Artificial intelligence is technology that allows computers and machines to stimulate human intelligence, enabling them to learn, reason, solve problems and make decisions. AI is rapidly becoming common in classrooms all across the world. From tools that can write essays for you to apps that solve the most complex equations within seconds, it has become impossible not to use AI in classrooms.
However, the question remains—Is AI really improving student learning or just making learning an easier task, which makes them completely dependent on AI for everything and reduces students’ knowledge?
There are numerous positive aspects of AI in educational settings. Firstly, AI can personalise lessons. It means that the programme will be able to provide students with additional lessons based on their weaknesses, while giving those students who show particular strengths more challenging tasks. Moreover, AI is always available to students. They no longer have to wait for their next lessons; they can ask questions and receive detailed explanations immediately, and there are studies that demonstrate the increased engagement rate among the students using personalised learning programs, especially in the sciences.
For teachers, AI also has some advantages. Firstly, they can save a lot of time that they spend checking assignments. Moreover, they can use that time to teach the class in a more interactive manner, encourage students to develop critical thinking skills, and mentor them. In this sense, AI serves as an excellent assistant that improves both learning and teaching experiences.
However, there has been, of late, evidence of some concerning issues. Instead of using their own knowledge and putting their own effort, many students are completely relying on AI to do their tasks for them. Thus, for example, instead of writing an assignment on their own, they tend to use websites that generate papers. As a result, the development of creative skills has been slowed down by the overuse of AI. There is another disadvantage of using technology that is related to the assessment of assignments. As far as the paper is generated by a computer, teachers will not know if the student really understood the topic.
Moreover, relying on AI too much can make learners incapable of solving any problem on their own. They will simply ask AI to provide an immediate answer instead of putting effort or using their own knowledge to solve the problem themselves. Thus, according to some reports of teachers’ perspectives, excessive usage of AI has resulted in a reduced span of concentration.
It should additionally be mentioned that there are accessibility problems. It is possible that not all students have equal access to such services as an unlimited internet connection or advanced applications. Hence, this can contribute to the growth of existing inequalities.
Overall, AI is not as bad as it is said to be, but there could be consequences of using it in the wrong way. For this reason, instead of limiting students' access to AI, it would be reasonable to regulate its use by establishing some guidelines. Firstly, students should be allowed to use AI, when conducting research or generating ideas. Moreover, students will be required to provide some personal input in all the assignments. Teachers—instead of the focus on written assignments—should change the nature of exams to evaluate creativity and practical skills.
In conclusion, AI has both pros and cons. If applied reasonably, technology can become an effective assistant for both teachers and students. Otherwise, students may face several disadvantages.
Suveera Sharma is a student of Genesis Global School. Views are personal.
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