I’ve spent the better part of the last two weeks on the road in California attending three educational conferences highlighting the risks – and potential benefits – of artificial intelligence in the classroom.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) events took place in Los Angeles. After finishing, I headed to San Diego and ASU+GSV where I hosted a panel on artificial intelligence tutors.
The problem of humans in the loop
In gathering ideas for future columns, I heard two things at the NCME convention that stood out to me.
- We all know we’re supposed to check what the AI spits out. But Victoria Yaneva, director of data science and AI at the National Board of Medical Examiners, said there is growing evidence that humans are getting worse in this area. People who are enthusiastic about AI are more likely to miss mistakes, she said. AI skeptics are better to catch them.
The people most wary of AI may be the ones we most need to know about.
- I heard a review of about 250 studies on AI-generated test questions and scoring. Only one – a study — examined whether the results were biased against certain students.
John Whitmer of Learning Data Insights called this oversight by the research community a “big failure.”
Related: Asian American Students Lose More Points in AI Essay Grading Study
Edtech AI Dreams Come True
The ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego is a giant edtech gathering where investors, marketers, entrepreneurs and educators make deals and talk, talk, talk about the future of education.
For two years, the mantra has been: “AI will transform everything”.
This year? Not so much.
AI products and conversations were still everywhere, but the mood had changed. There were many more questions – about the evidence, about parents’ negative reactions to screen time, and about overwhelmed teachers. The superintendents were direct. Their budgets are shrinking and the era of “buy and try” is over.
“We are at a tipping point,” said Erin Mote, CEO of InnovateEDU, a nonprofit.
Then, on the last day of the conference, Dan Meyer of Amplify, a curriculum company, dropped this newsletter bomb: “RIP Khanmigo and the Edtech industry dream of AI tutors.” The problem is that students aren’t actually using AI tutors as much, or in the way, as the industry hoped. They don’t ask the kinds of questions that lead to learning.
Some other things I heard:
- Big edtech companies are turning to teacher training – trying to get teachers to encourage adoption. Google is rolling out what it calls “snackable and stackable” ideas, small ways for teachers to try AI in the classroom without overhauling everything. Apple is expanding its networks of teachers who can coach their colleagues on how to integrate AI technology into their lessons.
- And industrial research is starting to provide answers. A little one, exploratory study last year showed the gains of an AI math tutor who gave instant feedback on practical problems. It used Google’s AI to help correct students’ misconceptions. But a much larger study – involving 1,600 students – has just been launched, the results of which are expected this fall.
The big question now is not just whether AI can help students if used correctly. It’s about whether students will actually use it in a way that makes a difference.
This story about the future of AI in the classroom was produced byThe Hechinger reportan independent, nonprofit news organization that covers education. Register for Proof pointsand othersHechinger Newsletters.
The article The Future of AI in the Classroom appeared first in the Hechinger Report.
