AI

What is the main problem with AI use in education? Looking into the future, this is the one question that public education should be concerned about addressing

It still makes tons of mistakes, and it does it audaciously and confidently. This is not the main concern.

It has an unsurmountable orthodoxy bias that hinders creativity in thought and ingenuity. This is not the main concern either.

The main concern with AI use is the same problem we have with children using calculators before learning basic arithmetic but on steroids. We cannot risk surrendering learning to AI. It is very easy for students to use AI instead of challenging themselves; there is an obvious concern with academic integrity here.

AI will invariably form an integral part of future economy, and I am a proponent of responsible use of AI in our general society. Proponents of AI use in learning will often encourage AI and digital literacy to reduce harm while encouraging functional use. I think this is fool’s gold. As I was going through my schooling in the early 2000s, lot of public schools were investing heavily in computer labs to educate on the use of the developing information technology. While the intentions were good and there was some benefit, information technology changes too rapidly for education to have a practical outcome. Additionally, the usability is often not challenging; the students are usually ahead of the educators. Some education needs to be provided on responsible use but it does not require its use in learning; it should be didactic in nature.

The more important question here is what can the school board and educators do about it?

The dishonest use of AI in learning is nearly impossible to parse out. Access is too readily available, and no adequate models exist for detection of direct use, never mind indirect. The only method available to us is to move away from screens in favor of written and in class work as fast as possible. We need to move back to textbooks. Fortunately, this will have benefits of its own for learning but will pose some challenges for available resources. The Nordic countries were among the first globally to adopt screens and information technology as part of their learning process. They are also the first to exit now heading fast back towards pen, paper and textbooks. I would recommend the same.

The school board should not prioritize funding for information technology. Those dollars, however small, can be better utilized to other ends. There are some exceptions for specialized use in secondary school. The recent partnership and funding from Teck Highland Valley Copper for hands-on experience with coding and robotics comes to mind. Similar endeavors should be encouraged but digitization in learning should be discouraged.

Let me know what you think and ask your questions!

*The following table is from a BCTF recent survey of teachers