Artificial intelligence and teachers
The way we learn and communicate has changed. For most of us, digital competencies have become the norm. Looking back, we see that the printing press, computers, and the telephone revolutionized how we communicate and how we learn. So, it is reasonable to say that teaching methods that do not take digital learning into account will risk becoming obsolete. They may even alienate students.
Technology can cater for different learning styles. Providing information in various formats allows students who are visual, auditory, experiential, or reflective to interact with resources at their own pace. Technological innovations like online learning platforms allow certain communications to happen outside the classroom (asynchronous communication). This has the advantage of permitting student-teacher exchanges that would be impossible in the classroom. This could allow teachers to extend the discussion beyond the time constraints of the classroom. It also allows students who are less likely to speak up in the classroom, the chance to speak out online.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into classrooms has already begun, with providers like Microsoft EDU releasing apps like Presentation Translator, which creates real-time subtitles of what the teacher is saying in multiple languages.
In most education systems, there is an established curriculum that teachers repeat year after year to different cohorts. With artificial intelligence, a wider variety of material could be covered more easily without the need for teachers to complete additional research. So, can artificial intelligence replace teachers?
If an artificial intelligence system took over the role of teaching students completely, we would likely see a continuous analysis of student performance data, which could then adapt the curriculum taught to students each year. Because of the significantly larger capacity of an AI system to research, process, and teach different information, the AI super teacher could likely optimize how to find and present information that lead to the highest grades amongst students.
The idea of artificial intelligence replacing teachers may sound appealing on some levels because teachers are humans, they get tired, they are expensive and in increasingly short supply, while robots do not require pay, bonuses, rewards, health insurance, etc. But, in reality, this is not as easy as one may think. Education is not just about acquiring knowledge; it is about interactions and shaping young minds. I probably agree with robots knowing absolutely everything, they might give arguments and help you in problem-solving, but they will not be able to bring real human interaction. While teachers can explain to you, again and again, they will try to convey the topic to everyone and can’t leave until they give a satisfactory answer. They will come up with different case studies, lifetime experiences, and invent stories to show the application of the topic. Teachers inspire students to think and innovate things, find out solutions to problems, something artificial intelligence cannot do. Artificial intelligence has come a long way; there’s no denying it. And, it’s being used more and more in the educational sector. It’s true that artificial intelligence won’t have to take breaks and will always be receptive to questions.
The problem is that when we look at what humans offer that artificial intelligence can’t, we see things that artificial intelligence simply can’t provide. It’s that elusive human element. That quality that makes adults continue to talk about their favourite teachers decades after they’ve left the classroom. Artificial intelligence will not be able to capture that element.
I do not think that AI will ever replace good teachers, but it will become a great teacher’s aid, enabling teachers to do better at what they do best.
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