DIGITAL LEARNING
The usages of AI for students vary broadly , and the graphic below demonstrates some of them . Role
Possibility engine
Socratic opponent
Collaboration coach
Guide on the side
Personal tutor
Co-designer
Exploratorium
Study buddy
Motivator
Dynamic assessor
Description
AI generates alternative ways of expressing an idea .
AI acts as an opponent to develop an argument .
AI helps groups to research and solve problems together .
AI acts as a guide to navigate physical and conceptual spaces .
AI tutors each student and gives immeduate feedback on progress .
AI assists throughout the design process .
AI provides tools to play with , explore and interpret data .
AI helps the student reflect on learning material .
AI offers games and challenges to extend learning .
AI provides educators with a profile of each student ’ s current knowledge .
Example of implementation
Students write queries in ChatGPT and use the Regenerate response function to examine alternative responses .
Students enter prompts into ChatGPT following the structure of a conversation or debate . Teachers can ask students to use ChatGPTto prepare discussions .
Working in groups , students use ChatGPT to find out information to complete tasks and assignments .
Teachers use ChatGPT to generate content for classes / courses ( eg . discussion questions ) and advice on how to support students in learning specific concepts .
ChatGPT provides personalised feedback to students based on information provided by students or teachers ( eg . test scores ).
Teachers ask ChatGPT for ideas about designing or updating a curriculum ( eg . rubrics foe assessment ) and / or focus on specific goals ( eg . how to make the curriculum more accessible ).
Teachers provide basic information to students who write different queries in ChatGPT to find out more . ChatGPT can be used to support language learning .
Students explain their current level of understanding to ChatGPT and ask for ways to help them study the material . ChatGPT could also be used to help students prepare for other tasks ( eg . job interviews ).
Teacher or students ask ChatGPT for ideas about how to extend students ’ learning after providing a summary of the current level of knowledge ( eg . quizzes , exercises ).
Students interact with v in a tutorial-type dialogue and then ask ChatGPT to produce a summary of their current state of knowledge to share with their teacher / for assessment .
Graphic 1 : UNESCO student AI usage recommandations ( UNESCO , 2024 )
However , the adoption and usage of GenAI by students comes with risks . Educators have been worried about AI impeding student intellectual growth ( Department of Education 2024 ), inhibiting critical thinking , and compromising academic integrity . Therefore , it is important to identify methods which allow students to take advantage of GenAI without losing the benefits of cognition throughout the process . I will share three key points on AI education which I believe are valuable .
The black box problem
The mechanism by which modern AI functions is still largely unknown to researchers . This means that to us , AI directly arrives at an output from our input . This means that AI does not show logical steps , and when AI arrives at an undesired output , we are unable to understand why it produces it , due to its unknown reasoning process .
AI also has set parameters , meaning that it is limited to specific outcomes it has been exposed to before . This can cause AI to reflect culture norms partial towards the commonly accepted view of the data it was trained on , which skewers the content produced . Forms of bias can be negative , even harmful . For example , AI reflects racial biases by associating African Americans with more violence than Caucasians ( Piers 2024 ).
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