21st Century Classroom: 7 Possible Positive and Negative Effects AI May Bring to Teaching

The concept of AI and its possible application in different spheres of our lives has been trending in the past several years.

12:37 30 December 2019

The technological progress keeps gaining momentum, so more and more news about the development of AI hits media regularly.

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence and the expansion of its possibilities are great in many ways. Reading tech news, we can see what a huge potential this innovation has. 

Although this technology can have a huge number of applications, the most significant number of discussions occurs around the possibility of using it in education. It seems like Artificial Intelligence may transform the whole educational system.

There are prerequisites for making it more personalized, comfortable, and effective. So good so far. 

However, is it really that good, or are there any flaws? In this article, we will take a look at this matter from both sides!

Today, AI is no longer something distant. It already becomes our reality, so we can expect it to be implemented in the nearest future.

Thinking of a perfect 21st-century classroom, it is hard to imagine it without technology. Is it a good or a bad thing? Let’s find out by looking at these positive effects promised by AI in education at first.

Top 4 Positive Effects of AI on Teaching

Breaking the Language Barrier

Many educational institutions across the US and the rest of the world have international students. For decades the language gap between local and foreign learners has been one of the biggest obstacles of education. However, AI can solve this issue.

With the help of technology, schools can deliver learning materials in different languages, helping foreign students succeed.

Immediate Response

One of the greatest things offered by AI to students is 24/7 support and instant feedback. It gives learners the possibility to receive guidance from their virtual tutor just when they need it. 

Unlike teachers, AI doesn’t need time for rest. Therefore, whenever a learner has a question, is searching for a solution, or needs assistance choosing good research topics – it is always there to give a response.

Personalized Experience

Personalization is one of the key trends facing education in the overseen future. With the help of AI, delivering personalized experiences to everyone in a classroom should be easy as never. 

It will let every learner choose the right pace and form of education. Such a high level of personalization should make studies more comfortable and effective.

Time-Efficiency

For teachers, AI can become a handy tool, as it will save them lots of time. Teachers will have the possibility to pass over some tasks to Artificial Intelligence, thus, saving more time for other things that matter. 

For example, tasks like assignment grading can be outsourced to AI once the tasks themselves are worked over.

Top 3 Negative Effects of AI on Teaching

Although there are quite a few benefits that are hard to doubt, AI in education may also have a negative impact. Here are some of the key cons to keep in mind:

Increased Cost of Power

This one could go without saying. However, it is impossible not to mention how high the cost of power utilities can go if schools start using more tech. Obviously, not all facilities can handle increased expenses. So, it is one of the biggest cons.

Addiction to Technology

Even now, we can clearly see signs of technology addiction in many people, both kids, and adults. Different gadgets surround us wherever we go and whatever we do. This is why we got used to them so much that we hardly can survive without them.

Respectively, if every classroom becomes equipped with more devices, the addiction can develop faster and grow stronger. This way, we are facing a risk of bringing up a generation of tech-addicted adults who are not adapted to society.

Lack of Diversity in Teaching Methods

An actual teacher can experiment and apply different methods in the classroom. A computer, on the contrary, will handle tasks the way it was initially programmed.

The Bottom Line

So, is the application of Artificial Intelligence in education a good or a bad thing? At this point, the answer to this question remains somewhat shady. 

Keeping in mind everything that was said above, we can conclude that AI does have a good set of pros, but it also has its cons.

The main reason why it is still hard to answer the question is that AI hasn’t really been tested enough in the learning process. 

Therefore, it is still a question of whether it will be as effective as expected. That’s something we have yet to find out!