In the changing landscape of education, one topic has gained prominence: generative ai. As educators, we tend to be on a continuous search for innovative educational technology tools that enhance students’ learning experience. The potential of generative ai is promising and profound, but it raises critical questions: How can this transformative technology be harnessed not only to educate but also to empower in an inclusive and equitable way?
Examining the global impact of generative ai in education and beyond
In April 2023, Good grades initiated an exploration into the global utilization of generative ai within educational institutions, businesses, and non-profit organizations. The goal was to discern how these innovative tools were being seamlessly integrated into daily routines and determine their implications for the future of education. To achieve a comprehensive understanding, more than 50 experts from 20 countries were convened, with the aim of providing practical, implementable and safe recommendations for educational institutions.
This research was motivated by Goodnotes’ position as the ai-powered digital paper of choice for millions of students and teachers around the world. When Steven Chan founded Goodnotes, he was a student at the time, so his commitment to understanding the teaching and learning experiences of the community he built was essential to its mission, which is to revolutionize the way learning is shaped and amplified. ideas. Additionally, research collaborators such as Dr. Alessandra Sala, president of Women in ai and head of ai and data science at Shutterstock, are clear about the potential that generative ai has to shape education in the future.
The consequent ai-in-schools” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener nofollow”>published research It is divided into five recommendations that our collaborators have highlighted as the most important, with diversity and equity at the forefront of our thinking. We understand that many schools around the world will take substantial steps to utilize this new technology, not only in handwritten digital note taking, but also incorporating generative ai from assistant principal to hiring ai principals. In fact, premium private schools have much more scope to harness the potential of ai than the vast majority of public or state schools, many of which are underfunded and struggle to ensure their students have equitable access to subjects they want to study and their desired career paths.
For this reason, we intentionally collaborate with contributors from diverse backgrounds, including disadvantaged schools, interested in exploring how generative ai could help educators better address student and community needs. Therefore, our recommendations prioritize facilitating discussions about the technology and providing practical implementation examples rather than prescribing specific solutions.
A strategic roadmap to integrate generation ai into schools
1. Create guidelines: Create guidelines for the use of generative ai, ensuring accessibility in different regions and addressing the diverse needs of students and families. Involve various stakeholders, including boards of directors and caregivers. Prioritize safeguarding, child protection and compliance with regional regulations. Ensure that, despite the excitement surrounding this technology, essential policies around child safety and trust in data remain unwavering, as emphasized during the ai-in-schools/#:~:text=Goodnotes%20goal%20when%20conducting%20the,of%20GenAI’s%20role%20in%20education.” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener nofollow”>Recent Research Publication Event at DLD College London Lord Jim Knight, Bukky Yusuf and Dr Andy Kemp.
2. Rethink the task: Encourage self-motivated study outside the classroom, encouraging students to deepen their knowledge at home. Discourage traditional assignments that involve written assignments and essays, especially with unreliable ai detection tools. Eliminate grading for non-year-end assessment assignments. This recommendation arises from the experiences of students who have leveraged generative ai to improve their understanding of subjects, promoting curiosity, confidence, and deeper learning.
3. Transform coursework and assessment: Focus on redefining the process of completing coursework rather than altering the content, considering the various forms coursework can take. Encourage innovative dynamics in the classroom, such as co-working environments with ai ‘co-pilots’ to support students’ independent work. By transforming the way courses are completed, classrooms can become dynamic learning centers, allowing students to explore topics more deeply with ai as a guide.
4. Promote professional development: Empower educators to embrace ai-driven changes through closer collaboration with industry and dissemination of the general capabilities and limitations of ai. This recommendation focuses on the importance of building educators’ confidence in adopting ai innovations through industry partnerships and knowledge sharing within the teaching community.
5. Prioritize equity and diversity: Recognize resource disparities between schools and technology shortages in some regions. Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing between schools and teaching communities, ensuring that no institution is left behind in the adoption of ai, focusing on supporting teachers in pursuing their passions and addressing the individual needs of students. The emphasis on collaboration is particularly relevant to ensure that even schools with limited resources can access the transformative benefits of ai in education, fostering inclusion and diversity across the educational spectrum.
Inevitably, there will be schools that find this transition more difficult than others, and one of the consequences of this work is that Goodnotes has a strong network of determined and passionate schools and ai experts willing to help. We are eager to help when it comes to ensuring that this transformation in education is as equitable as possible in providing access to knowledge and as diverse as possible when it comes to offering opportunities to learn and share experiences.
