The emergence of readily available AI tools has marked a significant turning point in the digital age, ushering in an era where AI is rapidly permeating many aspects of our lives. Education has not been left behind, and we are beginning to see the influence of AI tools in how students study, learn, and grow.
While AI undoubtedly holds the potential to revolutionize education for good, it's crucial that we, as providers and educators, ask critical questions to ensure there is the correct level of productive friction to ensure the most effective and secure support to students.
Convenience vs. comprehension
The allure of AI's efficiency is undeniable. Imagine highlighting an entire piece of content and instantly generating a summary.
While this offers a tempting shortcut, allowing students to quickly grasp the "important bits," we must pause and consider the implications. What one person deems "important" can vary greatly.
By outsourcing this crucial judgment to AI, are we inadvertently dictating what students should prioritize, potentially overlooking nuances and missing out opportunities for individuals to develop crucial learning skills.
Just as an AI's dinner suggestion might miss your craving for a cheeseburger, a summary might bypass the very insights and details that resonate most with a student's understanding.
Furthermore, the act of learning is not solely about absorbing information; it's deeply intertwined with the process of engagement.
Reviewing class materials, rephrasing concepts in one's own words, and integrating personal reflections are all highly effective strategies for memory retention. If AI automates these processes, we risk turning active learning into a passive consumption exercise, diminishing its true benefits.
AI for effective learning
When applied with strategic consideration, AI can be a powerful ally in fostering deeper learning. Here are some examples…
Quizzing: We know that frequent self-testing significantly enhances information retrieval and builds exam confidence. Yet, creating diverse and engaging quizzes can be time-consuming.
AI offers a solution by drastically reducing the time required to generate practice quizzes, allowing educators to provide students with more opportunities for self-assessment and knowledge reinforcement.
Outlines: While relying solely on AI for identifying key topics can be limiting, its ability to generate outlines for lengthy lectures offers a valuable starting point.
Breaking down extensive content into manageable chunks empowers students to navigate the material more effectively, pinpoint areas of interest, and engage with the content in a more focused way. This allows them to start with the "best bits" and build their understanding from there.
Who is truly learning?
As AI tools become more sophisticated, it's essential to remember that these systems learn from the data they are fed. This raises critical questions about data privacy and security for both students and faculty.
We must demand transparency from AI-powered tool providers. Here are a few key questions you ought to be asking of your existing and potential vendors?
- Data ownership: Who owns the data once it enters the vendor's system?
- Third-party data handling: What provisions are in place to ensure third parties treat user data appropriately?
- Access controls: What security measures are implemented to ensure only authorized individuals can access stored information and notes derived from recordings?
- Third-party partnerships: Which third parties do they collaborate with?
- AI model training: Are third parties permitted to train their AI models using this data?
At Glean, we prioritize transparency. Our dedicated AI FAQ page proactively addresses many of these crucial questions.
We believe in open communication and want to ensure you have a clear understanding of how AI is integrated into our platform.
If you can't find the answers you need, our team is readily available for a direct, clear conversation.
Lessons for a responsible AI integration
- AI is a powerful tool, not an enemy: The potential to transform learning for the better is significant, but its application must be thoughtful and strategic.
- Maintain a desirable level of learning difficulty: Ensure AI supports learning without replacing the critical cognitive processes that lead to genuine understanding and retention. We believe in the need for ‘positive friction’, where students need to develop their own perspectives and critical thinking skills.
- Prioritize transparency and data security: Understand how AI tools handle your institution's and students' data. Demand clear and honest answers from vendors; the safety of your community and its information is paramount.
- Embrace and understand AI: The integration of AI in education is not a trend that will disappear. The most effective approach is to understand its capabilities and harness them responsibly for the benefit of students.
There is no shutting the lid on AI. But with careful consideration, informed decision-making, and a commitment to student success, we can navigate this new landscape and leverage AI to create a more dynamic and effective learning environment.
