#477 – Bending the Arc of AI in Education (Part I: Brookings AI Study—An Overview)

#477 — Bending the Arc of AI in Education (Part I: Brookings AI Study—An Overview)

AVID Open Access
11 min

Transcript

The following transcript was automatically generated from the podcast audio by generative artificial intelligence.  Because of the automated nature of the process, this transcript may include unintended transcription and mechanical errors.

Paul Beckermann 0:00 Welcome to Tech Talk for Teachers. I’m your host, Paul Beckermann.

Transition Music with Rena’s Children 0:05 Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. What’s in the toolkit? Check it out.

Paul Beckermann 0:16 The topic of today’s episode is “Bending the Arc of AI in Education, Part One: Brookings AI Study Overview.” Change is hard, and it often causes uncomfortable disruption. This can lead to positive change, but it can also potentially take us a step or two backwards.

Most people will agree that the current biggest disruptor is generative artificial intelligence. Part of the reason for this is due to what AI is able to do, and part is due to the fast rate of adoption. In fact, ChatGPT, the first generative AI chatbot to hit the mainstream, gained usership at unprecedented rates. According to a Reuters article, it took ChatGPT just two months to reach 100 million active users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. In contrast, it took TikTok nine months to reach that mark, and Instagram two and a half years. A recent Harvard study shows that American adults have embraced generative AI even faster than they did the internet or personal computers.

The Center for Universal Education at Brookings has recognized this and, in January, released the results of an intensive, year-long study about the impact of AI on education. The report is the most comprehensive study I’ve seen about the impact of generative AI on schools, and it is titled, “A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect.” In its findings, the authors acknowledge that generative AI is, and likely will continue to be, a disruptor.

They note that AI “presents opportunities and threats, promising unprecedented innovation and disruption.” So, the key question isn’t if AI will lead to innovation and disruption; the answer is probably yes in both cases. Rather, the important questions are: which path will it lead us down, and what can we do as educators to shape that path and trajectory? It’s precisely this approach that the Brookings study takes in its work.

In fact, they describe the report as a “pre-mortem.” Rather than waiting to write a “post-mortem” report after it’s too late to address concerns posed by generative AI, they attempt to predict what these problems may be and then propose proactive solutions that can be implemented now in order to steer us in a positive direction. This is insightful and potentially actionable work. It’s also a fairly long report that most educators simply won’t have enough time to read through. In that light, I’m going to do the heavy lifting for you and spend the next several episodes of Tech Talk for Teachers giving you the “Too Long; Didn’t Read” version to save you some time, but also to keep you informed.

Here’s how I’ll break it down: this week’s episode will give you the big picture; next week, I’ll address the potential benefits identified in the report; the week after that, I’ll share potential concerns and risks; and then the final episode in the series will take a look at the 12 actionable steps that the report suggests we implement in order to maximize the benefits of generative AI while minimizing the risks.

With that context in mind, let me give you a little bit more of that big picture. I’ll start with the goals of this study. The Brookings research team focused their work on two driving questions. The first was: what are the potential negative risks that generative AI poses to the education of children and youth? The second was: assuming these potential risks, what can we do now to prevent them while maximizing the potential benefits of AI? Based on those questions, their report aims to help readers understand the current landscape of AI in children’s education and identify concrete actions to leverage it for transformational benefits.

Ultimately, the trajectory of AI will be determined not by fatalism or passive acceptance, but by the deliberate choices and sustained efforts of all of us working together to bend the arc of AI implementation toward educational experiences that help all children flourish academically, socially, and civically. The goal is to determine what we can do to bend the arc of education and the impacts of AI in a positive direction while we still have the opportunity to do so.

The report also calls out three foundational premises that shape the results. The first is that children’s learning is fueled by social relationships. Their holistic development is shaped by an interconnected combination of cognitive, social, and emotional growth. They define the heart of education as the relationships and interactions between students, teachers, content, and parents. In other words, relationships are at the core of quality education.

A second premise is an acknowledgment that schools serve multiple interrelated purposes in children’s lives and in society. While schools are for academic learning, they also shape the holistic development of a child and serve social, civic, and economic roles in the community. It’s not just about academics. The third premise is that technology does not always and automatically lead to positive educational transformation. The authors state that technology contributes most effectively to educational improvement when embedded within carefully designed and implemented strategies.

This means that tools and platforms must be designed ethically and responsibly, grounded in the learning sciences. They must also be used in a way that supports human relationships, including the teacher-to-student relationship, using sound pedagogical practices designed to augment, rather than substitute, student learning. In other words, we need to be aware of both the risks and benefits and then implement technology in a thoughtful and informed way.

The authors also acknowledge that no one, not even AI’s creators, can predict the potential dangers and benefits of this transformational technology with complete accuracy. This year-long study encompassed interviews, focus groups, and consultations with 505 students, teachers, parents, education leaders, and technologists across 50 countries. They also conducted a close review of over 400 studies and pulled this all together using a Delphi panel. A Delphi panel is a structured, iterative research technique that gathers anonymous expert opinions over multiple surveys and then uses those results to form a consensus on a complex, uncertain topic.

Before breaking down their findings into more nuanced parts, the authors of the study provide a general overview of their results, and it’s slightly alarming. They state, “At this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children’s education overshadow its benefits.” While at first glance this sounds really ominous—and it is indeed a warning—the authors go on to write that, despite this general conclusion, “we find that AI has the potential to benefit or hinder students, depending on how it’s used.” They add, “We all have the agency, the capacity, and the imperative to help AI enrich, not diminish, students’ learning and development.” In essence, it’s up to us.

In the next few episodes, I’ll break this down into more actionable points for you and explain how the authors suggest we can utilize AI to enrich rather than diminish learning. I’ll also be sharing the report’s three pillars for action: Prosper, Prepare, and Protect. Under each pillar, the authors list actionable recommendations for governments, technology companies, educational system leaders, families, and anyone impacted by AI and education. The authors urge all relevant actors to identify at least one recommendation to advance over the next three years. This report is a look at where we might be headed with the intent of providing a positive pathway forward—a way of bending the arc of AI implementation toward a path where students will thrive.

Paul Beckermann 9:35 Until then, to learn more about today’s topic and explore other free resources, visit avidopenaccess.org. Specifically, I encourage you to check out the article collection, “AI and the K-12 Classroom.” And, of course, be sure to join Rena, Winston, and me every Wednesday for our full-length podcast, Unpacking Education, where we’re joined by exceptional guests and explore education topics that are important to you. Thanks for listening. Take care, and thanks for all you do. You make a difference.