AI’s Impact on Education: Key Benefits and How to Move Forward
The Power of AI in Education: Benefits and Strategies
This article explores how AI is transforming education, from early childhood to higher learning, highlighting the benefits of personalized learning, improved outcomes, and the challenges of integrating new technologies.
AI has an impact on the different aspects of our society and education is no exception. The role of AI in education is slowly being realized with more and more changes being made in the learning and teaching process. From increasing the level of students’ activity to individualizing the learning process, AI is changing the approaches to teaching in all levels of education. As the schools and universities embrace these technologies, there is a need to know the effects that these technologies will have on the education sector.
There are many benefits of using AI in education but there are also some issues that need to be considered. This article seeks to discuss the positive and negative impact of AI in education systems on early childhood education, higher learning institutions, and professional development. It also focuses on how AI enhances students’ success, how it responds to the concerns about AI’s bias, and how it defines the future of learning. Through these aspects, the educators and the policymakers can understand how to use AI in the education sector while at the same time minimizing the negative impacts that may arise.
Artificial Intelligence in Early Childhood Education
Early childhood education is one of the most important areas that have been influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the recent past through the provision of new tools and strategies for learning. The inclusion of Artificial Intelligence in this important stage of development is both promising and problematic for educators and learners.
Interactive Learning Experiences
It is important to note that AI has the potential of changing how children, especially young ones, interact with educational content. Through assessment of a child’s performance, AI can determine areas of competency and areas of need for improvement so that teachers can modify the learning environment and change the level of the lesson when it is being taught in real-time (LeewayHertz, 2023). This strategy makes it possible for children to be stimulated and motivated in their learning process, thus creating a better environment for learning.
Some examples of AI-powered toys include Aidan, which can change the activities to the child’s learning rhythm, modality, and preference. This level of customization offers the kind of support that can be referred to as scaffolding for each child’s development. AI also ensures that students are given specific experiences that are crucial for their learning, and this, in a way, enhances the learning experience (NSF, 2023).
Language Development Support
Among the most promising areas of application of AI in early childhood education, it is possible to note the support of language and speech development. AI can give the right and immediate feedback on the pronunciation, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency of the learner (NSF, 2023). This helps children make corrections and improvements in the language they are learning as they continue using it, thus fast-tracking the language learning process.
For children with communication disorders, AI provides other ways including voice output or text-to-speech technology (LeewayHertz, 2023). These tools help children with speech, hearing, and language impairments to effectively engage in learning activities, build self-esteem, and achieve their potential. These chatbots also have the ability to mimic real-life conversations and thus provide new ways of learning that are in tune with certain goals and competence levels (World Economic Forum, 2024).
Early Intervention and Assessment
The ability of AI in the analysis of data makes it a great tool in the early identification of learning disabilities. By identifying patterns in data, AI can identify problems in advance, for example, problems in recognizing letters or issues with math concepts (LeewayHertz, 2023). This early identification helps teachers to attend to the child early enough and offer the necessary assistance.
AI-based tools such as those provided by Illumine can generate assessments from basic observations which were previously unmeasurable. These tools can identify the level of difficulty of a child’s work and provide recommendations for improvement. They can also interpret local languages (LeewayHertz, 2023). This makes it easier for educators to recognize the positive and negative aspects of their teaching and thus concentrate on building a good rapport with the students.
Unfortunately, AI has its advantages, but it cannot act as a proper curriculum or replace a professional teacher. Therefore, the integration of AI in early childhood education should be done cautiously, monitored by humans, and used in moderation for the benefit of young learners.
Transforming Higher Education
AI is currently transforming the higher education system by providing new ways of improving students’ achievement and the effectiveness of management. Thus, the use of AI technologies can help universities to deliver individual learning experiences, enhance research, and provide better career services.
Personalized Degree Programs
AI has the potential to revolutionize the method of learning from the conventional model of standardization to personalized learning experiences. It can utilize vast data such as academic achievement records, courses taken, and co-curricular participation to determine the probability of a student’s success in certain classes and recognize those who are likely to fall behind (Quadc.io, 2024). This way, universities can shift from a model based on solving problems that have already occurred to one of prevention, where students who are struggling are offered help in the form of tutors, specific study plans, or counseling services (Quadc.io, 2024).
The University of Murcia in Spain has recently introduced an AI-based chatbot that can answer student queries regarding the school and departments. Surprisingly, this chatbot was able to correctly answer more than 91% of the 38,708 questions posed to it, which helped to motivate students and provide prompt assistance outside of working hours (Harvard Business Review, 2019).
AI-Assisted Research and Writing
There are also applications that are being created to support faculty in evaluating students’ assignments and providing feedback. For example, M-Write, developed by the University of Michigan, applies an algorithm to determine the areas where students are likely to face challenges in their writing and the factors affecting poor writing skills (Digital Marketing Institute, 2024). This technology enables faculty to address writing tasks at a larger scale and enhance the quality of feedback given to learners while decreasing the time taken to grade assignments.
Walden University, in collaboration with Google Cloud, has designed an online tutor known as Julian, which is capable of providing adaptive learning and student support (Digital Marketing Institute, 2024). Similarly, Khan Academy’s Khanmigo offers assistance in math, science, and humanities questions/assignments, and a writing mentor to assist students in writing stories (Digital Marketing Institute, 2024).
Career Information and Job Matching
These days, AI is proving to be very helpful in closing the gap between the education system and the job market. AI skill mapping technology identifies a student’s academic path and then maps it to workplace skills in simple language that is compatible with applicant tracking systems, which are commonly employed in the recruitment process (Quadc.io, 2024). This enables students to market themselves effectively and allows employers to make the right hiring decisions.
Pounce, the AI-based chatbot of Georgia State University, has been observed to increase student performance in classes. Students who opted for Pounce to receive messages on assignments, academic support, and course content were found to be performing better in their classes than those who did not. It was also found that it assisted first-generation immigrant students in achieving final grades about 11 points higher than other students (Digital Marketing Institute, 2024). With the use of AI in higher learning institutions, students can be provided with better support, student achievements can be enhanced, and, in the long run, graduation rates can be increased.
Lifelong Learning and Professional Development
In the current business environment, it is important to undertake continuous learning. A study shows that 43% of people face skill gaps. According to PwC’s survey, 39% of businesses had skill gaps in 2020, which affected performance, retention, and job satisfaction (Training Industry, 2024). AI-based tools provide a different perspective as they can identify things that a human might not recognize during training and help development professionals to more easily identify and close skill deficits (Training Industry, 2024).
Current approaches to identifying skill gaps in employees are mainly post-hoc and qualitative. AI, being data-driven, can quickly identify trends in the industry, historical data about workplaces, and current data about employees to identify possible areas for improvement (Training Industry, 2024). This way, organizations can prevent skill deficiencies from becoming problems that affect performance.
Adaptive Corporate Training
A new generation of learning management systems powered by Artificial Intelligence is transforming corporate training into a convenient, effective, and flexible solution. These platforms use data mining to understand the users and algorithms to determine what would be most effective for each learner (SafetyCulture, 2024). For instance, SC Training (previously EdApp) has a tool called Create with AI. These models can identify the organization’s needs in minutes (SafetyCulture, 2024).
Adaptive training systems driven by AI help deliver custom learning experiences to each employee, ensuring that the investment made in training is well utilized (iLeaf Solutions, 2024). These systems utilize learners’ performance data, preferences, and learning styles to design non-linear learning paths through content that is meaningful and interesting to the learners (iLeaf Solutions, 2024).
Continuous Learning Platforms
Continuous learning platforms use artificial intelligence to support the learning and development of skills in the workforce. For instance, IBM mandates its employees to engage in at least 40 hours of training every year, including AI, and offers career progression plans consistent with the organization’s strategy for skill attainment (Training Industry, 2024). Such initiatives ensure that employees are well-prepared to handle new technologies emerging in the market and fill gaps in AI skills.
AI-based applications can also be utilized in performance appraisals and for employee growth. These platforms help to identify skill deficiencies, learning styles, and career objectives of individuals, thereby building customized learning paths for each employee. This approach ensures that learning remains relevant and aligned with both the needs of the individual and the organization in a dynamic working environment (Training Industry, 2024).
Conclusion
AI in education has a significant impact on learning experiences at all stages of education, from early childhood education to workplace learning. As applications that support learning paths, increase student motivation, and reduce administrative work, AI is revolutionizing the educational process. These advancements create better teaching and learning strategies and deliver the best outcomes for all learners, while also preparing them for a future workforce dominated by technology.
Therefore, it is necessary to consider how to use the potential of AI in education while keeping in mind the aspects that can only be provided by humans. The effective and ethical use of AI in education systems must continue to involve the cooperation of educators, policymakers, and technologists to ensure that these tools support, rather than replace, the important work done by teachers. The further implementation of AI in education systems is an opportunity to develop environments that are more inclusive, productive, and efficient for students to learn and grow.
At Ampliro, we’re committed to helping educational institutions navigate the integration of AI into their teaching and learning processes. Our experts specialize in leveraging AI to create personalized learning experiences, improve student outcomes, and streamline administrative tasks. We also provide customized “Insights” reports with detailed analysis and tailored recommendations to help you maximize the benefits of AI in education. Contact Ampliro today to discover how we can support your journey toward a more innovative and efficient educational environment.
References
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2. NSF, 2023. AI Education: AI in Education. Available at: https://new.nsf.gov/science-matters/ai-education-ai-education.
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