Thetford Academy Principal Michael Fordham explores whether advances in artificial intelligence mean schools need to change how they teach.
“Do recent advances in AI mean we need to change how we teach in schools?”
This is a great question and very topical, with new AI technologies appearing all the time. The first thing to say is that we have been here before. Every few years a new technology comes along which promises to “revolutionise our schools”: we have had computers in schools, the internet, tablets, online lessons and so on. All of these have shaped our education system and what we do, but they have not fundamentally changed schools. A school today would still be recognisable to someone who went to school 200 or even 2,000 years ago.
AI does create challenges and opportunities. Clearly it makes it much easier for students to use a computer to generate work they could pass off as their own. This has implications for coursework and homework, and I suspect we will see changes in these areas over the coming years. Universities already have to adapt. However, most school subjects are assessed by exams, so the impact there is less immediate. In practice, we may see more homework and coursework completed under supervision.
There are opportunities too. For example, some students now write an essay, put it into an AI system for feedback, and then bring me both their work and the AI response to see whether I agree with it (I usually do). AI can also automate certain tasks; in school, some of our systems already use AI, for example to track attendance patterns.
I am, however, sceptical that AI will require us to tear up our wider education system. Like previous technologies, AI will be of greatest benefit to those who come to it with a broad education. Knowing what to look for, and understanding the significance of what AI produces, cannot be outsourced to a machine. Those who are well educated will be able to use AI to their advantage, and it is our job in schools to provide that education.
If you would like to submit a question, please send it to:
michaelfordham@inspirationtrust.org
