A long time ago I studied Christopher Marlowe’s play Edward II as a set text for “A” level. As was my wont, I scoured the meager resources of the school library for as much information and commentary on the play as I could. I came across the expression “haughty indifference” in a description of the character of Mortimer. It captured his arrogant superiority and condescension well and so I promptly borrowed it for my essay.

When Mr. Caws handed the essays back to the class he commented favorably on my choice of words. I can still feel the mix of surprised pride and guilt at the mention.

Fast forward several decades to when I was a high school administrator and regularly had hapless students hauled before me by righteous teachers who had caught miscreants plagiarising their essays.  Online tools and plagiarism detectors had made such cheating easier and also easier to spot.

There was often something a tad triumphant in the righteous folks who had discovered the miserable cheats trying to game the system. I always had mixed feelings.

Cheating is bad, obviously. But the teacherly indignation and personal affront were sometimes over the top. I confess to often feeling sympathy for the accused especially when I considered some of the lifeless and trite topics on which they were expected to have had interesting and entirely original thoughts. 

But cheating is cheating, honesty matters, lessons have to be learned, and all that other guff, so penalties were meted out and etc. The best I could do was to see if I could help the kid find a way to make reparations, save face, and – with luck – learn something useful and not do it again.

I sometimes took to commenting that the school’s own plagiarism policy was actually plagiarised. This observation was generally not well received and indeed it was not very helpful. 

But all that is now ancient history. Here comes AI

I’m still trying to digest and think about this piece by Stefan Bauschard that I found on Will Richardson’s LinkedIn

My EdThinking brain has gone a bit rusty now that I’m no longer active in that world and my AI brain has hardly started cranking. But the old nut did find some connections even at first read, providing an initial cognitive grip. 

What does this mean for K-16?

What does this mean for students?

What does this mean for teachers?

What does it mean for administrators?

What does it mean for governing and licensing bodies?

Important Things to Understand

Those are the headers and here are just a few of the lines that stood out on that first reading

“basic notions of equality and equity are why public schools need to get their acts together and step-up to the plate and prepare for the AI-world.”

“Teachers may not lose their jobs, but the nature of what we need K-12 teachers to do will change and individuals who can adapt to this environment will be the best (and perhaps the only) teachers.”

“It’s more important than ever to teach people how to live a good life and how to collaborate with other people and collaborate with artificial intelligence and robots.”

And so I turned to my pal the Chatbot and asked it to identify the challenges and opportunities for education in the context of AI’s potential impact. 

Challenges for education outlined in the article:

1. Slow adoption of AI in education: Many educators have been slow to embrace AI’s potential in the field of education, primarily due to a focus on the present rather than the future.
2. Uncontrolled plagiarism: Educators have become aware of students using AI models like ChatGPT to write papers, and the problem is expected to grow as these tools become more widespread and sophisticated.
3. Cyborg students: Students who leverage AI tools and bots can produce higher-quality work and acquire knowledge and skills beyond their peers, potentially creating an inequality gap in education.
4. Cyborg instructors: Educators who understand and effectively use AI in their teaching can provide more relevant instruction, attract future-oriented students, and create engaging classroom environments.
5. Decentralization of education: As e-learning platforms and teaching bots advance, traditional schools may lose their central role as the primary source of knowledge, leading to a more decentralized education system.
6. Social issues: Counterfeit human photos and voices can cause disruptions and false accusations, while social media addiction and manipulation pose risks, potentially affecting student well-being and democracy.

Opportunities for education outlined in the article:

1. Enhanced AI capabilities: AI models with reduced hallucination, the ability to write in human voices, and accurate math skills can revolutionize education by adapting instruction to individual students and providing learning opportunities at any time.
2. Cost-effective education: AI-driven instruction can be provided at a fraction of the cost of human teachers, potentially making education more accessible and affordable.
3. Decentralized learning opportunities: Students can access low-cost learning options and develop skills outside of traditional schools, which can be complemented by AI tools and resources.
4. Curriculum co-design: Students can become active participants in shaping their own learning experiences, collaborating with teachers and AI tools to design personalized curricula.
5. Adaptation and professional development: Educators who embrace AI and actively seek professional development opportunities can become better equipped to teach in an AI-driven world and create engaging learning environments.
6. New assessment methods: Assessments need to evolve to reflect the changing landscape of education, considering AI’s role in tasks and focusing on tracking trajectories of student learning rather than relying solely on traditional assignments.
7. Soft skills integration: The importance of soft skills such as communication, leadership, and critical thinking will increase in an AI-dominated future, and educators can incorporate them into their teaching to prepare students for the new workforce requirements.

Lots to think on. Clearly, we are either living in exciting times or approaching the end of the world as we have known it. Or – somewhere in between.

So schools: What’s your AI Policy and Plan? 

The featured image is a detail from a 15th-century manuscript illustration depicting Roger Mortimer and Queen Isabella in the foreground. Background: Hugh Despenser the Younger on the scaffold, being emasculated.  All of which is, of course,  entirely irrelevant to schools and AI