There was a time when students spending time in front of the screen had little or no impact on learning outcomes. Now, teaching, learning, and education has moved online, and being present in front of the screen is one of the most important things as far as online education is concerned. What has brought in these changes? It is the advancement of technology that has made all this possible. More specifically, it is the onset of AI, i.e., Artificial Intelligence that has brought in a lot of changes. Before moving on to talk in detail about AI in education, first, let’s take a look at what AI is. AI, Artificial Intelligence, is simply the intelligence that is demonstrated by machines. Usually, intelligence is associated with living beings. However, that has changed drastically over the past few years. The chatbot on your phone, Alexa who listens to your commands, the google voice assistant, self-driving cars are all examples of the application of AI.
Today, our focus is on AI in education and how AI is changing the education system and the ways of teaching. Without further ado, let us take a look at AI in Education.
How AI is Changing the Education Industry
Artificial intelligence has made a tremendous impact on the education sector. From making smart resources and content to making learning more effective, AI is playing a very strong role in transforming education in all the right ways possible. There are a lot of mobile apps that are AI-powered that are making education simple and effective. Duolingo, for instance, is one such app that helps students learn languages better. It also helps teachers to understand student engagement. There are a lot more similar apps that are AI-powered which helps teachers with teaching and learning. Let us take a look at some of the applications of AI in education.
- Automating Redundant Tasks
Teaching is not an easy profession. There are a lot of things attached to the job such as creating lesson plans, evaluating students, analyzing their growth, attendance, report cards, and whatnot. AI helps to automate tasks such as attendance marking, reports, dashboards, lesson plans, and likewise. This gives teachers the necessary breathing time to focus on the more important aspects of teaching.
- Different Methods of Learning
AI in education has made it possible for students to access personalized learning and this has a huge impact on the effectiveness of learning. Each kid is unique and different. Their style of learning will vary and personalized learning is possible with AI. It can customize the syllabus based on the learning styles of students and cater to each student individually. While this is not possible in a normal class room set up and it is nearly impossible for teachers to adopt different teaching methods for each student, AI in education has made this possible.
- Availability of Smart Resources
The number of study materials and resources available online is huge. Students can access different forms of content like videos, smart libraries, books, podcasts, and likewise that gives them an all-new path to success. Education has become simplified with the onset of AI. There are specific applications that transform speech to text and likewise so that students can learn more effectively. Robots have been introduced to education in some parts of the world and assist students to learn. A Robo-study buddy, wow!
- Virtual Education
AI plays a significant role in virtual learning environments and classrooms. It helps people from across the globe to connect and learn. It is easy, effective, and efficient all at the same time and we cannot say anything other than AI is a boon. The role of AI in education and especially modern education, cannot be sidelined.
- Chatbots as Teachers
There are a lot of platforms wherein chatbots help students to study. They are sometimes teachers, or at times assist students with their doubts or clarifications. This decreases the waiting time significantly. Before AI, the students would have to ask their teachers for clarifications or find it by themselves via libraries, books, etc. Now, everything is a click away.
- Accessibility
As mentioned above, with the advancement in technology, people who are literally poles apart can connect and interact. AI has played a pivotal role in enabling universal access to education and a person from the southernmost part of India taking a class from a European university with just the internet and a mobile device is just brilliant, to say the least.
We have discussed 6 ways in which AI has changed the education sector and how it has helped both teachers and students. AI can drive efficiency and it can be used to leverage the best aspects of teachers and students. There are a lot more inventions and innovations happening in this realm and we will be able to see massive growth with respect to AI in the education sector in the coming years. It has changed the way institutions usually work and if used sensibly and responsibly, we can see positive impacts all around the world.
