The education sector is undergoing several changes in contemporary times and emerging technologies like generative AI are positioned at the center of this transformation. Such technologies offer an array of opportunities to re-evaluate traditional educational methods and create future-ready, interactive and immersive learning experiences to test the true potential of learners.
The limitless potential of generative AI in modern-day education is driven by the digital proficiency of today’s students. Raised in an era where technology is omnipresent, late millennials and Gen Z have become tech-agnostic learners comfortable with multiple platforms and tools. This shift in skill development patterns presents educators with an unprecedented opportunity to harness AI for crafting engaging and personalized learning experiences.
Recognizing this immense potential, job tech start-ups have started bringing their product, tech, and curriculum teams together – convening hackathons to brainstorm, innovate, and devise solutions to a range of educational challenges. Such activities not only foster an appreciation for the diverse solutions that AI offers but also promote a better understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs) and encourage participants to think outside the box. And ultimately creating outcomes that benefit the core stakeholders – the students.
The broad spectrum of avenues that generative AI has opened up lets teams focus on solutions that can enhance both students’ classroom experiences and teachers’ instructional strategies. Ideas emerge from innovative plans for customized understanding patterns, AI-assisted homework, interactive virtual classrooms, and tools for interview preparation and revision – all this bringing innovation and improvement to existing processes that were thought improbable to execute only a few months ago.
AI has the potential to customize the training experience according to an individual student’s pace and preferences, provide immediate feedback, identify knowledge gaps, and recommend additional learning materials. It can also be trained to automate administrative tasks for instructors, allowing them to focus more on direct student interaction. Additionally, organisations are already implementing AI to facilitate the development of interactive and immersive learning experiences, making education more enjoyable and captivating.
Students now have a multitude of preferences and methods of comprehension – including text, visuals, audio, and video – and these formats can be presented in bespoke ways. While some learners thrive with formal instruction, others others grasp concepts better through humor or analogies. Leveraging LLMs is already greatly enhancing our ability to address these diverse needs more efficiently and effectively.
To give an example, LLMs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have already demonstrated significant educational capabilities. We already know of AI models that assist students with assignments in real time, providing additional resources for further exploration of a topic. It’s only a matter of time before more edtech and job tech organisations integrate such models into their educational frameworks, enabling personalized feedback and fostering a deeper understanding of underlying principles rather than solely focusing on surface-level knowledge.
Activities such as hackathons, marathon app-building and re-building navigate through an interesting amalgamation of technology and education to adapt to changing learning needs and students’ interests. Organizations that lead the way in comprehending and implementing AI-driven processes are the ones poised to thrive in the imminent future.
(This article is authored by Albert Sebastian, Director, Platforms and Outcomes for Masai School)
