The AI imperative: We must engage
The debate on the educational merit of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was heating up as Reimagining Schools and School Systems went to press. ChatGPT had made its appearance and I took the opportunity to try it out. I noted on page 190 that “An unknown known had suddenly become a known known. I had no difficulty receiving a short well-written essay comparing approaches to learning and teaching in Finland and Singapore.” I concluded that “The year ahead will find schools coming to terms with a potentially transforming technology.” The potential was acknowledged for the management of information about student progress and achievement as well as the removal of much of the routine paperwork that is the bane of teachers: “It would be a paradox if teachers felt threatened if [AI] served to eliminate many of the things that teachers find difficult or tiresome.”
The debate continues to rage as I write this update, so what follows is likely to be the first of many. Without canvassing the various positions that have been taken or the concerns that have been raised, I simply note that we cannot duck the issue. One public school system in Australia signalled that schools should not proceed to adoption, but then backed off. On the other hand, some schools could not resist the temptation to “try it out,” and this was especially the case among private schools. A survey by the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA) found that in responding schools, 24 percent of primary teachers, 34.5 percent of middle school teachers and 39 percent of secondary teachers had used generative AI by mid-2023. The top five teacher-assisted tasks were concerned with lesson plans or learning designs, learning resources, ideas for curriculum unit outlines, discussion questions, and rubrics for assessing student work.
One would expect that universities and organizations such as the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Australian Education Research Organization (AERO) should take the lead in addressing the issue. Internationally, the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has research capacity in the field and now has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology, building on existing capacity in its eight “next generation classrooms” that address virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and AI (see pp. 125-126 of my book).
Public schools cannot cede territory to private schools and Australian institutions cannot do the same to international counterparts. To do so would exacerbate existing inequities and further build the case for reimagination.
More broadly, academics around the world moved quickly to explore the potential of AI for schools. Scores of thoughtful articles had been written and summarised in a comprehensive review published on August 23 (Fullan, Azorin, Harris & Jones, 2023) who concluded:
Paradoxically AI could turn out to be the most powerful force ever known that could dramatically increase the wherewithal for humans to work together … But traditional school structure and culture are not conducive to teachers and students working collectively over time to make a significant and profound difference in the lives of all students.
The power of AI could be used to reduce much of the mechanical load of teachers and even to provide some basic support for students under the direction of teachers who would be freed to work with each other, with students, parents, and others in the community to maximise support and learning for all students. (p.6)
Herein lies the case for a well-implemented approach to enhance the professional role of teachers and contribute to equity in learning. It is also a case for re-imagining structure. The future in these matters is likely to be shaped by what unfolds in schools, leaving academics to research the impact.
Reference
Fullan, M., Azorin, C., Harris, A. & Jones, M. (2023), Artificial intelligence and school leadership: challenges, opportunities and implications. Editorial. School Leadership & Management. pp. 1-8. DOI: 10.1080/13632434.2023.2246856.