A University of Kansas study by Professor Yong Zhao explores radical changes to integrate AI in education, emphasizing personalized learning and critical thinking to better prepare students for an AI-driven future.
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform various sectors, and education is no exception. While traditional methods have integrated AI to an extent, a new study from the University of Kansas offers a groundbreaking perspective on revamping the entire educational system to fully harness the benefits of AI.
In an article published in the ECNU Review of Education, Yong Zhao, a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas, delves into the broader potential of AI beyond conventional classroom applications.
“Numerous publications have appeared, all trying to suggest, recommend and predict the future of AI uses in education,” Zhao said in a news release. “However, most of the discussions, regardless of their scholarly quality, are primarily focused on using AI in the traditional arrangement of schools.”
Zhao argues that current discussions on AI in education often fail to consider significant changes to how schools operate. These changes could leverage AI to foster personalized learning, which is tailored to individual students’ needs and talents. Though personalized learning has proven benefits, it remains underutilized in schools today. AI, Zhao suggests, presents an untapped opportunity for implementing truly individualized education plans.
The article also highlights how AI has disrupted the workforce, eliminating traditional roles while creating new ones. Zhao contends that educational systems should pivot towards nurturing students’ inherent talents and strengths to prepare them for various careers. By focusing on each child’s unique capabilities, schools can help students thrive in an AI-driven job market. He advocates for a shift from age-based learning to interest-driven education, empowering students to pursue their passions with the support of AI technologies.
Moreover, Zhao identifies AI’s potential to facilitate project-based learning, which can teach students essential skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking. This approach would redefine teachers’ roles, transforming them into mentors who guide students in identifying and developing their strengths with the aid of AI tools.
Despite the resistance to change in traditional educational systems, Zhao’s article suggests that the transformative power of AI in education should not be underestimated.
“AI is no doubt a powerful technology, but it is easy to underestimate its power. Uses in the traditional classroom to assist students and teachers in learning and teaching helps, but they also minimize the transformative power of AI,” Zhao added. “Schools could be transformed with the advancement of technology, especially generative AI. The changes should start with student-driven personalizing learning and problem-oriented pedagogy.”
This article provides a vision for educational reforms that align with the capabilities and demands of the AI era, heralding a potential paradigm shift in how we approach teaching and learning.