Learning through the eyes of AI: How AI is transforming the education ecosystem

Only yesterday educators and students struggled to get familiar with the change in classroom settings from physical spaces to screens. Now, they are embracing technology like never before. Digitalisation in education has been happening for almost a decade. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent need to adapt acted as a catalyst in overhauling the education system, leading to a change in the traditional definition of a classroom and opening up multiple avenues of technological integration in learning processes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one such technology that has permeated and transformed different aspects of education, diversifying possibilities in the field but also raising ethical concerns.

From teaching-learning methods and assignments to curriculum development and innovation, AI is transforming education. What are its possibilities and threats? We speak to educators and subject experts to find out.

Role of AI in Education

"AI has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today, innovate teaching and learning practices, and accelerate progress towards SDG 4," UNESCO states. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 calls for "ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all".

Educators believe that AI is a tool through which this can be achieved.

Dr. Bharati Wukkadada, Associate Professor - Data Science & Technology, K J Somaiya Institute of Management, believes that AI has vast potential in education. From the facilitation of tailor-made learning experiences to the automation of grading and other administrative tasks, AI integration can significantly impact how the learning process functions.

"AI creates the vision of an education system that focuses on students' individual needs and is more efficient," she says.

Siddharth Rajgarhia, Chief Learner and Director, Delhi Public School (Varanasi, Nashik, Lava Nagpur, Hinjawadi Pune) backs this belief. "While AI cannot replace the invaluable role of teachers, it can significantly assist educators and students in numerous ways," he states.

How can AI assist educators and students?

AI tools can help the education system become more effective by allowing each student to learn in their way and giving teachers insights into pedagogical methods. Rajgarhia explains.

For students
AI offers personalised learning experiences tailored to their strengths and weaknesses, thereby enhancing academic performance. With AI, students benefit from support akin to having a personal tutor available for all subjects, and AI-driven quizzes enable them to self-assess and improve. Additionally, exposure to AI helps students develop essential skills for the future workforce, ensuring they are well-prepared for a tech-driven world.

For teachers
AI provides valuable insights into student performance and learning patterns, allowing them to tailor their teaching strategies more effectively. An AI-based lesson plan creator further aids teachers in planning their lessons efficiently. By automating routine tasks, AI also frees up significant time for teachers, enabling them to focus more on individual students and ensuring that no child is left behind.

Prof. (Dr.) Vishwas H. Devaiah, Professor of Law, BITS Law School, elaborates on the possibilities of AI for enhancing the education process.

• AI can be employed in making certain materials like lectures and videos more accessible to students with disability.
• It can also provide instantaneous translation of materials in other languages to students and instructors. This can make a range of materials that were previously inaccessible due to language barriers more readily available and can therefore become part of the curriculum.
• Teachers can employ certain interactive and engaging learning tools to create instant quizzes, class notes, flash cards and gamify the learning process.
• AI can also be effectively used in facilitating language learning as it can provide automatic feedback to students by correcting grammar, punctuation etc.
• Well-developed AI chatbots and virtual assistants can also aid in clarifying doubts.

Bridging the rural-urban education divide

While the use of AI in urban educational institutions has widely come into recognition, its implications in rural areas and subsequent impact on the rural-urban digital divide need to be explored.

Has AI helped in bridging this divide? We ask Manav Subodh, founder of 1M1B (One Million for One Billion) and a leading voice on AI and Green Skill.
"There are some early advantages," he says.

He explains, "For example, Anuvadini and Bhashini are two GenAI tools backed by the Government of India. Anuvadini, backed by AICTE (Ministry of Education) empowers anyone to translate a book from English to any local language. Looking at the geographic and linguistic diversity of India, this tool enables people to access content in their local language. It is still new, but it can help in bridging the divide."

He further adds, "Bhashini, similarly, enables people to access digital content in any language. Such tools can bridge financial divide and access to high quality education divide among others. There are also a lot of start-ups working in this space."

Should students be allowed to use Gen AI tools like ChatGPT?

There has been a long-standing debate about whether schools and colleges should allow the use of ChatGPT in regular learning processes and projects. There are varied perceptions in this regard.

"Some educational institutions and specific educators consider the use of generative AI to be academic misconduct, while others encourage or even require its use," Wukkadada reveals.

She further states that some educators have designed new instructional supports and are teaching students how to use the tool ethically and responsibly. Others incorporate ChatGPT into the classroom to demonstrate its shortcomings in logic, accuracy, and bias, allowing students to critique and analyse its responses, proving that it is not an infallible tool.

Also Read: Art through the eyes of AI: Here's how artists and creative professionals are adopting AI in their work

Educators and experts stress on ChatGPT being an opportunity rather than a threat, but also advise considering negative implications.

While such tools can assist in searching and organising information quickly and writing, help generate new solutions and improve accessibility and efficiency, they also pose the risk of inaccurate information, dishonesty, bias and excessive dependency.

Ethical implications of AI in education

While the possibilities of AI in education are far-reaching, it also inherently comes with ethical implications.

The educators we spoke to list down possible threats of AI in education.

• Dependency
• Bias and discrimination
• Privacy and data security concerns
• Job displacement
• Reduced social skills
• Plagiarism

AI education - The way to mitigate threats

How does one navigate these challenges and threats to use AI judiciously and ethically? Education about AI seems to be the answer.

"Every new technology has a negative side to it. There's a negative side to the internet as well. But you should know how to use it. Same with social media. When it comes to AI, the biggest challenge in our country right now is people don't know what to do with it. Before even using AI, we should know how to be safe on the internet," Subodh states.

He adds, "First, we need to be protected in terms of educating our younger generation on good and bad uses of AI and how to take care of themselves. You know how in the early growing days, a child is taught basics like saying thank you, respecting elders, etc. A similar approach should be followed for AI."

With the way the technology is shaping up, education on AI is extremely important. The first step is to make students aware of its use, their rights, cybersecurity issues and how to conduct themselves in the digital world.

In 2023, CBSE had announced its decision to bring subjects like coding, artificial intelligence and data science from classes 6 to 8 as a part of NEP 2020. It is also a skill subject in classes 9 and 10.

Many educational institutions have imbibed AI in their curriculums through dedicated subjects, club-based activities, etc.

"We have introduced AI as a subject to develop futuristic skills such as digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and design thinking. For primary years, we have established robotics and AI clubs to introduce young learners to these advanced technologies," Rajgarhia reveals.

"The only way to ensure ethical and judicious use of AI is to introduce it very early on. The sooner we educate our students on responsible AI, ethical AI, AI for good, AI for education and AI for innovation, the better it is for the country," Subodh believes.

"Once you teach responsible use of AI, you can unleash a new set of innovators who can create local solutions to local problems including but not limited to transportation management and climate action. The possibilities are endless," he concludes.