Pros and Cons of AI in the Education Sector
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
AI is making an impact in education.
Many teachers and students alike are utilizing AI tools to augment learning and teaching, finding new ways to transform the realm of education. 30% of K-12 students use AI tools at least once per day.
However, while there are several benefits to having AI in the classroom, there are some challenges as well to be aware of. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of AI in the education sector.
Pros of AI in Education
There are several benefits to AI in education. Technology has transformed education tremendously, enabling new and innovative ways for teachers to conduct their lesson plans and for students to learn.
According to ABC News, 2023 Tennessee Teacher of the Year Melissa Collins called AI "a tool to spark creativity" that inspires educators to "think differently." These new technologies are introducing new ideas for many educators to teach information in more effective and interesting ways.
Reducing Teacher Workload: With AI, educators can streamline lesson plans and generate drafts, questions, and summaries in moments. Using AI for these types of tasks allows teachers to spend more time directly with the students, where they can better understand each of them and their learning styles. Studies show teachers who regularly use AI save an average of 6 weeks per school year.
Personalized Learning: AI tools can understand students’ learning styles and paces and automatically adjust educational content based on their needs. Educators can also make use of student data that has been analyzed through AI to better identify learning patterns that might be missed otherwise, allowing teachers to adjust their teaching methods and one-on-one lessons for certain students.
Improved Accessibility: AI can translate educational materials into students’ native language to reduce language barriers in their learning. In addition, AI can implement captions and vocabulary support to ensure that those with special needs receive the accommodations they need for a positive learning experience.
AI in education is about delivering real, measurable value. Pearson, the 180-year-old education company, has spent the last three years developing AI-powered educational tools to help students really learn about the subject they are focusing on, rather than simply receiving the correct answer with no explanation.
Pearson has integrated AI into its products including MyLab and Mastering, textbook-linked courseware platforms for homework, practice, and assessment. They also deployed an AI-powered math tutor and AI study tools in Connections Academy, their tuition-free online K-12 public school. The company combines technology with proprietary content and large amounts of learner data to develop products for specific settings and student learning practices.
The key to ensuring consistent real value is constantly changing and pivoting. Pearson utilizes its learning expertise and shifting student learning data to identify struggle points for students and how their performance shifts over time. They use this data to upgrade and transform learning services to fit the needs of those who use them. This is a great way to highlight how AI delivers real value.
Cons of AI in Education
AI in education comes with many benefits, but there are also a few challenges to keep in mind. As with any type of technology, there must be human oversight and minimal over-reliance to ensure real value is delivered.
Some schools are pushing AI but lacking the proper guidance to use it in an effective and responsible manner. According to ABC News, a teacher from Missouri named Julia Casey has stated that different AI tools are being introduced into her school but stressed that more guidance is needed to ensure teachers support learning outcomes using AI without sacrificing instructional quality. There must be a balance between technology and the importance of human creativity and connection in the classroom.
Student Data Protection: If AI is involved with student data and information, schools must ensure that data is protected. In addition, families must be made aware of how their children’s information is being used and how it is stored and protected.
Risk of Over-Reliance: It is important to ensure that AI is being utilized to enhance teaching and learning, not to replace critical thinking skills and student efforts in projects and classwork. Human connection and hands-on learning are crucial in the classroom, as well as meaningful collaborative discussions that do not always involve the use of technology.
Potential Inaccurate Outputs: AI is not always perfect, and there remains the risk of inaccurate outputs in learning materials. Students and teachers should learn how to recognize false content from AI and ensure human-in-the-loop practices.
Human oversight and review of any AI-generated material is a crucial part of responsible and ethical AI in education. Recently, middle school students in Kentucky were sent home with a packet of educational materials that had many AI hallucinations contained within. There were misspellings of state names and misplaced cities in a map of North America, including Kentucky being spelled “Venecky” and Lousinana spelled “Lookoong.”
There were also other issues within the materials, such as a periodic table showing Magnesium having an impossible atomic mass of -3.08, and a map of the solar system where Mars has been labeled "Marc." These inaccuracies highlight the importance of understanding when AI should be used and that anything augmented with AI should be reviewed before additional challenges emerge in students’ learning experiences.
AI in education has great potential, but before it is thoroughly implemented as a daily tool in classrooms, educators must be aware of the pros and cons. As with AI in any industry, it must be integrated wherever it delivers real value, not just AI for the sake of AI. This is how it becomes most effective in ensuring the advantages outweigh any potential challenges and contributes to a more positive learning experience.
“Education is the foundation upon which we build our future.”
– Christine Gregoire, Attorney and former Governor of Washington
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