Dear Mr. Bradshaw,
I am the parent of two high schoolers. One is a sophomore and the other is a junior. I don’t want to appear ignorant but can you explain, in terms that a parent can understand, Artificial Intelligence? I am especially concerned how it is used in high school. How is it is monitored to keep students from cheating?
Signed,
Parent
Dear Parent,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a significant part of our everyday lives, and as a parent, it’s natural to want to understand how it impacts your children especially in their education. In a nutshell, I will try and explain some of the basics of AI in terms anyone can understand.
AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in computers. It allows computers to perform tasks that typically require human thought such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.
In high school settings, AI can be found in various applications designed to enhance learning and streamline administrative tasks. In education, it is widely used to create systems that can adapt to the needs of individual students by providing personalized learning experiences. For example, AI-driven tutoring programs can assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses, offering customized exercises and feedback to help them improve in specific areas. This personalized approach can make learning more engaging and effective.
AI also powers administrative tools that help schools manage everything from scheduling to grading. Automated systems can quickly analyze data to identify patterns such as which students might need additional support in certain subjects. These tools can free up valuable time for teachers allowing them to focus more on teaching and less on paperwork.
However, as your question points out, one of the significant concerns for parents and educators alike is the potential for AI to facilitate cheating. As AI technology becomes more advanced, students may find new ways to use it dishonestly. For instance, AI tools can generate essays or solve complex math problems making it easier for students to submit work that isn’t their own. To address this, schools are increasingly implementing monitoring systems to detect AI-assisted cheating. Schools use sophisticated software to analyze students’ work for signs of AI involvement. These programs can compare a student’s current work with their previous assignments looking for inconsistencies in writing style or problem-solving approaches that might indicate cheating.
Moreover, AI is used to enhance test security. Online proctoring systems employ AI to monitor students during exams using facial recognition and eye-tracking technologies to ensure they aren’t looking at unauthorized materials or getting help from others. These systems can flag suspicious behavior for review by human monitors making it harder for students to cheat undetected.
Another aspect of AI in high schools is its role in facilitating remote learning; a trend that has accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AI-powered platforms like Khan Academy and Coursera offer interactive lessons that adapt to the learner’s pace and understanding. These platforms use AI to track students’ progress, recommend additional resources, and provide instant feedback on assignments. This technology not only supports students who are learning from home but also helps teachers identify which students are struggling and may need extra help.
Despite the many benefits of AI in education, AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on and biased or incomplete data can lead to unfair outcomes. For example, an AI system used to predict academic performance might inadvertently favor certain groups of students over others if it is trained on biased data. AI experts warn that relying too heavily on AI without understanding its potential biases can perpetuate existing inequalities in the education system.
Privacy is another concern. AI systems collect vast amounts of data on students including their academic performance, behavior, and even biometric data. Schools using AI have strict data privacy policies and educate students and parents about how their data is being used.
By staying informed about these issues and understanding how AI is used in your children’s school, you can better support their education and address any concerns that may arise.
Gerald Bradshaw is an international college admissions consultant with Bradshaw College Consulting in Crown Point.