AI in Education: What Educational Institutions Need to Know

The same fire that can forge steel can also consume everything in its path. It is the responsibility of the wielder to channel its energy wisely.

I was going to write about how educators can prepare for the next tech revolution after AI, but I realised that many educational institutions are not yet ready for a world with AI.

This is a huge problem because; firstly, the failure to incorporate AI into educational curricula hampers students' ability to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven society. With AI permeating various industries and transforming the nature of work, students must possess the necessary skills to navigate and harness the potential of this technology. Without exposure to AI concepts and applications, students may struggle to adapt and excel in future job markets, limiting their professional opportunities and hindering societal progress.

Secondly, the absence of AI integration in schools undermines the development of critical thinking and ethical decision-making, both of which are crucial in an AI-driven world. Understanding the ethical implications of AI algorithms, privacy concerns, and biases is essential to ensure responsible and equitable use of these technologies.

By neglecting to educate students about AI's impact, schools risk fostering a generation ill-equipped to address the ethical dilemmas and challenges associated with AI, perpetuating potential biases and exacerbating societal inequalities.

So it is imperative that educational institutions prioritize AI education to equip students with the necessary skills and ethical framework to navigate a future shaped by artificial intelligence.

Assuming that you already know the benefits and dangers of integrating AI into education, I want to share a few things that educational institutions need to know before accepting AI into their institution.

1. AI is terrible software.

This may come as a surprise to you, but  AI is really terrible compared to other software. And treating it like other software, just because it’s made of software, is a colossal mistake that educational institutions should not make.

Professor Ethan Mollick of the University of Pennsylvania already talked about this in one of his articles and suggested that the best way to think about AI is not as software, but as people. This is mainly because unlike other software such as your phone alarm or bank app, AI is neither reliable nor predictable.

This is particularly true with large language models(eg. ChatGPT, Bard, Bing) as they often engage in a phenomenon known as hallucination, where they fabricate information or provide inconsistent responses when the same input is entered at different times.

Consider the scenario of setting your alarm for 6:00 am, only to have it ring at 8:00 am or even create an alarm that you never set. Undoubtedly, such a situation would provoke significant frustration. This unpredictability and lack of reliability are intrinsic characteristics of LLMs.

Educational institutions must be acutely aware of these inherent limitations and prepare for instances where LLMs demonstrate their unreliability and unpredictability. Failure to do so could have profound implications for the educational process.

By acknowledging the nature of LLMs as unreliable and unpredictable entities, educational institutions can adopt a proactive stance. This entails devising contingency plans, implementing thorough validation processes, and supplementing AI-based learning with human expertise and oversight. Human intervention is crucial in providing context, critical analysis, and personalized guidance that LLMs currently struggle to deliver consistently.

2. A lot has changed

Traditional educational models have long relied on standardized curricula, uniform teaching methods, and one-size-fits-all assessments. But the landscape has drastically evolved, ushering in an era where each student possesses unrestricted access to an advanced personal tutor, capable of excelling in the public bar and medical exams and undertaking an array of mind-blowing tasks.

Faced with this paradigm shift, educational institutions must pause and contemplate a pivotal question: What is the true essence of education? Does it solely revolve around getting good grades, or should it encompass comprehensive preparation for all facets of real-world life? Should your response align with the former, it becomes evident that your institution has become obsolete.

After all, in a world where students can readily avail themselves of advanced personal tutors, often at no expense, why would they opt to enroll in your educational establishment?

I asked ChatGPT to write an essay on the rise and fall of Captain Thomas Sankara(who is my role model) and did an excellent job.

The efficacy and relevance of traditional educational models are now under scrutiny. The prevailing notion that education should focus solely on getting good grades has lost its luster in light of the rapid advancement of technology. AI’s presence raises the fundamental question of the purpose of education. 

Education must transcend the mere acquisition of subject-specific knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, this undoubtedly holds significance, but it is insufficient to equip them adequately for the challenges they will encounter beyond the walls of the classroom.

The modern era demands a more comprehensive approach; one that nurtures critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, adaptability, and creativity. These are the skills that will empower individuals to thrive in an ever-evolving society.

3. Students Cheating with AI offers a huge opportunity for growth

Cheating has always been a common issue in schools even before the rise of AI. In Kenya, around 20,000 individuals were earning a living by writing essays before AI, while 15% of students worldwide had paid someone to complete their assignments by 2017.

A study revealed that in 2008, completing homework improved test grades for 86% of students, but by 2017, only 45% of students benefited, likely due to over half of them looking up answers online instead of engaging with the assignments. This highlights the significant problem of cheating and its impact on the learning process. 

So it’s clear that AI did not invent cheating, but it does, however, facilitate it. This explains why many schools are now banning the use of AI among students. But this, in my opinion, is the wrong approach to take because AI will become a massive part of our world and therefore cannot be ignored. 

I suggest that to solve this problem, educational institutions should make more use of performance-based assessments because they require students to demonstrate their understanding and apply their skills in real-world scenarios.

For instance, instead of relying solely on written exams or multiple-choice tests, students can be tasked with completing projects, conducting experiments, or participating in simulations that assess their ability to think critically, collaborate, and solve complex problems. These types of assessments not only provide a more accurate representation of students' capabilities but also pose significant challenges for AI to replicate or influence the outcome. 

The PBA Process. Source

This 2022 study is one of the many research papers that prove the significant positive impact of PBA on students’ holistic development. PBA offers a more authentic representation of a student's abilities and potential because they are evaluated based on their ability to design and execute a practical solution to a real-world complex problem. This is the huge opportunity 

Focusing on performance-based assessments will enable educational institutions to foster a culture of active learning, where students engage in meaningful tasks that simulate real-world challenges. This not only deters cheating but also prepares students for future endeavors where AI cannot replace genuine competence and proficiency. 

4. The wizards of the classroom deserve a seat at the table

Teachers possess invaluable insights into the nuances of classroom dynamics, student needs, and pedagogical strategies. They bring a wealth of expertise and firsthand experience to the table. Their deep understanding of student learning styles, individual strengths and challenges, and the contextual nuances of the classroom environment is indispensable. 

When educational institutions overlook the voices of teachers and exclude them from decision-making processes, they risk implementing AI technologies that do not effectively address the unique needs of students or align with instructional objectives.

For example, an AI-powered adaptive learning system may be designed with the intent of personalizing instruction, but without input from teachers, it may fail to consider the intricacies of student-teacher relationships or the importance of human interaction in the learning process. By involving teachers in decision-making, institutions can ensure that AI technologies are tailored to complement and enhance their pedagogical approaches rather than replace them.

Teachers are also well-positioned to evaluate the practicality and effectiveness of AI technologies in real-world classroom settings. They can provide valuable feedback on the usability, reliability, and impact of AI tools. This iterative feedback loop between teachers and technology developers fosters continuous improvement and refinement of AI systems.

Teachers' involvement also ensures that AI technologies are integrated seamlessly into existing instructional practices, promoting a cohesive and coherent learning experience for students.

Findings from this study also suggest that teachers’ participation in school decision-making improves the school. By actively engaging teachers in the decision-making process, educational institutions tap into a vast pool of expertise that can drive meaningful innovation and ensure the successful integration of AI into education.

These findings also suggest that higher job satisfaction and higher teaching commitment are correlated with greater participation by teachers in decision-making.

In a nutshell

The pervasive influence of AI cannot be overlooked or underestimated. Its transformative potential is poised to reshape numerous aspects of our lives, making it imperative for educational institutions to proactively adapt and prepare for its effective integration.

Artificial Intelligence has the potential to democratize education by providing equal opportunities for all learners, regardless of their geographical location or socio-economic background. The successful integration of AI in education requires a mindset shift, where educators embrace technology not as a threat, but as an empowering tool that enhances their teaching practices and enables student success.