Sharing Good Practice
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FORCES US TO
CHANGE MATHS
BY MAARIT ROSSI
T
he education industry has
made changes in three
areas; content, platform, and
assessment providers, and
each is currently going through a
transition.
We have seen publishers working
with the challenges of the print-
to-digital transition. The learning
platforms are trying to differentiate
in the adaptability, personalization,
and analytics space. Assessment will
continue transforming the education
industry from multiple-choice tests
toward more innovative question
types.
Every teacher today is using ICT
products with varying degrees of
confidence. As teachers, we need to
keep learning all the time, being life-
long learners has taken on a whole
new meaning for teachers, • Virtual reality and computer vision
for immersive, hands-on learning
While some teachers might still be
grappling with the concept of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and how it can be
used in the classroom, many students
and even their parents have some
experience with it on a daily basis,
for example; SIRI on Apple products
or ALEXA from amazon, as well as
disease-diagnosing algorithms being
used in the medical world. We already have examples: Scientists
have developed an algorithm to match
pupils with tutors, using artificial
intelligence. Georgia Tech professor
Ashok Goel has used AI as a teacher’s
assistant that answered students’
questions successfully. Robots have
written essay of 6000 words, which
have been better than many of the
students’ essays. But the Bot has not
understood what it has been writing!
Artificial Intelligence is changing
the world. We need to be also very
aware that there is no way to predict
exactly what students will need to
know. Students are aware that they
will need to be flexible, able to work
collaboratively, be comfortable with
experimentation and able to embrace
and embody what it means to be a
lifelong learner.
The use of artificial intelligence in
education will become increasingly
common in the coming years. What
seems to be possible in education is
that we will have new applications of
AI like:
• AI for grading students’ written
answers
• Bots that answer students’ questions
• Virtual personal assistants that tutor
students
• Simulations and gamification with
rich learning analytics
What role will the school play in the
future? - Thinking should be the most
important aspect of school culture.
The future of all societies depends
on the creativity and competence of
the young people who are currently
making their way through schools.
Today being “good at school” means
for too many students knowing how to
play the game of school. This teaches
young people that if you just follow
the rules you’ll be successful. Asking
questions instead of memorizing
answers will be one feature of being
good at school.
Students need to be encouraged
to question assumptions, engage in
debate and value their own voices
as well as those of their peers. Being
good at school should mean asking
questions instead of memorizing
answers.
Why not start the new Maths concept
by giving them a simple task and
letting them figure out their own way
of solving the problem? Now Maths
seems to use more models where we
are holding their hands and telling
them step-by-step instructions on how
to do something. My experience and
also research has shown that hands-
on experiences with a challenge that
doesn’t have one right answer really
gets students excited and engaged.
We all know that students are
motivated by what interests them. This
means that we need to change and
update Maths content and use more
versatile teaching methods.
I think AI can help us in the classroom,
by grading and working as our
assistant.
It is my hope that #AI forces us to
change Maths education.
Mrs. Rossi is a Math teacher, principal and CEO of Paths to Math Ltd. She was
one of the top 10 finalists in Global Teacher Prize 2016. She is one of the Top
Teacher Bloggers in The Global Search for Education by C M Rubin. Twitter: @
pathstomath & www.pathstomath.com
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