How AI Can Help Elevate the Learning Experience in Education
How AI Can Help Elevate the Learning Experience in K-12 Education
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Artificial intelligence has spread to cover more areas of everyone’s lives including in education.
William Watson, a professor of learning design technology in the College of Education at Purdue University, said as AI is becoming present in the general space on our phones and other devices and platforms, some school systems are embracing its capabilities more than others.
“Like any tech adoption, we’re seeing early adopters and more late adopters,” Watson said. “I’m seeing individual teachers who are all in and using AI in their classrooms and I’m seeing school corporations that are still kind of, knowing they’ll have to figure it out at some point but haven’t really gotten there yet.”
Watson believes AI has the potential to completely transform education through personalized learning. In schools today, AI can be used to spark creativity in students during their brainstorming phase.
“One of the great things that AI can do for anyone is help spark their creativity,” Watson added. “I’m seeing teachers use that to help their kids brainstorm ideas for their papers and projects.”
The technology continues to develop and is being integrated by more people in multiple different areas. In the classroom, students can also utilize AI tutors to ask questions if their teacher is busy or seek help if they don’t completely understand something.
“For faster feedback, if a student is struggling with a concept, they can actually ask the AI tutor for clarification,” said Watson.
If they haven’t yet already, Watson is encouraging schools to create policies around how AI should be used in classrooms. He views AI as a tool to help elevate the learning experience in K-12 classrooms.
“AI has a significant potential to completely change the way we do education,” he said.
Whether teachers like it or not, students have started to figure out AI and are using it more recently than in previous years.
