Artificial intelligence is quickly enveloping the world. It’s creeping its way into businesses, the arts, politics and potentially most worryingly: education. As a result, many students, parents, and teachers are left wondering: is AI helping or harming students’ learning? People need to immediately care because AI could potentially be negatively affecting the education of millions of students which could have a devastating domino effect.
This problem is happening right now because AI is on the rise and it’s reached a point where it’s constantly advancing at an alarming rate.
Recent studies are showing that ~86% of college students use AI in their studies. But the reasons for using the AI were “Search for information (69%); Check grammar (42%); Summarize documents (33%); Paraphrase a document (28%); and Create a first draft (24%).” These students primarily used AI to aid instead of to cheat. These students even had expectations that AI literacy would be taught to them “Universities should offer more courses on AI literacy (72%).”
The research sheds a much more positive light on AI, but how does that compare to actual people? Based on actual interviews with students, we can see that it’s pretty split. When asked if they had used AI to aid their learning and how, they said “I have used it, although I’ve mainly used it to cheat.” When asked if they have seen others using it during school they stated “I haven’t seen very many people using it, not that I notice.” Another anonymous student had almost the opposite experience with AI. They used AI to aid their learning through inspiration and less to cheat. They also saw a lot more people using AI in their classes.
Teachers’ views on AI are also kind of split. For most people there really isn’t a definitive answer to whether AI is bad or good. Computer Science teacher, Mrs. Mary Bishop said, “I think it depends on the student, I think it depends on the subject. I think it can be good, they just need to be taught how to use it and what the dangers are,” while yes, AI can help with learning, it’s a tool, and should be treated as such. With AI it’s hard to prove just one side. Mrs. Sheri Rinehuls also had a similar response saying, “I think it depends on how the student is using it.” Once again back to middle ground where AI is a tool. AI is less artificial intelligence and more just machine learning. It’s a more advanced search engine, but with more risks.
Artificial intelligence is a complicated topic, especially when dealing with education. It’s a double edged sword, really, with one side helping you, and the other harming. However, when used correctly, AI can be an incredibly useful tool for students. It’s just a matter of teaching students how to correctly use it in their classes. Altogether, it’s safe to say that AI isn’t quite ready yet. Kids need to be taught how to use it correctly and safely before it becomes part of students’ tool kits.
Sources:
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2024/08/28/survey-86-of-students-already-use-ai-in-their-studies.aspx
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/24/09/students-are-using-ai-already-heres-what-they-think-adults-should-know#:~:text=AI%20Helps%20with%20Getting%20Answers,%25
https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-educators-think-about-using-ai-in-schools/2023/04
