Col Shiv Choudhary
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the arrival and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked both curiosity and apprehension amongst the teaching community across world. As technology continues to reshape the way we live and work, the role of teachers in our communities is under scrutiny. This article delves into the intriguing question: “Will AI replace the time tested teaching methods and the teachers ?”
This exploration aims to navigate the delicate balance between the non-stop advancements in AI and the feasibility of replaceability of human touch of the teachers community in the light of the potential benefits and challenges AI brings to the classroom. Is this also the time for teachers to leverage AI to nurture critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence in students? Indeed, this is a serious subject today to analyse if technology is poised to replace the teachers community or will it be a catalyst for collaboration and innovation for teaching in the 21st century.
Looking at some of the interesting statistics and future aspects of adoption of AI in education, a report by Grand View Research, the global AI in education market size was valued at $1.17 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $3.76 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 16.2% from 2021 to 2028. This growth reflects the increasing adoption of AI in education globally. India is not behind with an investment of$ 3.24 billions reached in 2022.
The prospect of AI transforming the education sector is both fascinating and complex. As we witness the rise of AI-driven tools, personalized learning platforms, and automated grading systems, it’s natural to ponder the implications for the indispensable traditional role teachers with their traditional teaching methods play in shaping the minds of future generations. Perhaps, we are on the brink of a paradigm shift where algorithms replace the emotional perceptions, humour,empathy, personal touch, and inspiration provided by educatorsand alsopresenting an opportunity for teachers to redefine their roles in the evolving AI era.
AI systems can efficiently provide instant feedback to the students. This allows teachers to focus on more complex aspects of teaching.AI can help educators optimize their time and resources by automating administrative tasks, such as scheduling, grading, and data analysis. AI-powered virtual assistants cum tools can supplement the work of teachers by reinforcing concepts outside the classroom, offering explanations and answering questions.
AI can analyse vast amounts of data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement in educational systems. Teachers can use these insights to make informed decisions about curriculum development, instructional strategies, and student interventions.AI-driven adaptive learning platforms can dynamically adjust the difficulty of content based on individual student performanceand needs. AI-powered language translation tools can enhance accessibility for students with special needs by providing tools.
Teaching is a one-on-one learning and relationship withreciprocal benefits. Teachers and students form a symbiotic and synergistic ecosystem that helps in the mutual enhancement of knowledge. Humanized learning happens outside the classroom too which differs from controlled, or uncontrolled learning models in machine learning and AI systems.Teachers are constantly evolving and experimenting with new methods and no machine can ever duplicate the nimbleness and creativity of a good teacher.
The fear that AI will one day replace teachers is understandable. There are several reasons why AI mayor maynever be able to completely replace a human teacher. Human plus AI or assisted by AI and AI surely bear corelation, yet both are two different things. Human plus AI helps in augmented intelligence to human decision making and automation of intelligence and adaptation to different situation.
Teachers help students realize their uniqueness, which helps to encourage creativity and develop problem-solving skills. They are also responsible for preparing students topursue further education based on their interests.On the other hand, AI has already started to play a role in the education sector by helping to personalize learning with objective and responsive feedback on their workto improve their learning skills.
AI has its limitations in interpreting and responding to the non-verbal cues that teachers often use in the classroom. AI will never be able to replicate such essential aspects of teachingvaluable life skills lessons, such as dealing with disappointment or failure.Teachers are constantly evolving, learning new things, and experimenting with new methods in the classroom. AI might be used to assist in teachers development by giving feedback and proposing new teaching methods. Also when we talk about teaching, we must understand that teaching is nota one-person job always. Teaching and learning come in various forms, from various people, and in multiple flavours and platforms. Institutional settings are not only important for holistic learning but fundamentalfor students. Such settings include use of knowledge and skills proficiently, initiatinginquiries and developing solutions,demonstrating, and collaborative leadership. In the AI setting, it will be sort of standalone learning.
In future, parents may preferhome-schooling with state-of-the-art AI teaching solutions and awesome educational materials without the aid of teachers. After few years, they may realizelearning is not only about the books, numbers or grammar or filling sheets inside a room. Instead, learning is about travelling to school, meeting peers and teachers, teamwork, knowing departments, routes, and opinions of others around.AI alone cannot equip the students with such a comprehensive and holistic ecosystem on its own.
Teachers are lifelong learners. They are constantly adapting to new situations and the needs of their students. They are passionate about education and helping students learn. They don’t just see it teaching as a job – they see it as a calling with a purpose. Teachers transfer the knowledge by creating an environment and adapting and changing their teaching methods. No two students are same and teachersare able to connect with their students on a personal level, which helps them blossom. AI will never be able to understand this aspect. AI-based educational software can help identify areas where a student is struggling and needs help.
‘AI is a valuable resource through which teachers can serve as mentors, coaches, and resource providers to their colleagues. The abundance of educational materials, data-driven insights, and tools made available through AI empower teachers to support and guide their fellow educators in adopting innovative practices and improve instructional strategies’. Teachers can streamline administrative tasks, giving them more time to engage in collaborative planning and professional development.While AI may not fully replace teachers, it may be the catalyst for a new era in which both teachers and machines collaborate to create a beneficial learning environment. Integration of AI in schools presents a unique opportunity for teachers to enhance their leadership roles .
The greatest disadvantages of AI one may see today are communication difficulty, curtailed autonomy and collaboration, diminishing leadership role, devaluation, deficit emotional intelligence, fear of addiction, high cost, lack of personal connections, reduced employment,missing human interaction, influence and students’ capacity for thoughts. Regression and reduction of teachers to mere facilitators of technology and resource providers against unpredictable speed of AI are other threats.
Weighing the risks, half of secondary teachers surveyed by Capgemini Research Institute believe that the benefits of generative AI in education outweigh the risks. As long as one keeps a close eye on how AI is being used in schools or colleges, one will be able to spot any potential risks. It is important that amidst the enthusiasm for AI’s potential in education, we need to strike a balance between technological advancements and the preservation of human interaction within the educational landscape. While AI can undoubtedly streamline certain tasks and offer valuable support, it should not overshadow the unique qualities that only human teachers possess.
So, would AI replace teachers- NO. It will definitely disrupt the education and learning sectors and would emerge as one of the best enablers for augmented learning and teaching. Despite the potential benefits of integrating AI into education, some challenges and ethical considerations like data privacy, professional development of teachers, and potential bias in AI algorithms will remain.Whatever, the successful integration of AI in education requires a collaborative approachfor alignments and achievement of educational goals and values.
Teachers are polarized in their viewpoints regarding the negative and positive impact of AI on their role and real education. Humans are strides ahead of AI and machine learning, despite AI empowered robots to understand the tone of speech. All such drivers lack the empathy and distinctly human touch when it comes to relationships, and impeccable grasp over the sentiments. This is one crucial basis that makes it impossible for AI to replace humans as teachers. It’s important that we continue to invest in teachers development and provide all faculty with the resources and support they need to become better educators despite technology threats.
