How can artificial intelligence enhance personalized learning in education?

Think of Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): the difference between what learners can do without help and what they can do with guidance from more knowledgeable individuals. Vygotsky believed that effective learning occurs within this zone, and education should provide activities that engage learners within their ZPD. Imagine an adaptive learning system that knows your ZPD and enables you to surpass yourself!

AI supports people who seek and require assistance with executive functioning skills. These are some of the key needs for students with disabilities and can be key to their success in academia and the work force. AI note taking for students in classes and professionals in meetings can be make or break for successful follow through.

In my experience as a learning designer myself I believe adaptive learning systems offer several advantages in personalized learning. When we incorporate AI, these systems have the ability to individualize instruction for each learner. With this data targeted content and activities that are most suitable for their specific needs and we are able to work backwards from that, fill in the gaps and provide alternative paths. This personalization helps to engage learners and enhance their understanding and retention of the material as well. Some aspects I would add are targeting by audience, segmentation can really help and the one that never gets old, peer-to-peer support. This can potentially reduce the demand for individualized learning.

I think the main issue with the Western education system is that it's one size fits all, yet everyone is different and has unique learning styles. As a mom, I admit that the thought of my daughter having artificial intelligence tutors in the future scares me a little. However, when I consider how this could allow for flexibility in her learning to develop her natural talents and empower her with knowledge, my fear fades, and I see it as a great opportunity. I believe the human factor will still be very important, but like everything else, we need to find the perfect balance between technology and human interaction. The adaptability that this technology offers in learning and development is truly a wonderful benefit.

Customized Content: AI can analyze students' strengths, weaknesses, learning paces, and preferences to deliver personalized content. Adaptive learning platforms adjust the difficulty and type of content in real-time based on student performance and interaction. Continuous Assessment: Instead of relying solely on periodic exams, AI systems can continually assess student understanding through quizzes, assignments, and even interaction patterns, providing immediate feedback and adjusting learning paths accordingly.

Intelligent tutoring systems will be a great addition to honing our concrete cognitive enablers. However, do we need more? We already spend inordinate amounts of time, effort, and money teaching students to carry out algorithmic thinking. Do we need more? What we really need is beyond AI - developing students' abstract abilities. These are the abilities that AI doesn't have and will likely never develop. We need to move beyond the concrete and focus on the abstract or we will produce graduates who will be outcompeted by AI.

Imagine a virtual tutor – chatbot-, voice-based, or an avatar in an AR setting – that helps you advance beyond the edges of your current understanding, just like a professional human. It first determines your knowledge or skill level and then assists you in doing a little more than you could do alone. What a growth opportunity! With your learning tailored to your needs, preferences, skills, and goals. Yes, this could be a little painful because you’ll need to leave your comfort zone to grow. But this is where learning happens. No pain, no gain.

The best way to teach people would be to tune everything based on their level and needs. This is almost impossible without AI technology. Too time-consuming and this will make it prohibitively expensive for most learners. However, when the teaching process is directed and recorded completely by AI the cost can come down rapidly. The system knows exactly what information you have seen. The system can gauge your answers and interaction with it to understand how much information you have internalized. Based on that information it can tailor a program to exactly match your needs, speed, and style.

Personalized Support: AI-powered tutors can offer one-on-one support, emulating the experience of a human tutor. These systems can provide explanations, answer questions, and offer additional resources when students struggle with specific concepts. Interactive Learning: AI tutors can engage students in interactive dialogues, enhancing their understanding through Socratic questioning and encouraging critical thinking.

An example of good use of an AI tutoring system would be to help students when they get stuck on a homework problem or assignment. A student in AP Physics or AP Computer Science has a hard time getting help in the evening or on weekends unless parents can pay for a tutor with that level of expertise which tends to be expensive. An AI tutor can see the student's work, identify errors, or suggest alternative approaches. However, students need to be trained on the ethical use of such systems so as not to copy an answer simply.

With learning analytics, we’re harnessing the power of data to decode learner performance patterns, while recommender systems enable us to deliver bespoke educational resources. Key is to cultivate a personalized learning environment that evolves in tandem with the learner. This will undoubtedly unlock new dimensions of learning.

Natural language processing (NLP), particularly language models and chatbots, has seen significant advancements in AI recently. These chatbots are increasingly frequently used in personalized learning to allow engaging interactions with students, respond to their questions, and provide customized recommendations based on each student's unique requirements and development. The intelligence of these chatbots is further increased by the ongoing development of NLP technology, which enables them to understand context and emotions and provide better support. These chatbots are projected to play a bigger part in individualized learning, giving students better support and a more enjoyable interactive learning environment.

Even before the artificial intelligence boom, marketing analytics systems were pretty good. They could predict if you buy product A, you might easily buy product B. I think it's important that learning, using technology and artificial intelligence, includes these types of analytics to predict learning preferences, and increase engagement with learning. There are so many brain studies that reveal orientation towards learning. Combining usage analytics and learning patterns would be wonderful. We could help people keep learning, not as a pain, but as a pleasure.

AI has the potential to help with class and school placement between middle school and high school. By placing students in homerooms and classes tailored to a students interests and academic/social needs based on data it could help decrease dropout rates. Our current system in a large urban system pushes students out of middle school and places them into their classes in high school based on nothing beyond their current student number. AI could help create high school class placements based on their interests, friends, academic need, social and emotional needs to make a student feel more connected to their school community. The issue now is administration has no way of knowing a student before they come on campus, AI could help!

We used to think gamification was the tool we needed to enhance learner engagement… And how did it turn out? Well, let’s say it was fun for a while, but maybe not as much of a breakthrough as we hoped it would be. What are we craving? From a neuroscientist’s perspective: anything that gets our brain’s reward system to release dopamine. Like social acceptance. Being part of a group used to enhance our chances of survival. And even today, you want to be accepted by your group. And at the heart of social interaction and communication are language and dialogue. And that’s why chatbots or voice assistants have the potential to become great educators. Given that what they teach us is reliable and truthful. Dialogue is key for learning.

This is a massive positive for learners of all ages. You're on a learning journey, and you have questions along the way. With the right technology, the answers are just a click away. These educational chatbots become your companions, offering information, insights, and guidance on what is important to you! Why watch a 15 minute video that offers the same question to every single viewer - is that learning? AI can engage you in natural, friendly conversations, infusing humor, empathy, and personality into the mix. Learning feels less like a classroom lecture and more like an enjoyable chat with a knowledgeable friend.

As a neurodiverse student pursuing my second master's degree, AI is crucial for supporting my writing process. With AI's assistance, I can focus, write faster, and express myself more clearly. This support, combined with human input for accuracy, helps me manage word counts and condense my thoughts effectively. Educators should be educated on how AI fosters inclusivity and improves learning efficiency. As a dyslexic student, AI helps me articulate my ideas more professionally and navigate research challenges. I'm finally feeling confident in my learning, research, and academic outputs, inspired by educators who recognize the incredible impact AI has on neuroinclusiveness. #MadebyDyslexia.

As someone who has helped develop and refine content for AI in the K-12 eco-system, I believe that this is an opportunity to build in culturally responsive infrastructure that honors the vast spectrum of abilities which are often overlooked or devalued in our current educational system. We must be vigilant and intentional in soliciting the input of individuals with the cultural dexterity to ensure that exchanges are programmed with welcoming content.

I absolutely love the potential for this. There are so many different unique interests present in a classroom at any given time. Provided there are some constraints to avoid the students diving down rabbit holes that are too deep, I would have loved for them to have the option of asking an AI chat bot "How does _____ relate to _____" where they can learn more about a connection between what we are learning in class with a niche interest of their own. Making a personal connection to an area of content they may not enjoy as much (sorry, looking at you rocks....) can be extremely helpful in increasing student buy in and engagement!

AR and VR enhance the way learners perceive and internalize information. They allow learners to visualize complex concepts, explore intricate systems and engage with historical events. This vivid and tactile exposure enables learners to see direct connections and applicability, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the content. This can create meaningful learning experiences, making education more personally relevant and relatable. And when we find something meaningful, we learn with ease. Because what has meaning is critical for our lives.

The potential for AI to transform education is undeniable, yet it’s critical to ensure equitable access, prevent algorithmic bias as much as realistically possible, and protect learners’ data privacy. We must consciously design systems that enhance learning, uphold our social and ethical responsibilities, and serve as a tool for inclusion and fairness.

AI represents a punctuated equilibrium event in the realm of education policy, similar to school violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. AI will transform how we approach educational standards, making teaching humanities even more crucial as we focus on understanding bias, recognizing patterns, and maintaining relationships. We also need to reevaluate the knowledge we aim to impart and adjust teacher preparation accordingly.

AI holds immense promise for education, but ethical considerations are crucial. As a psychometrician, I advocate for: 1. Data Privacy: Secure, anonymized data & clear communication on usage. 2. Fairness in AI: Mitigate bias through fair model development & psychometric evaluation. 3. Learner Choice & Motivation: AI empowers, not dictates. Personalized options & engaging experiences. 4. Teacher Augmentation: AI provides valuable data for personalized instruction & targeted support. Together, educators, psychometricians, AI developers & policymakers can ensure ethical & responsible AI in education.

When we leverage generative AI to create personalized and student-led learning experiences, we can significantly enhance the educational journey of our students, particularly those in special education, by providing them with learning opportunities tailored specifically to their needs and preferences.

Imagine an AI learning system that can identify what is relevant and meaningful to you and shape the content in a way that talks to you. It could become a storyteller that connects the dots between you and the content.

Google says its new AI model, LearnLM, will help students with their homework. LearnLM, a family of AI models based on Google’s other large language mode, Gemini, was built to be an expert in subjects, find and present examples in different ways like a photo or video, coach students while studying, and, in Google’s words, “inspire engagement.”

I think it is important to clarify a few points: 1) artificial intelligence tools available today are still very limited and are not specifically dedicated to education. There will probably be some in the future, but they don't exist yet 2) There are so many situations encountered in education that it is unlikely that generic artificial intelligence tools will be able to address the problems posed. 3) We can fantasize about future cognitive tools capable of guiding learners thanks both to an encyclopaedic knowledge of existing educational resources in the world and to the ability to diagnose a learner's deficiencies in terms of knowledge and his or her learning potential, but we are still far from having such tools