Transforming Education with artificial intelligence

I was re-watching Legally Blonde recently and couldn’t stop thinking about the scene where the admission committee was debating whether to admit Elle Woods despite her excellent profile simply because she was blonde. Even though she got into Harvard Law School eventually, it reminded me of a funny line from my favorite show Modern Family: "This is real life, not an excellent movie." Even though we try to be fair and objective, human bias somehow still sneaks into our decisions more often than we admit.

This got me thinking about my recent experience applying for a master’s program. I had to submit all kinds of documents from transcripts to recommendation letters. Imagine if the admissions team had to read and check every single document (carefully, of course) from every single applicant. Not only would it take forever, but there’s also a risk that personal biases could affect the outcome - not to mention that the job itself must be extremely exhausting.

Then I started thinking what if there were an AI solution that could quickly scan and read student application documents, extract important information, and automatically check it against a school’s admission criteria. It could process a large volume of data in a fraction of the time it would take manually, significantly speeding up decision-making. By automating data extraction and validation, this tool minimizes mistakes and ensures that every applicant is evaluated based on the same objective standards, making the whole process fairer.

Imagine Elle's application was assessed by technology, would there be biases?

At the moment, I believe that there are various tools designed for that exact purpose. But that's only the beginning. I started thinking about the bigger picture in which AI and other digital technologies are transforming traditional education sector. When I was digging deeper into this field, I came across some fascinating ideas on the website of AI for Education Organization (Home - AI-for-Education.org).

For instance, governments could use AI to pull together and analyze data from various education programs, helping them determine which interventions really work. Techniques like classification and summarization can turn a huge amount of data into valueable insights. In another example, school leaders sometimes struggle with limited data on teacher performance. AI can combine student results, classroom observations, and teacher performance to draw a clearer picture of what’s really happening in the classroom and to make teacher assessment data-driven and non-bias. And in the classroom itself, AI can help by grouping students based on their abilities for tailored learning, while also guiding group discussions and offering feedback.

In terms of teaching and learning materials, technology is already applied in multiple ways. AI can open up new possibilities in creating lesson materials such as differentiated activities, quizzes, and even complete lesson scripts which are tailored to various learning levels. Honestly, I am constantly asking ChatGPT to generate materials for my Indonesian and Finnish language lessons (of course, still under my supervision and validation). This can make it easier for teachers to prepare engaging content quickly. Additionally, for students with special educational needs and disabilities, AI can help adapt lesson content to better suit their unique requirements, ensuring every student gets the support they need (UK Department for Education, 2024).

The ideas above show how AI can not only streamline processes but also provide deeper, more objective insights across the entire education sector. As technology keeps evolving, we can expect even more innovative applications from virtual tutoring assistants to predictive analytics that identify students needing extra support, which further transform the educational landscape.

The bottom line is that the impact of AI and other digital technologies on education is undeniable. By automating critical processes such as document processing and admissions assessments, institutions not only streamline operations but also mitigate the risk of human bias, creating a fairer and more efficient system. Embracing these innovations will help pave the way for a more inclusive and forward-thinking educational future.

P.S: While today's AI is built to be objective by strictly following data and algorithms, I wonder what might happen if future AI systems become sophisticated enough to simulate human emotions. If that were to occur, there would be a possibility that AI could develop tendencies similar to human biases. What do you think?