The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education

While artificial intelligence sounds like the stuff of science fiction, there’s no denying that it is becoming an increasingly integral part of our daily lives, from personal assistants on our phones to our Netflix queue.

But what about the world of higher education? To best serve the goal of learning, institutions should examine where AI can complement existing strategies and drive innovation. But no matter what, AI should always be used to improve the learning experience.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is any program that uses machine learning techniques and large collections of data to find patterns, make predictions and automate processes.

Modern technology produces thousands of data points for artificial intelligence to learn from age, location, socioeconomic status, food preferences, shopping habits, online browsing patterns, and more. AI finds patterns in the data that humans can’t see to predict what’s likely to happen or be needed in the future.

How can Artificial Intelligence Play a role in Higher Education?

According to one report, AI in education is predicted to grow “at a compound annual rate of 47.7 per cent from 2018 to 2022.” While still not widespread in education, that represents a massive amount of growth — and institutions need to be ready.

Just like in real life, universities and colleges have access to lots of data. Whether it’s reducing administrative tasks to give instructors more time to teach or helping students stay engaged, AI can minimize cost while maximizing impact for schools.

During the admissions process, AI programs can guide students through personalized application journeys and answer questions about visas, housing, transport, course registration, and more.

Theoretically, universities could even use data-driven observations to find the most effective ways of teaching students and make changes to their pedagogical approaches accordingly.

Some schools have also used AI to gauge the demonstrated interest of applicants. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, schools used AI programs to track how students interacted with the communication they received in order to increase the number of students that accept and enroll.

Artificial Intelligence Applications for Instructors and Staff

Current AI programs for post-secondary institutions often focus on ways to automate much of the routine, time-consuming work that administrators and faculty members must take on.

In the United States, Georgia Tech created an AI to pose as a teaching assistant on the message board for a large course. It answered frequently asked questions with a 97 per cent success rate, freeing up the rest of the human TAs to focus on more meaningful work.

Instructors can also use AI to:

• Automate grading
• Ensure academic integrity
• Coordinate course logistics like course scheduling and classroom assignments

Artificial Intelligence Applications for Students

With access to a large pool of student data, AI can identify early warning signs for students at risk of dropping out and direct them to just-in-time supports like financial aid or academic guidance. It can also answer student questions about:

• Course enrolment
• Student services available
• Opportunities for financial aid
• Degree requirements or recommendations

Whether through a chatbot, SMS updates, or automated emails, AI can help institutions to be more proactive about student communications, improve student engagement, and ultimately increase the number of students that successfully reach graduation.

Outside of logistics, AI can provide students with personalized learning opportunities. Adaptive learning systems analyze student responses and change the pace of instruction accordingly.

While this type of learning is best used for a clearly defined set of knowledge (think mathematics or language learning), it could potentially offer students self-paced learning that responds to their unique needs.

The Risks of AI in Higher Education

AI isn’t a magic bullet that can solve all the problems of an institution.

While there is an untapped potential in AI applications for higher education, there are also risks schools need to be aware of:

• Data bias: AI is only as good as the data set it learns from. To be effective, AI needs to have up-to-date data that correlates with the population it’s serving. With bad data and a lack of oversight, AI can just as easily reproduce the inequality in education that already exists instead of working to correct it.
• Privacy concerns: A quick scan of the news will identify multiple data leaks or privacy scandals in the last year alone. Teachers and students are rightly concerned about how their information is collected and used, and any efforts to leverage their data should be done with transparency and integrity.
• Lack of oversight: If teachers and administrators aren’t properly trained on how to use AI programs, things can go wrong very quickly. Anyone using AI needs to understand when and when not to listen to the results if they don’t align with their professional judgement.

These risks don’t mean that post-secondary institutions should shy away from the benefits of AI. Rather, they should embrace this new technology with critical thinking and ample professional development opportunities to make sure it’s as effective as possible.

The Role of AI in Post-Secondary Education

AI is going to become more and more common in post-secondary institutions over the next few years, and you need to be ready to meet it when it comes.

When administrators and instructors embrace AI with full awareness of the risks, inform students, and act with transparency, there’s no doubt that it can be used to make the learning process even more effective.