A number of people hold an optimistic attitude toward artificial intelligence's ability to reshape education nowadays. However, many feel such claims are overblown.
Kentaro Toyama, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, is one of those doubtful about the idea of using Al in the classroom.
Toyama mentioned a situation he encountered while working in an after-school programin digital literacy(数字技术素养). He said, "In trying to teach students to use technology, the greatest difficulty is the technology itself." As soon as he looked away from the students, they would "very quickly find the most fun games they could find on the computer and start playing them". That reveals the problem with putting too much faith in AI for teaching. "There is great potential for it to be a distraction." he said.
Toyama once surveyed a large group of people about their preference for the following educational situations: a school with no teachers but powerful AI, one with bad teachers but strong computers, one with good teachers but no computers, or one with great teachers and many computers. The result showed that nobody would send their children to a school with powerful AI but no teachers, or one with bad teachers but strong computers. Toyama concluded, "Good teachers are what matters; everything else is secondary compared to that."
Toyama is also concerned that AI and technology may widen the gap between disadvantaged schools and wealthier schools. He said, "In the case of schools, well-resourced schools will find the best ways to use technology. But if you're in a school district that is underfunded and parents are not involved, it doesn't make a difference how good the technology is, and it will not turn that situation around."
When asked when schools should adopt AI, Toyama suggested that they should wait until the basics are in place, teachers want it, and the technology is proved to have positive educational values.
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