Here is a brief overview of current AI used in mobile education, as well as its benefits and limitations. All feedback is welcome!
A1 – A Glimpse into AI in Mobile Education
11 responses to “A1 – A Glimpse into AI in Mobile Education”
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I really enjoyed your analysis, Binal! You did a great job of succinctly conveying a range of multi-dimensional aspects relating to AI in education. I do share your concerns though regarding data privacy going forward with AI. How do you think those concerns will or can be addressed? I think it will also be interesting to see how we will develop methods in future to ensure the quality of data we extrapolate from AI algorithms is sound and that it does not contain any biases that could negatively affect how we treat or teach our students (I think this kind of check in the balance of power will be important and it’s one reason that educators will never be fully replaced by any form of technology).
Thank you, Carla! Unfortunately, I don’t think there are definitive solutions yet to deal with the concerns of privacy, inequity, ethics and accessibility when it comes to AI, because it is still so new and ever-evolving. I think the more invasive it gets, the worse the problem becomes, even if it is able to provide more meaningful solutions or better life satisfaction/fulfillment. With regards to bias, I read this very disturbing article yesterday: https://www.theverge.com/21298762/face-depixelizer-ai-machine-learning-tool-pulse-stylegan-obama-bias and I was concerned by how casually the problem was dismissed. When they mention that if the input is biased, the output will be biased as well, nothing to worry about! I was not happy with that. Hopefully AI can be used to eliminate bias now that we are aware of the problem.
Hi Binal,
Thank you for this well-constructed and eloquent analysis of AI in Mobile Education. Your site design was inviting and you organized the information into concise bits that made it easy to follow and understand, which I greatly appreciated.
Thank you, James! I’m glad you found it easy to interact with. I had fun putting it together.
Hey Binal,
What a fascinating glimpse into the world of AI. Sometimes I catch myself still thinking of AI only being found in a sci-fi movie. It is funny when you stop to think that AI is already all around us. Thanks for sharing the innovation that they are conducting in China’s classrooms. In the concluding statement of the video, they mentioned that the sensors will help students improve their grades. However, the sensors measure student engagement, not academic ability. The assumption that those variables are correlated is interesting to me. I know students who are super engaged, studious, attentive and do not perform as well on tests as the students who can think critically and conceptually. I guess I’m going down a rabbit hole of AI sensor headbands and AR googles as the new educational practice.
I believe the cost will be a limiting factor for AI in public schools, but I think we will begin to see more AI in private schools in the future. I think we are all in for an exciting ride!
Thanks, Kristin. The WSJ video about students in China actually bothers me a lot. The lack of concern about where the data is going and how it is used, the fear of punishment from parents and how much control they have, and the invasive nature of the data collection itself! I’m glad you noticed the correlation. I agree completely. Wearing the headsets can make the kids more aware of their actions, their concentration, their engagement, etc. The fear of being reprimanded for not paying attention would make them more attentive, which in turn may factor in to an increased achievement level. Again there’s the whole causation vs. correlation dichotomy going on here, but there are so many factors in play. What I do like about AI and realtime data collection is the non-invasive part of it, more like the analytics of what kids spend their time on most, how often they engage or disengage with the material, what kinds of resources they prefer to rely on (text, video, audio, visuals?), etc.
Cost and accessibility are pretty big disadvantages for AI being integrated into the mainstream, for sure, but I am excited to see how it goes in the next couple of years.
Hey Kristin and Binal,
The video about sensors on students in China also really got me thinking. I was thinking the exact same thing as Kristin, measuring student concentration does not mean students are actually learning. You can really focus on something and still not understand! Binal also brings up a great point about fear. Studies have shown that fear is not a good motivator for learning and constant fear of your parents tracking your concentration level could be very troubling to students.
Thanks for sharing your project Binal, nice job!
Hi Binal, thanks for your wonderful presentation. I’ve learned so much about AI. Your students are so lucky to have experienced AI in their chemistry class. So cool! It is such a great idea to use AI to help guide students through their academics and physical fitness, to monitor their mental health and wellbeing, and to develop strategies for improvements and alerts others in times of concern.
Thank you for your comment, Ceci! Unfortunately, my students haven’t had this exact experience with AI as yet – but it is a dream for the future. I think I want to look into that as my project for A3. I’m glad you enjoyed the website 🙂
Hi Binal, I like the picture you’ve painted in your final comments, showing ways you could use AI in your chemistry lessons once it’s developed further. It’s really the new innovations in deep learning that will get us there – the advances that make it possible for AI to take on more complex layers of understanding without us having to “train” it in every single aspect. It’s pretty wild that deep learning has only really been around for ten years! We’re really on the cusp of some wild new things.
Thanks, Anne! That is the dream – if I could be sure of ethics and privacy, I am pretty excited by the potential of such an intelligence. I know some professions feel threatened, and rightly so, but I also think there will be scope for so many new inconceivable professions in the future with technology.