Kamal Ghorui
For quite some time, the proliferation of technology in educational processes has been affecting teaching and learning activities. Undoubtedly, the substitution and/or supplementation of the traditional chalk-and-board teaching approach by presentation-based teaching, the use of learning management systems, digital learning resources, access to the internet, etc., have changed both the role of teachers and the approach of students towards classes. All these interventions in learning processes offer flexibility of content delivery, ease of access to content to the students, and also ease the teachers with respect to different aspects of teaching.
Going ahead with technological advances, the impending integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education may bring a paradigm change in teaching-learning processes and the relationship between teachers and students. The natural language models of AI are going to ease the learners from their inhibitions of asking a teacher, as the AI tool will give some kind of reply to their query. Nevertheless, the correctness of the response and worthiness to the context of the query may have to be seen. This means that the content available as a response to the query from an AI being based on it’s training dataset, will need validation at an appropriate level. Which points that, eventually, the cognitive skills of human beings are to be relied upon for factual accuracy. Delving deep into assessing the impact of AI calls for looking into the quality of education in the present setting.
Access and equity
Use of AI depends upon the availability of the internet, as digital access will finally decide how many students and teachers can use AI tools. The prevalent digital divide ought to be seen from the perspectives of the stark urban-rural divide as well. The NSSO data of 2024 shows that only 24% of rural households have access to the internet, while it is 66% for urban households, which means that a sizable population cannot be part of unfolding opportunities due to AI use. Besides this, the affordability of the internet is also not uniform, even in places with internet. Thus, because of the varying socio-economic-geographic considerations, the AI penetration is going to be different across the higher education institutions (HEIs), students, and teachers. Those with better internet are likely to edge ahead in furthering their potential beyond what AI will be facilitating to them, while those with internet limitations will have to do everything on their own and may apparently lag.
Thus, access and equity are bound to be ascertained for better AI integration in education in the Indian context. However, it must be kept in mind that the gradual decline of human cognitive function because of AI performing many things may yield devastating consequences over a period of time.
Teaching-learning
Given the AI penetrating into the education system, the changes in the dynamics of teaching-learning must be visited from both positive and negative points of view. This is also essential for deciding whether to permit or restrict the usage of AI in education, as it empowers individuals psychologically and may also increase productivity, but at the cost of limiting learning abilities and competencies.
The positive viewpoint looks at AI as a tool that enables learners to fetch the basic information and the content of their choice independently, as per their convenience. Also, at higher education level, the grown up age of students empower them with the self-regulation in seeking AI assistance to a limited extent. Therefore, HEIs may create newer learning opportunities with AI use, as a portion of teaching-learning can be taken care through these tools, and the remaining can be supplemented by the teacher for expedient overall learning. And, the understanding developed by the learners in this way enables the teachers to teach at the next level for better competency creation, provided teachers are prepared for the same.
AI in education may offer varying degree of negative implications because of the age of individuals. For the school children of tender age, their cognitive functions must be vigorously exercised so as to nurture requisite competence and creativity. The use of AI by school children may limit their cognitive abilities, which will eventually cripple their potential and life-long learning abilities. In view of the prima-facie adversities emanating from AI use by school children, the AI intrusion must not be allowed in school education level.
In view of the above, besides the ethical awareness, the social aspects and emotional factors become extremely relevant for consideration in academia. The empowerment by AI makes individuals independent, which results in reduced student-teacher interaction. Such a weak student-teacher relationship leads to the absence of pressure by mentors and peers. As a result, the students get isolated from society and become vulnerable to academic dishonesty. Alongside, the emotional factors like class-anxiety and passive participation in learning activities diminish the critical thinking and creativity.
Way forward
Continued upgradation of artificial intelligence is bound to challenge the education system from different dimensions. The pedagogical, ethical, social and emotional aspects, and cognitive hallucinations due to AI integration in education should be openly discussed amongst academics and regulators. Undoubtedly, it is a transformative technological intervention in education that is loaded with immense potential to facilitate learning and keep human minds free. But threats associated with its formal adaptation in the education sector at a particular level ought to be discussed and viewed from a sustainability dimension as well, for avoiding over-reliance on AI.
Specifically, in the context of India, whose education system evolved from gurukuls, the virtual assistance in learning through AI in our mammoth education system of the present times calls for a holistic assessment. Technological advances are there to ease human life, but no advances should be allowed to diminish the cognitive skills of present and future generations. Ethical concerns must deter any move of enslaving education to artificial intelligence-based technological tools and technology leaders. It’s high time to resurrect the education system by strengthening the teachers qualitatively for shaping the present generation for a safe and sustainable future.
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