Preparing For An AI World
By Rajiv Gupta
Scientific discoveries, technology, and innovation have tended to disrupt the way in which humans think and act. This is a truism from discoveries in astronomy and medicine to the invention of the wheel, automobiles, and computers among other major human creations. The 2016 Hollywood movie “Hidden Figures” described the lives of three black women computers who worked for NASA and who played an important role in the first American manned space flight piloted by John Glenn.
It is difficult to imagine that, prior to the invention of the modern day computers, complex and lengthy calculations required for space travel were performed manually. Hence the three women were called human computers. We know that the introduction of electronic computers has totally changed the way in which we calculate anything, from household budgets, to store checkout totals and any complex scientific calculation.
It is instructive to note that, about 50 years ago, students were not permitted the use of pocket calculators in exams. Today they are ubiquitous, embedded in devices such as mobile phones. Why this matters is because when a new technology, such as the electronic computer is introduced, human society takes time to absorb the technology in its day-to-day working. And just as technology affects human thought and behavior, our education system affects the direction of technology development and use.
Therefore, as we await a more complete development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact in our lives, it would be useful to consider how our education system should help steer society to assimilate the technology meaningfully and to provide direction for its future growth.
In order to fully appreciate the role of education in a world where AI will likely be as ubiquitous as the internet is today, three major components of education need to be considered; the design of the curriculum, the delivery of the content, and the assessment. Each of these three aspects merit consideration.
The curriculum is a very crucial part of the education experience. If the curriculum does not resonate with the needs of the students and society, it will not matter how effectively it is taught. In the past, course content was to a large extent, focused on the delivery of facts, approaches, and methods of doing various activities. In most cases, facts become outdated, and approaches and methods evolve as societal needs change. What a good deal of curricula lack is helping students develop the ability to think and learn. This ability would mean that the role of the student changes from a passive recipient of information, to a collaborator, or participant in the learning process. Also, the role of the faculty changes from someone who is a storehouse of knowledge, to one who can draw out the best in each student.
In addition, there would need to be greater emphasis on some of the soft skills, which do not receive much attention today. These soft skills include critical thinking skills, communication skills, and collaboration skills. Critical thinking is the ability to question, analyse, interpret and make a judgement about what we read and hear. Since access to facts will be simplified through AI, what people will need to develop is the ability to dissect and use the information.
No matter how much the developers of AI claim, forming judgements about actions to be taken will remain a human endeavor at least for the foreseeable future. Communication skills are essential for people to get their point across. However, current leadership in education does not necessarily see the role of education in developing these skills in students. This needs to change. As problems faced by people in various walks of life become more complex, it has become necessary to learn to collaborate with others. However, the focus in our education systems is on developing individual performance. This leaves a major gap in an essential skill that is required.
The second area where education needs to focus on is the delivery of the material. Traditionally, the faculty person has been assumed to be the source of all information where the faculty delivers lectures, and learning by the students is a passive activity. In this model of education, students are not active participants, and tend to forget the content of the course shortly after a term is over.
There is sufficient empirical evidence to suggest that if students participate in their learning, they will understand better and retain the material for longer. This will require that the role of the faculty change from the guru who knows everything, to one who engages the students and facilitates learning. Greater class participation, in the form of discussions, where alternative perspectives are encouraged and explored, helps students better understand the relevance and application of what is being discussed in class.
One of the more recent innovations in classroom delivery format is the flipped mode of instruction. In this mode, the course content is covered before the live lecture takes place. This can be either via textbook readings, or via pre-taped lectures. The students are expected to read or watch the content prior to the class. The classroom is purely focused on discussion on the content. This allows for a richer understanding and deeper insight of the material.
The third principal element of education is assessment. Certainly, there have been advances in assessment in the last few decades. The single assessment at the end of the term in the form of a final exam has been replaced by more periodic assessment via quizzes, assignments and projects. However, this needs to go much further. Assessment is still largely based on proficiency in the completion of specific tasks. This begs the question, “When a student finishes from a school or university with a certain grade, what does that grade indicate in terms of the ability of the student other than the completion of tasks which he/she was assigned?” There needs to be a better way of assessing the competencies of students which can be useful in the workplace.
The late Dr. W. E. Deming, the quality and management guru, used to advocate the elimination of grades. At the very least he suggested that the goal of the teacher/faculty should be that all students get an ‘A.’ Such thinking flies in the face of the current practice where students are assigned grades based on a curve in order to differentiate one student from another. Empirical evidence does not suggest that grade differentiation among students is predictive of future career successes for the students. Grades and evaluation on a curve are deeply entrenched in our education system and will take visionary leadership to change. However, this will be necessary for the future students to develop and grow t meet new challenges.
This article has looked at some aspects of the current education system that need to change to prepare the students for a future world which will be powered by AI. Since it takes time to bring about major changes in education, we need to start now. — INFA