How AI and Data can Personalize Education

The rapid progression of technology has been a key defining aspect in our society. Artificial Intelligence (AI), for one, is something that is rapidly being incorporated our lives. It is improving various industries like energy, retail, banking, healthcare, etc. Some might go a step further to say that AI is even transforming these industries. We now notice how AI is something that several companies are investing in as well as developing in their own ways.

One such industry that researchers say will work brilliantly with AI is Education. This industry is perhaps the most important one and the way AI can help resolve the root concerns of education are positively groundbreaking.

Impact of AI on Education
It is widely understood that Education as an industry requires the most attention. Arguably so since Education is what helps shape the minds of the future generation. Without Education serving its purpose, the future becomes extremely bleak. About 1.2 million students are known to drop out of high school every year in the USA. With a statistic such as that, it can be inferred that the education systems aren’t being planned in the best way possible.

College and university dropout rates have been increasing for a long time now. With ineffective teaching schemes, disengaged students and an outdated approach to education, the number of obstacles faced by people in the education sector has skyrocketed. However, it has recently been noted that with the correct use of Big Data & Analytics and AI, the learning experience of students can be given a personalized touch to help improve levels of student engagement.

The whole idea that a ‘personalized approach to learning’ supports is that each student gets to enjoy a unique approach to education, one that is tailored to their specific advantages and disadvantages. The AI system would be capable of providing the teachers with specific information on the students, such as their learning styles, their academic progress, their learning difficulties and other useful information on a student’s individual needs. For instance, some students might find some subjects more challenging than others, which would then require extra attention from teachers. Different students have different requirements and with an AI system helping teachers out, the identification of these problems would be much easier and could possibly alleviate the number of student dropouts and poor engagement rates.

Significant Changes in Education and Classrooms with AI

How can AI specifically help classrooms and teachers?

• Individual Attention: While it may not be possible for a teacher to give individual attention to each student in her classroom, it is possible for AI to do so if they are fed the necessary data. If there’s one student lagging, AI can provide the teachers with the necessary information regarding it. For example: The reason for Student A lagging in their lessons could root from absence in classes. It could also be because the style of teaching does not suit them. AI is excellent at noticing these small details and trends. The incorporation of necessary changes in their teaching style in accordance to these reviews from AI will definitely help better the future of Education.

• Trial and Error Elimination: In a classroom environment, teachers usually employ different methods of teaching to see what would suit the demographics of the classroom the best. While doing so, a simple survey conveyed with the help of AI will easily help the teacher deduce the preferred form of teaching. Thus, with the aid of AI, the teachers can comprehensively understand which method is best suited for the class.

• Reduce Student Dropout Rates: With AI processing information about the individual student, their styles and learning processes, the teachers will be able to deal with them more effectively, thereby eliminating their desire to dropout. With AI learning systems helping each student reach their full potential in their unique personalized manner, it is anticipated that the students will not want to deviate from the path of education.

• Chatbots: The University of Murcia (Spain) had recently begun to use an AI-enabled chatbot to gauge the pros and cons of it. The chatbots provided the students with correct answers to their questions 91% of the time. Moreover, they were answered outside office hours, therefore providing the students with increased motivation. This also provided the institution with volumes of data regarding the key concerns of the students, allowing them to analyze and create new services to improve the student experience. Several other universities like Staffordshire University and Georgia Tech have also begun to use 24/7 functioning chatbots to help their students. Given the overwhelming positive response to these chatbots, it can be said that chatbots could truly revolutionize the education sector.

The Role of Data Analytics and AI on Personalizing Education

Using Artificial Intelligence will require a large amount of personal data to be shared with the software. Traditionally, an education system is one that concentrates its attention solely on the matter of study and the mode of study.

However, an education system that harnesses the power of AI would require the personal data of students - such as their background, family history, number of hours of study, attendance, performance in class, assignments and class, behavioral patterns, amongst others. With this information, the system would automatically have a group of things to process, with which the teachers will receive relevant insight into the psychology and conditions of the students involved.

If the AI we utilize in this field collects this relevant data and utilizes it effectively, we will advance in every field of study.

The future of AI learning

There are already quite a few companies and agencies that have invested their time into AI learning such as Milka, Brainly, Netex Learning, among others. In fact, several institutions also have begun to reap the benefits of this system. For e.g., we already read about the infusion of chatbots in The University of Murcia and other institutions. Apart from that, there are AI development companies such as Content Technologies which create services for secondary education and other higher classes. Netex Learning allows digital designing of curriculums across audio and video media. Mastery Learning supports individual tutoring in classrooms. Therefore, AI can certainly make the jobs of teachers, professors and schools much easier and efficient.

Of all the various industries around us, education is by far, the most important one. It is our duty as people who must look to newer ways of progressing to find ways by which we can make education a rewarding experience for everyone involved.