Four keys to exploring AI in education — THE Journal

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Four keys to exploring AI in education

• Written by Kate Lucariello
• 03/25/24

As part of the recent “Reimagine Education” 2024 conference, Microsoft Education released the “AI in Education” special report containing research insights, resources, and recommendations for leveraging the benefits and caveats of using AI.

While the report acknowledges the benefits and usefulness of AI for students, teachers, administrators, and IT professionals, it notes that “we are only beginning to understand the future of AI in education” and that AI It also highlights the need to address current and future challenges regarding responsibilities. Trust and transparency.

This report is divided into four key points.

Start an AI conversation today: A Microsoft survey of 1,800 K-12 and higher education students, educators, academics, and IT leaders found that the majority of respondents wanted to “improve productivity, personalize learning, and have used AI in their schools at least once or twice to improve efficiency. “Significant proportions (24% of instructors, 42% of educators, and 52% of students) cited plagiarism as their top concern regarding its use. Recommendations from the report include:

• Discuss with students how to leverage AI without compromising academic integrity.
• Create clear guidelines and policies.and
• Incorporate AI literacy into class instruction and staff training.

Learn how AI can help. A March 2024 IDC study reports that institutions are achieving more than a 3x return on investment within two years of AI implementation, but a tailored implementation strategy that aligns with the institution's goals is required. Our recommendations in this area include:

• Appoint an oversight committee to define the strategy.
• Create a “centralized cross-functional team” to align AI deployments with existing policies.and
• “Prioritize high-value, low-complexity AI use cases,” pace your AI adoption and usage, and plan solutions as needed.

Explore new ways to learn: In a large-scale randomized experiment on language models and education, Harsh Kumar of Microsoft Research and the University of Toronto found that: AI tools that provide personalized guidance and encourage engagement in learning rather than just giving answers are most effective, especially when students try to solve problems on their own before consulting AI. Our recommendations in this area include:

• Foster a growth mindset of learning, repetition, and curiosity.
• Use AI in education to talk to others and get ideas and support.and
• Focus on your goals when preparing an AI tool and how AI can help you achieve those goals.

Prepare for the future: According to Microsoft's 2023 Work Trend Index study, 82% of business leaders believe their employees will need new AI skills in their careers, with the top skill being “analytical judgment” about AI outcomes. The next thing I learned was interpersonal skills. Our recommendations in this area include:

• Educate students in “metacognitive skills,” or the ability to understand why they agree or disagree with the output of an AI.
• Use AI tools to “drive assessments rather than provide answers” ​​and know when to dig deeper.and
• Develop “human-centered skills” because companies value “human-centered skills” in addition to technology skills.

Download the full AI in Education report here.