What To Know About AI Use In The Classroom
Artificial intelligence has been foremost on the minds of millions of people in recent years. While much of the public discourse around AI has focused on the uncertainty and anxiety it has instilled in people concerned about their jobs, use of the technology in classrooms has garnered considerably less scrutiny.
That AI in the classroom has not been the central focus of public discourse should not be mistaken as a sign that academia has proven immune to the technology. In fact, educators know quite the opposite is true.
A 2024 Common Sense Media survey of more than 1,000 teenage students found that
7 in 10 reported using generative AI for schoolwork.
The students’ most common reason to use it was for homework help. If that surprises parents or people without schoolaged students at home, then some additional information about AI use in the classroom might be even more eye-opening.
• AI has had a presence in classrooms for a long time. While the public discourse surrounding AI might only have ratcheted up over the last couple of years, the technology has had a presence on many campuses for far longer than that. Computer-aided educational systems have been used in classrooms for decades to help students in subjects including math and language. While the release of ChatGPT in late 2022 might have revolutionized and complicated the use of AI in educational settings, the popular platform did not mark the first time educators and students accessed AI-driven tools.
The Common Sense Media study found that AI is not necessarily being used without the knowledge of educators. Roughly half of the students who responded to the survey indicated they used AI with permission from a teacher.
• AI has helped lots of students.
Parents may be suspicious of AI tools like ChatGPT because they feel kids will employ such applications to get around doing their schoolwork by themselves, it’s important to recognize that AI has helped countless students improve their academic performance. Companies such as Carnegie Learning, Khan Academy and McGraw Hill offer AI tutoring tools to help students better understand subjects they might be struggling with. Tools vary, but many are capable of personalizing the learning experience in much the same way effective but sometimes expensive tutors have done to help struggling students for years.
• There are safeguards in place. AI detection software is not foolproof, but many educators use such programs to check the work students submit to ensure they are handing in their own work. As AI tools are tweaked and strengthened, detection software might become an even more reliable and accurate way to check students’ work.
• AI is helping some educators offer even more. The American Psychological Association notes that educators are utilizing AI to generate new lesson plans and in-class activities. This can make learning more fun for students, and can even allow educators to adapt on the fly if their existing lesson plans are not resonating with their students.
AI has been in classrooms for quite some time. Though parents are not wrong to question the potentially adverse effects of AI on their school-aged children, it’s equally important to recognize the many positive effects of AI on students and educators.
