教與學 - AI for Education 2018-06-1

What can you think of while talking about “AI”? “AI”, or Artificial Intelligence, is becoming a hot topic in the I.T. field. People start thinking about what a computer can (and cannot) do to replace humans in different aspects in our lives, for example, for learning and teaching in education. AI can be understood as “human intelligence demonstrated by computers”. An online article “10 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education”¹ shares what AI can do in education. I observe that some of the applications mentioned in the article have been in use in our college:

1. Automate basic activities in education – like grading MCQs, grading students’ work using Turnitin software;
2. Shape the way to find and interact with information – like Google Search, eBooks, voice input in searching;
3. Change where students learn – students can learn anywhere with computers or mobile apps.

There are also some applications that are worth our further exploration:

1. To give educators helpful feedbacks on where a course can be improved – by analysing students’ behaviour in a particular test/exam question, teachers can know what the major problems are faced by students and thus can provide suitable feedback;
2. To use “big data” to assist schools to find, teach and support students – by analysing academic background of admitted students, we may also fine tune our programme curriculum to meet our students’ needs;

Nevertheless, I believe all readers would agree that AI could not be a replacement of teachers. What a student needs is not just the subject knowledge. More importantly, teachers’ role is to motivate students to learn. Teachers are also “role models” to students, who teach students the correct learning attitude, ways to self-learn, courtesy, and social skills. Also discussed in the article “Artificial Intelligence”², AI cannot help students build SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) skills and learn from human interactions. To make ourselves stand out from others (and computers), let’s keep on supporting our students and show our care to them.

References:

1. 10 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education. Retrieved 21 March 2018
2. Artificial Intelligence: Implications for the Future of Education. Retrieved 21 March 2018