Artificial Intelligence: A Paradigm Shift in Education, Redefining ‘Chalk and Duster’ Approach

Over the past half-century, significant improvements in teaching and assessment have resulted from the widespread adoption of digital technologies and instructional resources. In fact, during this time period, students have shifted from relying solely on static, print-based materials to those that are entirely digital and, in many cases, multimodal, dynamic, and interactive.

This shift has prompted studies into the cognitive demands of learning and the methods through which we process knowledge. To demonstrate how far we have come, I recap one of my most enduring experiences as an undergraduate: spending my Monday afternoon in 2002 sitting in a lecture theatre.

 My professor wrote in chalk on the blackboard from left to right as he explained valence bond theory; we had to swiftly jot down our notes before the text was erased to make place for new material. Our supplementary material was a textbook; we had no access to the World Wide Web back then, so we had to rely on the written word and the spoken word to supplement each other. However, we did recognize some important advances in education technology along the way, including the introduction of the overhead projector, the development of the web browser Netscape Navigator, the advent of Wikipedia, the advent of email, the introduction of learning management systems, and the widespread availability of wireless internet. Our students today have access to a plethora of online resources that serve as both generators and aggregators of information and knowledge. Technology is a crucial component of human development.

 Technology, be it in the form of sticks, stones, or smartphones, has helped us flourish in our respective settings. Experts in both education and technology have debated the merits of artificial intelligence (AI)  in the context of increasingly digital classrooms. After all, computational intelligence is improving, and AI has moved from science fiction to science reality. In the near future, teachers may find themselves at the helm of a digital classroom driven by AI. Surely nothing could go wrong, right?

The best way to help students in learning the subject is for teachers to pick and choose from several tools, representations, and resources. Technology has unquestionably increased student engagement, provided students with easier access to a broader range of learning tools, and opened the door to new kinds of formative evaluation. Despite this progress, new challenges have arisen in terms of digital equitable access, such as linguistic diversity and budgetary constraints. The effects of Artificial intelligence (AI) systems on teaching learning are a scorching topic in the AI in Education (AIEd) field. For instance, Roll and Wylie (2016) advocate for more use of AI systems in student-teacher interaction and educational software beyond the traditional classroom setting. Also, Zawacki-Richter and coworkers' (2019) systematic review of AIEd literature between 2007 and 2018 revealed an absence of critical reflection on the ethical impact and risks of AI systems on learner-instructor interaction. Popenici and Kerr (2017) looked into how AI systems affect education and found possible conflicts between students and teachers due to issues including privacy concerns, shifts in power dynamics, and an overabundance of control. In order to fully realize the promise of AI systems, numerous studies have urged for additional investigation into the effect these tools have on the dynamic between students and teachers. 

The early global reaction to ChatGPT's release saw educational communities perceive this instrument as a threat to the validity of student evaluation. As teachers, we want to make sure that the work the students turn in is authentic and represents their unique perspectives. Educators have just recently resolved issues with remote assessment brought up by the COVID pandemic, such as students using cheating websites and the loss of verified identification.

Given the possibility of chatbot-generated submissions to assessment tasks, it is understandable that assessment-weary individuals would throw in the towel and give up. Positively, many practitioners have started to create fresh methods of evaluation that are based on the obvious cognitive differences between a student and an AI response generator. 

By 2025, according to the World Economic Forum, widespread adoption of ML and other technologies is expected. They stress the importance of both STEM and non-cognitive soft skills, urging governments and educational institutions to swiftly increase associated education and capabilities. Automation might replace as much as half of today's occupations in the United States, according to a report by Microsoft, which indicates that technological progress will have far-reaching effects on the labor market. The Microsoft Research continues by stating that by the time kids graduate, they will need to be proficient in two aspects of this new environment. They should: Know how to make the most of dynamic technologies like AI & Learn to efficiently solve problems with the help of a team. It is also important to recognize that students in many disciplines consider AI as a fundamental technology that helps design thinking. Applications of machine learning (ML), a branch of artificial intelligence, and its incorporation into pedagogy have been reported in several researches. It's important to consider the impact on the classroom atmosphere that could result from AI's addition of affordances to teaching and learning practices. Keep in mind that the road ahead is not straightforward as we urge educators to adopt and evaluate the use of cutting-edge digital tools and paradigms to improve student learning.

Author is Assistant Professor (Chemistry) at HKM-Govt Degree College Bandipora and can be reached at nasarul.chst@gmail.com