Embracing AI in Education: Overcoming Obstacles and Possibilities

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in various sectors, including education. As technological advancements continue to shape our modern world, education stands on the cusp of a significant transformation.

In recent years, AI has made notable strides in education, offering innovative solutions that extend beyond conventional teaching and learning practices. The application of AI in educational settings aims to revolutionize traditional educational methods, making learning more personalized, efficient, and adaptable. This adoption of AI-driven technologies in education brings about numerous opportunities, yet it also raises important questions about its ethical use, equity, and accessibility. AI is becoming widely accessible through low-cost smart devices and has the potential to impact education in two ways: by improving teaching methods and educators’ roles, and by influencing the nature and content of education.

However, anything that comes with an advantage also has a disadvantage just in the educational sector, AI’s advantages outweigh its disadvantages. Its invention was primarily developed to solve difficult mathematical problems and build thinking machines that could think like humans, causing transformation, despite its ardent role of improving individual lives just as it is currently doing.

“Imagine a classroom where the teacher isn’t human but an intelligent algorithm, tailoring lessons to each student’s unique learning pace. As the digital chalk dust settles, questions arise: Is this the future of education, or a sci-fi nightmare? In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), our classrooms are transforming, and the debate rages on friend or foe?”

According to Lecturer, Doctor of Engineering, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Bucharest UPB Faculty, Mirona Ana Maria POPESCU’s research proves that, studies as a whole show that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly alter education and that realizing this promise while overcoming its obstacles will require a careful, multidisciplinary approach. AI’s revolutionary potential for education is a subject that is becoming more and more important, necessitating constant research and discussion. AI technologies will play a dynamic and constantly shifting role in education as they develop further.

In some interviews with college students from four tertiary institutions in Ghana namely, the University of Media, Art and Communication Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ), the University of Ghana Legon (UG), the University of Media, Art and Communication Ghana Institute of Languages (UniMAC-GIL) and the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), they claim that AI has come to soften their lives but if care is not taken, it will lead most student astray and make them lazy one way or the other, although it is beneficiary.

“Consider yourself a student, balancing deadlines, class schedules, and assignments. AI, however, intervenes like a reliable ally. It is the superhero that keeps track of all those annoying data fragments, grades your papers and arranges your study schedule. And what do you know? AI frees up your teachers’ time by managing these monotonous tasks, allowing them to engage in meaningful conversations with you that encourage learning and pique curiosity.”

However, being too lazy to conduct in-depth research for your knowledge, you tend to rely entirely on it for all your answers. “The days of students searching through books, journals, and citations while perched on their posteriors are long gone.” Hence fostering laziness among students.

Despite its limitations in fully comprehending and recalling answers from written assignments, AI manages to respond to most questions although not always accurately. Leveraging student opinions and subject-specific insights, AI provides comprehensive answers along with relevant references.

“Have you ever submitted an assignment or group work and wondered how it was done? AI dives in with lightning-fast feedback of works. With its ability to highlight your strengths and gently point out areas for improvement and corrections.”

With education constantly changing, artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be both a puzzle and a catalyst. We must overcome the obstacles it presents as we embrace its potential. Unlocking the true impact of AI requires striking a balance between efficiency and ethics, personalization and privacy, and innovation and responsibility. With our eyes wide open, let’s march into this brave new world where aspirations meet algorithms.

Writer: Koranteng Alice, [email protected]

 UniMAC-IJ, Faculty of Journalism