Ever since OpenAI launched the research preview of ChatGPT in 2022, public opinion has been largely divided. Some argue that AI is set to bring about unprecedented productivity and innovation, while others continue to mourn the end of original thinking and creativity. However, neither the current crop of professionals nor the members of the future generation may have the leisure to dwell on the problem. Instead, it is time to accept that AI is here to stay and the proverbial early bird is likely to get the worm.
Todd Bazley, principal at JBCN International School, Chembur in Mumbai says, for children today to do well in school or eventually at work, they must develop AI skills. "Teachers need to start thinking about how they can deploy AI in schools and blend it with their current programmes," says Bazley. He further explains how parents, as well as educators, can guide and encourage children to gain proficiency in AI.
Right perspective
The implementation plan must first begin with the right perspective. With more and more parents realising the importance of developing AI skills, schools are bound to take note and respond to the demand at a quicker pace. "There is no debate amongst educators that schools must be an avenue to expand a learner's horizons beyond what they would achieve on their own. By facilitating targeted and contextual browsing, AI tools have become game-changing study resources. When taught to leverage these tools, children can go beyond the curriculum, attaining a steeper learning curve than they potentially would otherwise," explains the educator.
Tool for brain transformation
Generative AI is an excellent tool for brainstorming, and with a few prompts, reference material is readily available. But before the learner can be taught how to use Generative AI effectively, Bazley says there needs to be a shift in the positive direction from parents and teachers regarding AI. "As the use of AI becomes the norm, it is important to not lose sight of the primary aim of education — the development of faculties as opposed to the assimilation of information. Perhaps the biggest concern that educators often raise is that, with the advent of Generative AI, children may delegate their classwork to platforms such as Gemini AI, ChatGPT, and Meta AI, among others," he opines. He further states that "This is why AI implementation is not a mere co-curricular activity but rather a call for overhauling the set methods of evaluation."
For instance, classroom activities can go beyond lectures and become supervised exercises wherein the children are tested on their proficiency in the lessons taught. Similarly, home learning can include tasks that require children to actively engage with the study material on their own, followed by class presentations or oral quizzes verifying the depth of learning.
"Such methods of evaluation help children develop subject skills, along with a better grasp of effective communication, public speaking, and peer learning, while also reinforcing the lesson through repetition. Also, Generative AI by itself would require children to communicate precisely via prompts in addition to saving time spent browsing resources online. This form of pedagogy can also be key in helping children take charge of their education, a habit that might influence them to become self-starters in other spheres of life," he says.
The drawbacks
The weaknesses of AI tools, such as lack of nuance and verbosity, offer valuable teachable moments for children. These flaws encourage children to express themselves more concisely. Additionally, teaching children to identify “AI hallucinations”—instances of incorrect or misleading information arising from issues like insufficient training data and biases—challenges them to think critically about information accuracy. "This skill is especially important in critical fields like medical diagnoses or financial trading, where the stakes of misinformation are high," Bazley warns.
Further, as AI integration becomes the norm across industries and educational institutions, children may be inspired to discover the mechanisms behind the technology. "This curiosity will gear the forthcoming cohorts to be savvy in both the application of AI tools, as well as the building of AI models," says the principal. Needless to say, a technologically advanced generation may pave the path for giant leaps for humanity, especially for nations such as India that are keen to accelerate their development. "The AI revolution in education may begin at home, wherein parents begin to encourage their wards to excel in the use of AI, promoting schools to take the project of instilling proficiency in AI further," concludes the educator.
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