Our world is shifting immensely and at a great pace. One of the leading and latest drivers of transformation today is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Combined with robotics, AI and its branches like Machine Learning (ML) have touched every facet of our lives. From the facial detection features on your smartphone to the Google search, to the antivirus software on your laptop, to spam filters on your email, to voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, your Netflix recommendations and more, we’re using AI every day, from morning to night.
With technological advancements and societal evolution, the way we teach and learn has also transformed hugely. AI-driven robots today find extensive usage in management and delivery of education. According to UNESCO, “AI has the potential to…innovate teaching and learning practices” to speed up the process of making quality education available to all.
Learning about AI and through AI
AI is not usurping the role of teachers in classrooms. AI-powered tools aid education delivery, making the entire process effective for both learners and educators. Further, learning about the technologies and techniques involved in AI helps students prepare for a future with the right skillset where robotics will be part of everyday living and professional careers.
The conventional chalkboards in physical classrooms have made way for AI-powered smart boards for some time. Further on, with the recent pandemic forcing students and teachers to stay locked in at their homes, education changed course from offline to online and then to hybrid mode at best to prevent a possible disruption of learning. Thanks to AI, one can access learning resources any time and from any place, thus facilitating self-paced learning for students.
Further, AI technology has made attending school a cakewalk for individuals recuperating at home after surgery or for those with travel restrictions due to medical conditions. With educational robotics, learning from home is easier for such students. They can experience the feel of classroom interaction with teachers and peers or attend virtual labs.
Is AI the new teacher?
An underlying apprehension exists that AI might eventually replace teachers. But, the fact is that, imparting crucial social and emotional skills will forever remain the forte of humans, while robots are programmed to teach academic theories and problem-solving. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) may make teaching with examples an immersive affair, but teachers keep the interest level up with their personal touch.
However, AI has reduced the workload of teachers significantly by undertaking mundane tasks like evaluation and grading of MCQ-type questions, record keeping, etc. Teachers are thus getting more time to provide individual attention to each student.
Personalized learning to erase the gap
With learning analytics and intelligent teaching systems, it is easier now to identify the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and focus on specific topics that a student may not have understood in class. Individualised learning becomes a practical option to implement in a classroom setting without taxing the teacher. AI teaching aids can even deliver supplemental lessons to fill the gap in conceptual understanding of topics while the teacher is taking the rest of the class ahead. As inclusive schools become the norm of the day, students with learning disabilities can catch up with the class soon enough through this adaptive learning method.
Managing education delivery gets easier with AI
An increasing number of educational institutions are using AI-powered learning management systems (LMS) to communicate with students and parents, assign coursework, monitor lessons for academic analytics, track student progress, generate performance reports, etc. Every aspect of education delivery consolidated in a single system, making data handling and monitoring an easy task. Students, teachers, and school management can access the relevant information at the click of a button by able data mining.
AI and Robotics as part of the curriculum
Teaching new-edge technologies to children is crucial, as they will graduate to pursue a career in a time when AI and Robotics will be integral in every aspect of life. Further, teaching AI and robotics will foster creativity and computational thinking in the children, besides promoting teamwork, perseverance, and attention to detail.
AI-based education is highly relevant in academic institutions today. Technological up-gradation is the only way forward, whether to deliver education or prepare the future generation for the tech-driven future workforce. Samsidh Group of Schools too, has embraced AI and robotics to step up the teaching and learning process to aid its endeavour to create leaders of the 21st century.