UNESCO: How could intelligent technologies help during the pandemic?
date：2020-08-02 19:36author：小编source：UNESCOviews：
In the face of the ongoing pandemic, thousands of schools, teachers and learners all over the world had to switch to remote teaching and learning almost overnight. While some of them could successfully continue education with the help of educational technologies and online learning, many still question the effectiveness and level of engagement of the latest.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been on the radars of the education agenda since some time. AI applications have promised to spark innovation in education and to make it more personalized and thus more effective. It seems however that AI was not yet implemented at scale in the current crisis.
In this interview, Dr Inge Molenaar, Chair of the 2019 edition of the ICT Prize, tells us more about the difference between intelligent and non-intelligent technologies, existing AI applications in education, and risks and opportunities these applications could create. Dr Molenaar is Assistant Professor at Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands), specializing in artificial intelligence and education.
Could you tell us more the difference between adaptive intelligent and non-intelligent digital technologies?
Although we all shifted to online learning and the use of digital materials, many teachers and learners were not prepared for this sudden switch to full online learning. Distance learning does not always allow teachers to make adjustments and support students, as they would do in the classroom. As a result, students may find the digital learning materials either too simple or too complex, which could lead to disengagement and a reduction in learning outcomes. Adaptive intelligent learning technologies may help to overcome these problems.
This type of technologies uses algorithms to adapt digital learning materials to students’ needs by monitoring students’ performance, estimating their skills, tracking their progress and predicting their development. This enables students to learn at their own pace and reduces the need for constant teachers’ supervision, feedback or adjustments to the materials.
In contrast to the adaptive learning technologies, a wide range of non-intelligent digital learning technologies are available. While these technologies do not make intelligent adjustments, they do often provide students with direct feedback and teachers with dashboards to follow students’ progress. Yet, they are designed to be used as a supplement to teachers’ instructions, and children may face difficulties in working with them independently.
Could you give us some examples of AI in education applications during the pandemic?
In the Netherlands, we are using adaptive learning technologies at scale in primary and secondary education. These technologies adjust materials to the needs of students and provide teachers with extensive insights into their students’ progress via dashboards. During the pandemic, a number of new functions have been added to these adaptive learning technologies for home schooling. For example, integrated communication modules enable teachers to talk directly to their students. Another option includes the possibility to have ‘live’ virtual lessons. In the live lessons, teachers give instructions via the communication modules, for example adaptive learning technology Gynzy integrated Microsoft teams. Thus, students connect via their laptops and follow lessons at a distance, and teachers can provide additional instruction and feedback directly to individual students. This allows for social presence and a sense of community, albeit students do not see each other physically.
Could the current learning crisis scale up the use of intelligent platforms and AI in education in general?
Today many countries are scaling up their digital technologies, yet I am not sure whether all governments and schools agents are aware of the difference between digital non-intelligent and adaptive intelligent technologies. They would require additional help and explanations of what AI can do in this particular situation. Many good digital materials for schools already exist, but when AI is used properly, we can improve home schooling even more.
At the same time, different types of AI applications exist. We know that adaptive learning technologies for assessment and instruction have been especially popular. However, currently we also see a new development, including in the Prize applications, namely detection technologies. While these technologies have not been used at large scale, they have lots of potential. Take for example this year’s Prize winners. The diagnosis of dyslexia can be done based on the type of mistakes a student makes on a specific problem-set (Dytective) and can then be used to select games that help dyslectic students advance reading skills. And based on students writings - the functional writing skills of students can be measured (Letrus) and further supported with adjusted practice opportunities.
While AI has the potential to improve home schooling during the Covid-19 crisis, this crisis can also help to improve AI. With the help of the online adaptive learning technologies, teachers follow students’ progress via dashboards, make the adjustments and give feedback that the technology was not able to do. As this happens via the technology, teachers help their students, while providing valuable traces to improve the AI.
Do you think AI could increase inequalities?
AI applications in education can be both a risk and an opportunity for inequalities. On the one hand, these technologies may only become available for children in wealthier countries. On the other hand, intelligent adaptive learning technologies are more helpful when children learn at home, as they are adjusted to learners’ needs. This is likely to improve education success even for children from less supportive home environments. In addition, this presents a great opportunity for those who have special education needs or require personalized learning. Hence, it is important to see the comparative advantage of adaptive learning technologies and ensure they are available at scale, so that they become sustainable and can support home schooling during crisis in future.
Source: UNESCO, 21/07/2020
https://en.unesco.org/news/how-could-intelligent-technologies-help-during-pandemic
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been on the radars of the education agenda since some time. AI applications have promised to spark innovation in education and to make it more personalized and thus more effective. It seems however that AI was not yet implemented at scale in the current crisis.
In this interview, Dr Inge Molenaar, Chair of the 2019 edition of the ICT Prize, tells us more about the difference between intelligent and non-intelligent technologies, existing AI applications in education, and risks and opportunities these applications could create. Dr Molenaar is Assistant Professor at Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands), specializing in artificial intelligence and education.
Could you tell us more the difference between adaptive intelligent and non-intelligent digital technologies?
Although we all shifted to online learning and the use of digital materials, many teachers and learners were not prepared for this sudden switch to full online learning. Distance learning does not always allow teachers to make adjustments and support students, as they would do in the classroom. As a result, students may find the digital learning materials either too simple or too complex, which could lead to disengagement and a reduction in learning outcomes. Adaptive intelligent learning technologies may help to overcome these problems.
This type of technologies uses algorithms to adapt digital learning materials to students’ needs by monitoring students’ performance, estimating their skills, tracking their progress and predicting their development. This enables students to learn at their own pace and reduces the need for constant teachers’ supervision, feedback or adjustments to the materials.
In contrast to the adaptive learning technologies, a wide range of non-intelligent digital learning technologies are available. While these technologies do not make intelligent adjustments, they do often provide students with direct feedback and teachers with dashboards to follow students’ progress. Yet, they are designed to be used as a supplement to teachers’ instructions, and children may face difficulties in working with them independently.
Could you give us some examples of AI in education applications during the pandemic?
In the Netherlands, we are using adaptive learning technologies at scale in primary and secondary education. These technologies adjust materials to the needs of students and provide teachers with extensive insights into their students’ progress via dashboards. During the pandemic, a number of new functions have been added to these adaptive learning technologies for home schooling. For example, integrated communication modules enable teachers to talk directly to their students. Another option includes the possibility to have ‘live’ virtual lessons. In the live lessons, teachers give instructions via the communication modules, for example adaptive learning technology Gynzy integrated Microsoft teams. Thus, students connect via their laptops and follow lessons at a distance, and teachers can provide additional instruction and feedback directly to individual students. This allows for social presence and a sense of community, albeit students do not see each other physically.
Could the current learning crisis scale up the use of intelligent platforms and AI in education in general?
Today many countries are scaling up their digital technologies, yet I am not sure whether all governments and schools agents are aware of the difference between digital non-intelligent and adaptive intelligent technologies. They would require additional help and explanations of what AI can do in this particular situation. Many good digital materials for schools already exist, but when AI is used properly, we can improve home schooling even more.
At the same time, different types of AI applications exist. We know that adaptive learning technologies for assessment and instruction have been especially popular. However, currently we also see a new development, including in the Prize applications, namely detection technologies. While these technologies have not been used at large scale, they have lots of potential. Take for example this year’s Prize winners. The diagnosis of dyslexia can be done based on the type of mistakes a student makes on a specific problem-set (Dytective) and can then be used to select games that help dyslectic students advance reading skills. And based on students writings - the functional writing skills of students can be measured (Letrus) and further supported with adjusted practice opportunities.
While AI has the potential to improve home schooling during the Covid-19 crisis, this crisis can also help to improve AI. With the help of the online adaptive learning technologies, teachers follow students’ progress via dashboards, make the adjustments and give feedback that the technology was not able to do. As this happens via the technology, teachers help their students, while providing valuable traces to improve the AI.
Do you think AI could increase inequalities?
AI applications in education can be both a risk and an opportunity for inequalities. On the one hand, these technologies may only become available for children in wealthier countries. On the other hand, intelligent adaptive learning technologies are more helpful when children learn at home, as they are adjusted to learners’ needs. This is likely to improve education success even for children from less supportive home environments. In addition, this presents a great opportunity for those who have special education needs or require personalized learning. Hence, it is important to see the comparative advantage of adaptive learning technologies and ensure they are available at scale, so that they become sustainable and can support home schooling during crisis in future.
Source: UNESCO, 21/07/2020
https://en.unesco.org/news/how-could-intelligent-technologies-help-during-pandemic
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