AI is set transform education

We may be on the verge of a technology enabled revolution in education after six decades of experimentation and dreaming. The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools approved the Unbound Academy has submitted for a new online education that will replace traditional teaching staff with AI assistants. The school promises to provide 2.4 times more academic growth than conventional schools.

The advance is not a result of a new incremental tech experiment, but rather the latest chapter in the 60-year quest to transform education using technology. This time, evidence suggests that a real breakthrough is near. If this Academy, and similar initiatives, are successful, they will fulfill a long-held wish.

The use of computers to aid student learning dates back to the 1950s. First application – Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations(PLATO) – appeared in 1961. PLATO offered interactive lesson and real-time feedback through terminals connected via telephone lines to a computer system for time-share. PLATO, like other time-shares, failed because of the high costs.

In the early 2000s, Second Life, a virtual world accessed via the Internet and where participants were avatars, was a famous example of immersive experimental learning. Second Life, although not a CAI tool in the traditional sense, demonstrated the potential of immersive virtual learning environments. At least at one point There are 300 universities in the world. Stanford Harvard has taught courses or done research on the platform. Second Life failed due to a poor interface (UI), a steep learning curve, and a lack of scale.

In 2017, the advent of generative AI marked a turning-point in CAI. Tools like Writeable Photomath enhances both teaching and learning. Writable uses AI to provide feedback for student writing and help teachers manage their workload. As Axios reported that Writable uses ChatGPT for comments and observations. These are sent to teachers, who are expected to review them and make adjustments before giving feedback to students.

These tools demonstrate AI’s growing importance in addressing traditional education’s long-standing resource constraints. In some U.S. school districts, primary education is a priority. Class sizes exceeding 40 studentsIf a teacher spends 10 minutes per student reading and critiquing their writing, that’s 400 minutes or more than 6,6 hours outside of the classroom to give feedback on one assignment. This seems impossible, especially when combined with evaluating the other student’s assignments. This challenge can be addressed with the help of technology.

AI-powered tutoring on a large scale

For a more comprehensive method, the Khan Academyhas been providing free online education tutorials under the leadership of founder Sal Khan since 2008. In 2023, the company launched Khanmigois an interactive AI tutor that integrates ChatGPT.

in a Khan discussed the potential of Khanmigo to improve student performance in his 2023 TED Talk (19459100). In the talk, Khan discussed a 1984 Benjamin Bloom, a professor of education at the University of Chicago or Northwestern University, wrote a paperentitled “The 2 Sigma Problem”.

The often-cited paper argued that students receiving individualized tutoring performed two standard deviations better than those receiving only traditional classroom instruction. However, Bloom was aware that this level of tutoring was impractical due to resource constraints including the costs of obtaining human tutors. Bloom believed the solution was to devise more economical interventions that could approach the benefits of tutoring.

Khan argues that though the application of AI-infused technology, Khanmigo effectively overcomes the resource constraints. As no Khansaid in a Harvard Business School Case Study that Khanmigo could be “that holy-grail we’ve been reading about in sci-fi for years about an AI that can emulate a human teacher.”

Some have pointed to flaws in the Bloom paper, questioning the evidence supporting his conclusion and dismissing the claims as being farfetched. In an attempt to “separate fiction from science,” Paul von Hippel is a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs of the University of Texas. opined that the claim of two standard deviations is “exaggerated” and “oversimplified.” However, there is no doubt that the use of technology tools can improve educational outcomes.

Balancing efficiency with human connection

AI tools are promising in addressing resource limitations, but their adoption raises questions about the role that human connection plays in learning. This brings us back Unbound Academy. Students will spend 2 hours each morning online working through AI-driven math, reading, science, and other lessons. Tools like Khanmigo and IXL personalizes the instruction, analyzes progress and adjusts the difficulty and content to optimize learning outcomes. Charter’s application states that “this ensures each student is challenged at their optimal levels, preventing frustration or boredom.”

Unbound Academy model reduces the role for human teachers. Human “guides” instead provide emotional support and motivate while also leading. Workshops focusing on life skills. What will students gain by spending the majority of their time learning with AI instead human instructors? How might this model change the teaching profession.

Unbound Academy is already being used in several private school and the results obtained by these schools are used to support the benefits it claims. It is unclear how a computerized model will affect a student’s capacity to form human connections outside a traditional school environment. These issues and questions illustrate the complex trade-offs that schools like Unbound Academy face as they redefine the educational environment.

Is this the beginning of a revolution?

AI is not only used in the Academy. Khanmigo, a pilot program for grades 3-12 in 266 U.S. school districts, is currently being tested. As CBS reported that the software is used both by students and teachers. This pilot program provides a glimpse of how AI can be integrated into existing education systems. It supports both teachers and students, by enhancing lesson plans, saving time, and providing real-time insight into student progress.

CAI is a long way from PLATO, even though it took more than 60 years. If AI-driven models are successful, they could democratize the access to high-quality education. AI may have the potential to increase existing disparities but it also presents unprecedented opportunities to provide quality education to underserved populations.

As Unbound Academy and the Khanmigo pilot schools pioneer AI-driven learning models, they’re not just testing out a new approach to education — they’re challenging our fundamental assumptions on how learning occurs and what role teachers should play. The results could change education for future generations. Gary Grossman, EVP Technology Practice at Edelman is the global leader of the Edelman AI Center of Excellence.