Just as with many new technologies of the past, artificial intelligence is encountering resistance and skepticism. Nevertheless, several scholars have argued about how AI can provide easy access to educational resources and all that. As Kniberg explains and the video demonstrates, generative artificial intelligence is a technology system equipped with deep learning models that allows it to learn, think, communicate as humans, as well as perform creative intellectual tasks that previously only humans could do. In my line of work, I have come across a range of AI tools, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Khamingo AI (https://www.khanmigo.ai/teachers), QuillBot, ResearchRabbit, Dall-E, Grammarly, Turnitin, and Gradescope, to mention a few. I have found myself using one or more of these tools for brainstorming ideas that I had initially conceived but wasn’t sure how to fully explore or find relevant materials for. For students that are not native English speakers, using Grammarly has been very helpful in correcting grammar mistakes, checking spelling errors, and identifying the tone of one’s writing in terms of passive or active voices.
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Beth Holland’s article, “Can AI Solve the Uniquely Human Challenges Facing Educators Today, “explores how AI can be a valuable tool in addressing the challenges faced by educators, especially in the wake of the pandemic and staffing shortages. Holland highlights AI’s potential to support personalized and individualized instruction, which is crucial for meeting diverse student needs. Henrik Kniberg points out that AI can assist in grading tests and generating course content. I know a lot of educators are sceptical about the use of AI in their classroom. However, I think understanding the goal behind the use of these tools in the classroom can help educators navigate how to effectively utilize them.
An infographic shared on linkedin by Dr Alec Couros.
In a recent study by Ramnarain et al. (2024), preservice science teachers’ intentions to use generative AI in inquiry-based teaching were examined. The study found that preservice teachers believe AI can support students during the orientation and conceptualisation phases of inquiry learning, promote learner autonomy, accommodate individual needs, simulate experiments in school situations with limited equipment and chemicals, and help check the correctness of procedures. Despite the potential power of AI in providing personalized learning, scholars have indicated that teachers still remain essential guides for students. Nevertheless, it is argued that students who miss out on opportunities to learn about and use AI may struggle to keep up in the modern workforce, potentially hindering their ability to find jobs that utilize AI (Vanderpool & Jones, 2024). I was priviledged to listen to a webinar by David Wiley on how AI will transform access to open education resources, and he also shared these posts (https://lnkd.in/gtbXpinu ; https://lnkd.in/en2TJPsa). The discussion actually got me thinking about how my little use of some AI platforms helped me identify some online resources easily without necessarily going through the trouble of checking if the material is licensed or not. Personally, I think AI as a new technology has the potential to help us address a lot of problem in education, but I think teachers will need to learn how to effectively prompt these tools to help them achieve its maximun use, Yes, AI has its own risks, just as I said in the begining, that is the same risk we faced with new technologies when they first introduced and people began accepting the use of those technologies overtime. I think, AI will get better in a matter of years and people will develop strategies in using AI just like every other technology.