Artificial intelligence technology brings many benefits to fields as diverse as health, governance, transportation, industry. What does it contribute in the educational field?
Artificial intelligence has a variety of applications in the world of education. With the current pandemic and the uncertainty about the educational model that will be followed, it will take on special relevance and will accelerate its development enormously.
Without taking into account this acceleration caused by COVID-19, the report Artificial Intelligence Market in the US Education Sector 2018-2022, already pointed to annual growth of around 50% in the AI sector in Education.
The application of artificial intelligence in education can be classified according to who it is aimed at:
- For students.
- For teachers.
Advantages of AI for students
- Education at any time: Young people prefer to perform daily tasks with their smartphones or tablets. AI-based apps provide the opportunity to study anytime, anywhere. With the COVID-19 pandemic, they also allow you to keep up with the pace of studies when you cannot physically attend the classrooms.
- Applications can be configured depending on the needs of the students: AI-based solutions can be adapted according to the level of knowledge of the students, topics of interest, etc. The system can be programmed to help students reinforce their weaknesses.
- Customization: A step further, using algorithms, you can analyze the knowledge and interests of learners and provide recommendations and more personalized training programs.
- Virtual tutor: AI-based platforms offer virtual tutors to track student progress. These virtual mentors do not replace the real ones, of course, but serve as a bridge tool between teachers and students.
- Opportunity to find the most suitable teacher: Educational platforms have many teachers, so the student has the opportunity to communicate with specialists from other countries. Educational platforms that use AI can offer the most suitable tutors, based on the student’s teaching experience, social skills, and specific needs.
Benefits of AI for Teachers
In addition to those mentioned above, which also have advantages for teachers, we have:
- Opportunity to detect weaknesses: Assessment algorithms allow you to see gaps in students’ knowledge. For example, the
Coursera platform can notify the teacher if many students choose incorrect answers to a particular question. As a result, the tutor has the opportunity to pay attention to the issue demanded. - Better student engagement: Technologies involved with artificial intelligence, such as virtual reality and gamification, help engage students in the educational process, making it more interactive.
- Curriculum Creation Assistance: Teachers don’t need to create a curriculum from scratch. AI helps to search and collect the necessary educational materials.
- Artificial intelligence can also boost efficiency, streamlining administrative tasks that allow teachers the time and freedom to pay deeper attention to their students.
Another area in which AI is being used and will be increasingly used is in social integration and inclusion: Artificial intelligence tools can help integrate students who speak different languages or who may have visual or hearing impairments into classes. For example, Presentation Translator is a free add-in for PowerPoint that, among other things, is capable of creating real-time subtitles about what the teacher is saying. Artificial intelligence can help break down social silos and also between traditional grade levels.
On another note, and given that today’s students will have to work in a future in which artificial intelligence will be present in all areas of life, it is important that our educational institutions expose students to technology, become familiar with it and know how to use it.
If you want to know more about Artificial Intelligence , access the contents of our XXXII edition of the Future Trends Forum.
