Computers, the Internet, and Smartphones have been on the list of the latest inventions of the world, for quite a long time now. But the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is the latest buzz. These concepts have been widely used in some popular sci-fi movies like The Matrix, The Terminator, Ex Machina and others alike. They are no more the sole mediums of entertainment through movies and literature. AI and ML are greatly speeding through educational and technological advancements.
Stephen Hawking told the BBC that “AI is likely to be either the best or the worst thing to happen to Humanity.” When it comes to an umbrella of possibilities or the perils of AI and ML there are a lot of opinions. But as of now, these technologies have taken the educational sector by storm.
Ways AI and ML will make Education better
Unique & tailored learning experience
The secret of the AI and ML powered systems being in great demands lies in the way they are programmed. They are designed to produce results based on the statistics generated by the users when using them. With machine learning tools teachers will no longer have to keep a log on each student or make extensive lesson plans for the whole month. Software like ‘Gooru’ will help them through. Moreover, AI helps in creating customized educational content. Through this technology, textbooks can be broken down into nuggets of information and flashcards for easy understanding of students.
Digitally assessing students’ strengths and weaknesses
For a teacher, many educational tasks can be taken care of by the AI and ML powered systems. These tasks may range from finding time to work with each student individually or in groups, to creating and reviewing their assessments. ‘Thinkster Math’ uses AI and ML to track students’ progress in solving a question, thereby helping the tutors to personalize their learning programs based on the students’ strengths and weaknesses. Such AI and ML powered systems can offer tailor-made lectures suited to each student. This may result in remarkably reducing the workload of the instructors and teachers.
Organizing the whole teaching process efficiently
Audio-visual tools have become a thing of long past. AI and ML driven systems promise great benefits to students and the teachers equally. The process of grading assignments and tests will become a lot speedier and error proof. An unbiased grading system will prevail. Additionally, a detailed performance analysis of each student will help teachers to organize the curriculum in a better way. Systems will be analyzing students’ responses, fixing their fields of needs and interests and find apt study resources for them. Thereby increasing the efficiency of education subsequently.
Crowdsourced learning experience
Imagine the benefits reaped by students having a virtual peer or an expert that interacts with them, keeping in mind their needs and interests, academic or otherwise. Such a peer/expert would be fun to learn with, particularly on the availability of time and place of the students’ choice. Additionally, an online messaging board facility can be provided to students to ask questions, connect with “friends,” and have their questions answered by other students.
Educational enhancements
The application of augmented reality can also be extended to have more immersive classroom-gains for students. Thus, students can explore the world around them more realistically. For instance, they can avail the experiences of seeing different geographical places from around the world, which otherwise they couldn’t have. Through this technology, study resources will be based on “informed- choice.” Study materials will be generated according to the needs and interests of the students and their personalities, as calculated by the data generated by these systems. Thus, personalized and differentiated study-resources can be offered to each student.
The New Technologies and the Education Industry
There are many AI and ML-based educational applications in the market that are making life easier for students. Brainly offers crowdsourced learning to students. Content technologies Inc. helps in building customized learning programs. Apps like Grammarly and GradeProof verify spelling and grammar mistakes along with identifying issues of plagiarism in the articles.
There are companies that directly or indirectly, contribute their share to improving the educational scenario. EduGorilla, an EdTech start-up, for example, amalgamates AI, ML and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to produce profiling of more than 70,000 coaching centres and 6 lakh schools, spread across 53 cities in the nation.
According to Alan Perlis, “A year spent in AI and ML is enough to make one believe in God.” And this is quite evident when we see the influence of these technologies in our lives. Education is one of the main areas of application AI and ML. As far as other fields are concerned, we must give some room to the wisdom of human brains- inventors of such technologies.
