The ideology of A.I. and education combing is more reality than ever before but also surreal. The basic function of A.I. is to learn, self-correct and make sense of reasoning. I believe that A.I., hoping it does not become conscious, combined with human interaction can help both sides. A mobile app with A.I. capabilities can assist a learner in comprehending the geographical area or critical thinking process in problem solving. A.I., on its’ own, is on the lines of automation rather than assisted intelligence. In my opinion, the perfect A.I. app or technology for educators and teachers depends on your interest level and purpose. A.I. in education can also provide a personalized educational experience for all levels of learners. Mobile technology and A.I. in education can add voice, eye, fingerprint and facial recognition, which provides the personal touch. A.I. advices in mobile technology is also introducing AR/VR and location based technology to smart systems. Will A.I. help students learn better? The answer is still up to debate. Traditional methods of teaching are in need of change and adaption to current understanding of educational trend. Asian countries are more accepting of technology advancements in education, which are making great leaps and success stories. In the summer of 2018, Forbes released an article on A.I. benefits in the classroom and real world examples. according Forbes, A.I. has more benefits than cons in education.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/07/25/how-is-ai-used-in-education-real-world-examples-of-today-and-a-peek-into-the-future/?sh=3f2ec9c8586e
I totally agree on your opinion that there is a lot to be unfolded and debate on AI application to education. Even in Asian countries, people and government are quite welcoming to new technologies, but they are most conservative on applying AI to school education.
But, I think it is very necessary to clarify the TRUTH about this WSJ FAKE video broadcast, and the fraudulent product. I personally visited that particular primary school in 2019. I talked to the students, teachers, and parents about this product, as I always want to involve advanced technology in my financial education programs. The answer was that a company paid the school to use the location for commercials filming. That headband in the video was nothing about AI, but an actor-performed commercial selling the headband product made by that company named BrainCo.. BrainCo. was established by a Ph.D. graduate from Harward University, supported by James E Ryan, dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, aiming at collect students’ brainwave data. The headband was priced at RMB3999 ( equal to CAD800) while the manufacturing cost was only less than 10% of the price. Everything in this video was a show in one primary school in a fifth-tier county named Jinhua in Zhejiang Province. That so-called government-granted experiment was totally FAKE!
Moreover, we have been using that little white robot in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen for over three years. That is only a “quiz-screen” in the disguise of a robot to attract children’s attention and make the quiz more fun and relax. Teachers upload quiz questions to the embedded pad and students answer questions on the touch screen. Teachers need to download all the answers from WIFI linked computers and send the score to parents individually.
This is a very interesting topic, and relevant as well. I think that as cool as this is, I cannot agree with its implementation. I can imagine that as we become more dependent on technology, our behaviors and habits will change. However, I think key point is to be able to make that change consciously. The headband measures the focus level of the students, but shows it to their teachers and parents. I believe that a better implementation is for the students to understand that data and be able to make conscious decisions in creating situations in where can be focused. This is inline with the SEL concepts that we have in our classrooms as well. I would love to see this technology in our classrooms as a tool for the students, rather than for the teachers.
This post definitely got me thinking about where data collection fits into education. More specifically, I wonder what data should be collected in an educational setting. We are going to reach a point in time (as the video demonstrates), where technology will be advanced enough to collect data from almost anything and everything. But this begs the questions of whether everything needs to be recorded and collected, especially when we think about the educational space. It was unnatural seeing the educator at the front of the room examining a computer screen in order to gather information on engagement and attention. This was especially concerning when this data was distributed to parents in real time. As an educator, I always think about intention and purpose, so I wonder what the intention and purpose of collecting and sharing this type of data is. I have a hard time believing that using advanced technology and data collection in this way is the path towards higher engagement and attention in the classroom.
Kelvin, I can see the same concerns. The issue of boredom comes to mind. Boredom an be incredibly useful in an environment with a lot of open-ended engagement, but it’s role in creativity and problem solving isn’t always appreciated. How would boredom show up in data on engagement and attention?
Tyrone this is an excellent find. When it comes to privacy, I think this is going to be one of the biggest issues in A.I., as well as with any new technology introduced to society. I am under the impression that you have intended this post to be for week 3 – 4, for it fits nicely into the topic. Privacy is one of multiple areas to explore concerning mobile and culture. I am looking forward to other areas that our class may discuss this week.