There’s no escaping from Artificial Intelligence. A recent survey discovered that the majority of students have tried it at least once or twice in a school setting. Many use this technological tool every day.
As generative AI becomes more prevalent, educators may wonder how best to respond. Should they ban it from classrooms or encourage its use in classrooms? Experts at our Schools Now! conference agreed there’s no point fighting the spread of AI when students will find ways to use it anyway. Instead, we should look at how to make the most of these tools while mitigating all the risks involved.
Let’s break down the benefits and challenges of using AI in education. By exploring real-world applications and offering actionable insights, we aim to guide educators as they implement AI at their schools.
Benefits of using AI in education
Dedicated support for learners
AI chatbots can almost function as a personal tutor for your students. Now, they can get their questions answered at any time of the day or night. There’s no need to wait for the teacher to become free or struggle with homework alone.
AI is particularly useful for shy or reserved students. They can ask questions without worrying about being judged or dismissed. As they learn more about a subject and their confidence grows, they may begin to participate more in class.
A source of engaging learning activities
Learners can use AI to help them with a range of different tasks. There are apps for just about every school subject so you’ll find plenty of ways to include this technology in classes.
One basic example is research. Learners can use tools like Perplexity and Scite to not only learn more about topics but also verify their sources. Both platforms answer prompts and list the websites where they got the information.
Learners can even get creative with AI. You can show them how to generate images and audio using prompts, which can then be included in their creative projects. Many students may be reluctant to get involved in art and music classes because they feel as though they don’t have the technical skills — AI is a great workaround for expressing their creativity and giving them a confidence boost.
Reduced workload for teachers
Admin can be time-consuming and steal focus away from students. So, why not use AI to ease the workload? The technological tool can assist with or even take over many tasks without compromising the quality of the teaching. Here are some ideas for how best to implement it:
- Get inspiration for lesson plans or individual activities
- Find phrases to use in instructions, reports, feedback, and more
- Check the clarity of instructions and prompts
- Generate sample texts for assignments
- Analyse student reports to look for trends that suggest common issues
There are dedicated tools for educators out there. British Council moderator Maria Jose recommends MagicSchool AI which is specifically designed to generate and edit academic content.
Looking for more tips on how to use AI effectively in the classroom? Watch the British Council’s series of webinars as part of their Artificial Intelligence focus month.
Challenges of using AI in education
Overreliance and dependency
If your learners start to depend on AI for answers, it could really hinder their ability to think critically and solve problems.
You may notice that students begin to use AI to complete assignments without genuinely understanding the material. As a result, they may only gain a superficial understanding of the subject. If this problem continues unchecked, they won’t be able to build on that understanding as their learning advances, which will start to really affect their academic performance.
The answer isn’t to ban AI from classrooms. Instead, it’s important to frame AI as a tool to support their learning, rather than a crutch. For example, tell them to use AI to brainstorm ideas for a project, but then have them expand on these independently.
Ethical considerations
Generative AI is a recent invention and not all of our policies and legislation have caught up. That means both learners and educators may be able to use the software in ways that they shouldn’t. Here are the main issues to be aware of:
- Bias — consuming AI content that doesn’t fairly or equitably represent all groups
- Plagiarism — students passing off AI-generated content as their own
- Copyright infringement — using content that AI has copied from another source
- Training — requiring moderators or students to use AI without showing them how to use it
- Unequal access —- making AI a core part of the curriculum when not all learners can benefit from it
The best way to ensure the ethical use of AI in your school is to create comprehensive school policies. Give staff and students a list of approved AI tools and provide guidelines for appropriate use. If necessary, arrange training sessions to ensure educators understand how to use these tools, and why the rules are in place. Revise these policies constantly as AI is still in a state of flux and you never know when a new ethical challenge will arise.
British Council moderator Sirin Soyoz recommends the European Commission guidelines on AI as a great inspiration for policies. There are also free resources like an infographic and video for schools to download.
Data privacy and protection
When you’re sharing information with AI, it’s easy to forget that it stores everything. We can’t be sure where this data will end up. Software companies might use it as the basis for studies or sell it to third parties for marketing purposes.
If there’s a leak, sensitive details could get released to the public. Experts have already discovered over 100,000 hacked ChatGPT accounts on the dark web.
Schools should practise standard safeguarding measures like using complex passwords and storing data securely. Personal information about students should not and must not be used in prompts. Anonymity ensures that any sensitive details about their academic performance or personal lives remain confidential. For further information on what safeguarding resources British Council Partner Schools provides, take a look here.
Final thoughts
Deciding how to use AI in our schools can be challenging. Educators are no longer the authority - teachers are often discovering and experimenting with new tools at the same time as their students. In many cases, schools are lagging behind their learners.
The key is keeping an open mind and staying updated with the latest trends in technology. Be prepared to change your attitude toward AI and revise your policies as the technology evolves.
Looking for more information on how to implement AI effectively in your school? Access extra resources from the Online Support for Schools platform or if you’re not a member, contact your local British Council office.
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