high school student, technology was significantly limited compared to today’s. I recall longing for resources such as online encyclopedias, interactive simulations, and virtual tutoring that would have made learning more interactive and accessible. Instead, my classmates and I were left to suffer through content-heavy, teacher-led lessons that lacked imagination or passion.

Sound familiar?

At no point did I blame my teachers. They, like most, had the undesirable task of delivering the same content to disengaged teens, not once, but many times a day.  Fast forward to the present, and the landscape has changed dramatically.

Prompt engineering empowers learners to think critically, collaborate effectively, and devise innovative solutions. Artificial intelligence teaching assistants, like Jill Watson at the Georgia Institute of Technology, offer support to students in what was once considered unimaginable ways.  

During the mid-1990s, while pursuing my A-level sociology studies, I became captivated by the enigmatic realm of hyperreality. This concept, coined by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, posits blurred boundaries between reality and simulation in postmodern societies. Now, a quarter of a century later, I find Baudrillard’s theories informing my work as an educator.

There’s no avoiding it. Artificial intelligence is here: in your classrooms, in your front office, on your phone. And while the topic can be overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be a burden. One of the best pieces of advice regarding managing AI in schools so far came during a conversation yesterday with Melissa Hortman, a senior industry executive at Microsoft, for our sister publication eCampus news, but her advice applies to all levels of education: First, learn how it works. 

That being said, the amount of information out there can be overwhelming and getting worse by the day. Don’t worry, we’re here for you. The following resources should fill up your weekend reading queue quite nicely. And be sure we’ll be diving in deeper as this phenomenon progresses.

From: eCampus News

Open AI is an incredibly powerful technology that has the potential to transform the way we think about teaching, learning, and research. Used properly, faculty and students can explore new ways to approach complex problems, gain insights into data, and make predictions that were previously impossible. Sounds great right? But there are still many questions and reasonable concerns about how to make this potential practical. This conversation cleared up a lot.

Key points:

• AI tools can greatly personalize and individualize tutoring
• ChatGPT brings new perspectives to old problems and helps students think outside of the box

As the layers of post-pandemic classrooms are peeled back and learning losses become more evident, schools are searching for effective means to improve student achievement. Tutoring plays a major role in these efforts–and now, advances in AI are taking tutoring to a new level.

As the NAEP results made clear, students lost an alarming amount of progress in reading and mathematics. Already-overburdened teachers are scrambling to play catch-up and fit entire months of lost learning into their instruction.

Many parents are turning to tutoring solutions to help fill the gaps created by pandemic-related learning loss. As AI tools like ChatGPT become more sophisticated, online and in-home tutoring can become much more personalized for individual students, says Frank Milner, president of Tutor Doctor, which offers one-to-one private tutoring.

“A big part of what makes tutoring effective is the connection and mentorship between tutors and students,” said Milner. “While the tutor-student relationship is inherently human, the developments in AI and the ways it can augment learning are truly exciting. The industry is only scratching the surface in terms of its potential, but we’re constantly hearing from tutors who are using generative AI to go above and beyond to help students learn from developing study questions and brainstorming creative lesson plans to finding educational resources that match students’ individual interests.”  

Key points:

• Textbooks alone won’t help students build critical durable skills
• AI tools have great potential to generate creative ideas and tackle complex problems

The era of the textbook isn’t dead, but it’s important to start looking forwards rather than backwards when addressing education for school children. Whether we like it or not, it is becoming increasingly clear that generative AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the future and, with the workforce demanding greater expertise in AI, it is crucial to equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in this rapidly-evolving landscape.

School leaders must recognize the importance of incorporating generative AI education into curriculums to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.

AI in different mediums

Relying on traditional textbooks alone is insufficient for teaching these vital skills. Instead, curriculums must be innovative and age-appropriate, offering students a comprehensive introduction to generative AI. Tiered learning opportunities are essential, enabling children to build a robust foundation that then adapts as they grow older. Exposure to generative art, music, stories, games, and coding concepts allows students to explore the boundless possibilities of AI and its applications across numerous industries.

The rising popularity of generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Bard, and MidJourney demonstrates AI’s capacity to generate creative ideas and tackle complex problems. Unfortunately, many schools are not doing enough to prepare students for a future where AI will have an increasingly significant role in everyday life. Introducing AI concepts to school children is crucial to fostering a generation of capable leaders and developing indispensable critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Key points:

• Educators should clearly communicate rules and expectations for AI
• It’s also worth keeping an open mind and learning a bit more about how AI tools work

The discussion around the influence of AI writing on education has never been so active – all thanks to the launch of ChatGPT last year. The tool is so advanced compared to other writing tools of its kind that a lot of people instantly started using it for all kinds of ethically ambiguous purposes.

Educators are concerned about the influence AI will have and how its negative effects could be detrimental to education. Without further ado, here’s how to counteract the disruptive influence of AI writing on education.

1. Inform Students

First of all, you need to inform your students about the fact that plagiarism will never be tolerated. Explain that when they use AI tools to generate the texts for their assignments, they are not actually presenting their own writing to you. Though texts generated by AI tools do not exactly fall under the definition of plagiarism, they are still not the student’s work which means the student could suffer consequences for their actions.

If your students understand why using AI tools to do their assignments for them is not the right route to take, they will be less likely to even consider trying such tools. It is your responsibility as a teacher or professor to raise this matter in the classroom and make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding the topic.

Since the public release of ChatGPT took the world by storm last fall, many educators have worried about students using the highly advanced, artificially intelligent chatbot for cheating on school assignments by passing off AI-generated work as their own. But if AI can be used to produce written content, can it also be used to determine whether a piece of writing was created by AI or by a human being?

That’s what Turnitin is hoping to do with a new feature the company has added to its existing writing tools. Beginning April 4, all Turnitin products—including Turnitin Feedback Studio (TFS), TFS with Originality, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity, SimCheck, Originality Check, and Originality Check+—will include AI detection capabilities for existing users.

Turnitin began working on detection capabilities for GPT3, the underlying technology upon which many AI writing applications are based, nearly two years before the release of ChatGPT.

“Educators told us that being able to accurately detect AI-written text is their first priority right now. They need to be able to detect AI with very high certainty to assess the authenticity of a student’s work,” said Turnitin CEO Chris Caren.

In this episode of Innovations in Education, hosted by Kevin Hogan:

• Teachers are burning out. Can AI help?
• Using AI to improve accessibility
• AI in the classroom: Supporting innovative teaching and increased productivity

The teaching profession is in crisis. K-12 teachers report the highest burnout rate among all industries nationally, according to a June 2022 Gallup poll. Job satisfaction is at the lowest it’s been in 40 years. There is an estimated teacher shortage of over 300,000.

Many blame COVID-19, but if you look at the facts: the pandemic only revealed the cracks, long buckling under pressure.

But what if every single teacher could have an AI assistant? Would that change the game?

A similar question was asked by McKinsey three years ago, right before the worldwide pandemic caused the lowest reading and math scores in 30 years.

In summary, McKinsey’s pre-COVID answer was simple: “yes, but in time.”

That time is now. According to McKinsey’s 2017 study, the average teacher worked 50 hours a week (a number that has grown to 54 hours post-pandemic, according to 2022 research).  Only 49 percent of this time involves direct student interaction. Indeed, the time spent on teaching class is less than the time spent on preparation, evaluation, and feedback (grading).

Using AI, we can eliminate much of the time teachers spend on preparation and grading—reducing their week by as much as 30 percent—and giving them more time for what they do best: teaching students. AI can also provide schools tools to foster a less stressful, more flexible work environment. Here’s how.

AI tremendously cuts down on lesson prep.

Preparing lessons is one of the more time-consuming parts of a teacher’s job. According to McKinsey’s study, teachers spend over 20 percent of their time just preparing for class. That’s over ten hours a week. An AI tech company can help by giving teachers the power of AI to scan text and turn it into well-designed slides. By simply sharing a link to a textbook or by uploading a PDF, the AI then auto-creates well-designed slides that teachers tweak to use for sleek lesson presentations. This could save teachers substantial time — while also creating more aesthetically-pleasing results—as most teachers aren’t designers!

AI reduces challenges with time off.

The substitute teacher shortage is dire and hinders a school’s ability to function. Far too often, teachers come to school sick due to the lack of substitutes. Schools must support teachers as humans; AI can help them reduce preparation time and act as an instruction supplement.

 “We’re seeing a major shortage of substitute teachers,” says David McGrath, headmaster of Paragon Prep, a high school in Austin, TX. “Rather than putting a pause on instruction, how marvelous would it be if a teacher could program their own avatar to teach a lesson on a day they have to be out sick or at a conference? A staff member can sit in the room while the avatar plays on the screen.”

Schools can leverage the teacher’s AI-generated lesson on the same subject, while teachers can track and monitor a student’s progress. This gives teachers and the administration more flexibility when missing school days—whether it’s the teacher or a student missing class.

“As long as the teacher can shape the message and is programming the avatar to do their job for them, I think teachers would see this technology not as a threat but as an amazing tool,” explains McGrath.

AI transforms textbooks into interactive study guides.

As Gen Z prefers learning via video platforms like YouTube over reading, it’s clear that textbook publishers need to innovate and evolve in order to help students and teachers. New AI technologies can be used directly by publishers to auto-convert textbooks into engaging video lessons. This could save teachers tremendous time, allowing teachers to edit and personalize lessons for their classes without starting from scratch.  

Students can read while listening and pause or rewatch when needed—making the interactive videos particularly helpful for those struggling with traditional studying forms. These videos benefit teachers who incorporate the “flipped classroom” methodology, which is increasingly popular and promising. With this technology, teachers could also leverage AI-generated avatars in their videos to make the lessons more interesting. For example, teachers could have Pythagoras explain his own theorem in ancient Greece, for example.

AI helps with automatic grading and assessment creation.

Teachers spend between five to seven hours a week grading. This is widely known as the worst part of teaching. AI can eliminate much of this.

With AI tools, grading becomes automatic. And with instant answers, students can better understand the concepts. AI can also reduce the teacher’s time creating questions, as it automatically generates possible learning assessments.

Furthermore, when it comes to subjects like math, AI can quickly adapt to a student’s level, so homework becomes a way to have a deeper understanding of a student’s mastery of a subject. For instance, AI can challenge certain students who need a challenge and slow down for students who need more time understanding the subject. In turn, this generates better insights into the teachers’ understanding of the student’s efforts.

Many fear that computer-generated grading would only perpetuate the education system’s reliance on multiple-choice questions. But with AI, that is simply not the case. When answering basic questions, AI can read a student’s answers. Perhaps it’s not ready to read a 5-paragraph essay on To Kill a Mockingbird, but it will know if a student paid attention when asked who Boo Radley is.

AI could transform tutoring.

A 2017 study found that tutoring is the most effective way to improve learning outcomes among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. But most teachers, particularly in public schools, don’t have the time for one-on-one instruction with every student.

AI edtech companies like Hypatia are already making this incredible technology a reality. Technologies have tremendous potential to assist with tutoring as well. Will this replace the need for human tutors? Well, as a mother of two rambunctious kids, I think certainly not. After all, it’s widely agreed that lasting relationships are the key to the efficacy of tutoring. The idea that a robot can replace teachers is laughable. But can it be used as a low-cost, highly scalable tutoring supplement? Absolutely.

So, rather than worrying about how AI might replace teachers, the time has come to ask what AI can do for teachers?

Related:
AI’s promising reality in classrooms
AI is the key to scaling personalized, one-on-one instruction

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an ambiguous word in education circles, evoking images of machines replacing human teachers in the future. The truth, while less fantastic, is that AI is a solid tool that assists educators in the classroom right now.

Join experts during an eSchool News webinar to discuss the real-world ways AI operates and how AI systems enable teachers to better interact with students, simplify everyday classroom tasks, and improve overall efficiency and productivity.

Key takeaways include:

• How current voice-activated AI systems at home, in cars, and on devices can be put to use in classrooms
• How to use voice commands or a remote to control laptops, interactive displays, internet browsers, apps, and more
• How to scale AI pilot projects into true distinct implementations