The Future of Education: Exploring How Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing Learning

The Beginning

Imagine a world in which religious organizations still maintained majority control over formal education. Anciently, monasteries and other forms of clergy determined who, what, and where educational opportunities were given. Most commonly,  education was reserved for religious authorities and perhaps those at the top of the social class food chain. Wealth certainly impacted the ability to receive a formal education. Unfortunately, for centuries to come, access to education was still reserved for the eminently, well-to-do male side of the human race. Even this exclusive group was limited in their educational resources. Originally, knowledge was transmitted by mouth. Lecturing and rote memorization were common practice. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century revolutionized book production and distribution, actualizing research and knowledge retention. Yet it would not be for another 500 years that another drastic technological maturation would occur. The birth of the computer revolutionized education, communication, and business, which led to the emergence of the internet and the digital age as we know it.

Current State 

Diverging from the lagging pace of past centuries, technology is currently evolving at an incredible speed. New educational technologies are being developed daily. As typically happens with new methods of learning, there is often pushback when a new development is introduced. We certainly can empathize with the struggle that must have been in the transition from purely book base learning to the digital realm in which we now live. However, it is likely the general consensus that the internet certainly has created more efficient pathways to academic opportunities. Perhaps it is the nature of a millennial to say so, but can you imagine writing a well developed research paper for an Intro to Political Science course without internet access? Can we get a round of applause for those who had nothing more than a sharp Ticonderoga and Mr. Dewey Decimal to fulfill such an assignment? You know who you are, you super hero you. 

“If you can’t beat them, join them”

In recent years, with the increased presence of artificial intelligence software(s) being released, there is a simultaneous increase of agitation among educators as they prepare to combat the presumed upswing in plagiarized student submissions. Is there documented evidence that AI software such as Chaptgpt are producing an upswing in unoriginal academic content? Perhaps a better battle to pick would be the re-creation of given assignments. Maybe, just maybe, the “In a well developed,  MLA structured, 5000 word essay, discuss the symbolism of Charles Dickens’, David Copperfield” is an antiquated approach to learning. With AI powered technologies, an assignment of this nature could be completed in a matter of seconds. So what is to be done? Before we can answer the question, we must first grasp the reality that artificial intelligence is here to stay.

In reality, artificial intelligence is doing much for the educational sphere. AI is increasing the efficiency of learning and production. Because the overall efficacy of ed tech is improving due to machine learning capabilities, expansion opportunities (in terms of accessibility) are created. The following are examples of how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the education sector through efficiency, efficacy and expansion: 

1. Personalized Learning is customized to fit the needs of the student by analyzing patterns, strengths, and weaknesses to better suit the student’s learning style and pace. 

2. Automated Grading reduces the workload for teaching by providing students with immediate feedback on their works. This saves a significant amount of time and ensures a more objective grading process. 

3. Predictive Analytics assess student performance and behavior to identify patterns. AI then takes the gathered data and makes predictions that will best determine future success. This practice will increase the frequency of early intervention and prevent students from falling behind. 

4. Natural Language Processing leans into great possibilities for expansion. Through machine learning algorithms, natural language responses are analyzed and then provided with relevant feedback. 

We accept that AI is not a substitute for human intelligence and is not capable of replacing educators, however it certainly has the potential to advance efficiency, efficacy, and expansion levels in education.

The Future

The future of education is technologically based. If technologies, like AI, allow for a more dynamic learning experience, cliche as it may be, the possibilities are endless! It is likely that rising generations will have blended learning opportunities where students will use digital tools to supplement traditional classroom experiences. The exposure to new people, cultures, knowledge, and methods will be globally accessible. Formal education is undergoing major reconstructive surgery and will return better than ever. Finally, after centuries of deprivation, education will be accessible to anyone and everyone.  

(Mic drop)

‍