Can AI Revive A Love Of Learning?
Dan Fitzpatrick
Bestselling Author on AI in Education. Teacher. Forbes contributor. Education Strategist. Trained in Philosophy, Innovation & Design Thinking.
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🎧 AI in Education Weekly Recap
Below are links to this week's daily podcasts exploring AI news for educators. If you like these, please share on your socials and write a review on your podcast app.
Friday: AI Creates New Knowledge - Implications for K-12
Friday's Daily Brief explores new research on using AI for the creation of new academic knowledge and the implications for K-12 education: AI-Powered (Finance) Scholarship
Thursday: New Research On Metacognition In Schools
Thurday's Daily Brief explores new research on metacognition from Nord Anglia Schools: Building Better Thinkers
Wednesday: Philadelphia Wants To Be The AI In Education Model
Wednesday's Daily Brief explores an article from The74 titled: Philadelphia Wants to be a National AI in Education Model
Tuesday: 1 Million+ Augmented Humans By 2030
Tuesday's Daily Brief explores a post by Apoorv Agrawal titled: Why Neuralink is the most important company this decade!
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Mnday: Inside The University AI Cheating Crisis
Monday's Daily Brief explores the Guiardian article: ‘I received a first but it felt tainted and undeserved’: inside the university AI cheating crisis
Anant Agarwal, founder of edX, wrote a fascinating article for The New York Times headlined "How A.I. Can Revive a Love of Learning." Agarwal's piece, published on December 7, 2024 as part of the Turning Points series, examines how artificial intelligence could transform the classroom environment.
A global teacher shortage and a watershed moment in education.
Agarwal's thesis is set against a grim global backdrop: according to a UNESCO report, the globe would require an additional 40 million teachers by 2030. This teacher deficit marks a watershed moment in education, one that may prompt educators to reconsider how they educate and use technology to close the gap.
Many are concerned about rapid technological progress. There is a lot of uneasiness focused on artificial intelligence, with some believing it will replace human roles. Agarwal proposes that we look to the past for perspective. When handheld calculators first arrived skeptics feared they would undermine children's fundamental math skills. Instead, calculators became common in the classroom, allowing pupils to tackle more sophisticated problems and professors to spend less time drilling arithmetic and more time studying deeper topics.
AI as a partner, not a replacement.
Drawing parallels with calculators, Agarwal contends that AI might be just as transformational. Artificial intelligence could aid teachers by taking over regular duties such as lesson planning, grading, and developing practice materials. By delegating this kind of tasks, teachers may be able to reclaim time and invest it where it is most valuable: communicating directly with students, facilitating conversations, and providing individualized support.
Consider contemporary vehicles that include features such as cruise control and lane departure warning. These features do not replace the driver. Similarly, in education, AI might act as a helpful co-pilot, allowing teachers to remain in control.
Empowering Educators with Personalization and Efficiency
In the short term, artificial intelligence could assist in finding example problems for classes, creating tests tailored to specific student needs, and providing quick feedback. Over time, AI might develop comprehensive learning paths for each student—flexible routes that adjust as the learner develops, allowing teachers to discover problems early and help before a slight misunderstanding becomes a big impediment.
This type of customisation is not purely theoretical. Early versions of such tools do exist. On edX, an artificial intelligence-powered assistant is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to summarize lectures and provide quizzes. Khan Academy's "Khanmigo" collaborates with Microsoft to assist teachers prepare lessons and monitor student performance. Some systems already modify problem difficulty in real time and notify teachers when a student is having trouble.
Allowing Teachers to Focus on What's Most Important
Agarwal's own teaching experience at M.I.T. emphasizes the point: instructors frequently devote numerous hours to administrative chores that, while necessary, do not fully utilize their talents for motivating and helping students. Teachers may engage with students more deeply, hold meaningful debates, and provide guidance that promotes critical thinking and creativity by delegating these activities to artificial intelligence.
For far too long, education has relied on one-size-fits-all models. Large lecture halls, uniform curricula, and minimal personalization are common. Artificial intelligence can assist educators in tailoring their approaches so that each student's demands are met sooner rather than later. Rather than giving the same information to everyone, regardless of comprehension, teachers can quickly detect who is suffering and provide tailored support.
A Future Where Teachers Shine and Students Succeed.
Crucially, Agarwal does not claim that AI can replace the empathy, imagination, and human warmth that outstanding teachers bring to the classroom. Instead, he sees artificial intelligence as a tool that can help instructors become "superteachers," enhancing rather than reducing their abilities.
Agarwal's described trajectory is neither assured nor immediate. AI will require careful integration and training. The teacher's willingness to adapt will be critical.
Embracing Change to Improve Learning
Agarwal's vision puts the teacher shortage and emerging technologies side by side. AI will not fix the global educator gap on its own, but it can make better use of instructors' time and talents, potentially boosting the quality of education available around the world. By relieving teachers of some of their more mechanical chores, AI may help restore what makes learning enjoyable in the first place.
As we approach this tipping point, the decision is apparent. Instead of viewing A.I. as a danger, we might see it as a useful ally. The real magic emerges when teachers and students connect on a human level. If used intelligently, AI has the potential to enable that type of engagement on a greater scale than ever before.
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2wAI has the potential to transform education by making it more engaging, personalized, and accessible. It tailors lessons to individual needs, adds fun through interactive tools, and breaks barriers by supporting diverse learners. With instant feedback and flexible, self-paced opportunities, AI fosters lifelong learning and connects people globally. Used wisely, it can reignite curiosity and make learning inspiring for everyone.
Tirisano Institute (NPO & PBO), E-Learning, teaching Electronics, Coding and Robotics, Digital Inclusion, AI Literacy, Universal Service and Access
2wI think a problem is that few teachers and educators have learnt how to effectively compose prompts for doing things other than reducing the time they spend on administration and other routine tasks.