By Samkele Mchunu
Education experts, including Dan Schwartz, dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education, offer their perspectives on the future directions of certain technology-driven educational developments.
Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as ChatGPT, which debuted recently, and the increasing availability of virtual reality tools that transcend traditional classroom boundaries are examples of how new technological advancements are completely changing the educational landscape. For educators, the most important thing is to hope that all students have an equal opportunity to acquire the skills necessary for success. However, there are some drawbacks to that promise.
“Technology is a game-changer for education – it offers the prospect of universal access to high-quality learning experiences, and it creates fundamentally new ways of teaching,” said Dan Schwartz, dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), who is also a professor of educational technology at the GSE and faculty director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. “But there are a lot of ways we teach that aren’t great, and a big fear with AI in particular is that we just get more efficient at teaching badly. This is a moment to pay attention, to do things differently.”
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding program, which offered pandemic recovery monies that many districts used to invest in educational software and systems, is also coming to an end this year for K–12 schools. When these monies expire in September 2024, schools will have to decide how best to employ technology in light of the possibility of reduced funding.
Here, Stanford education experts like Schwartz offer their opinions on some of the major technological developments that are influencing education this year.
Artificial Intelligence in Education
Following the release of ChatGPT and other chatbots that generate text that appears to be authored by a human in response to a prompt or query, generative AI became the big story in technology and education in 2023. Teachers were instantly concerned that pupils would try to pass off the chatbot’s writing as their own in order to cheat. In addition to implementing restrictions about students’ usage of the technology, several schools are starting to look into other possible uses for it, such creating reading assignments or providing writing assistance to pupils.
AI can also help automate tasks like grading and lesson planning, freeing teachers to do the human work that drew them into the profession in the first place, said Victor Lee, an associate professor at the GSE and faculty lead for the AI + Education initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. “I’m heartened to see some movement toward creating AI tools that make teachers’ lives better – not to replace them, but to give them the time to do the work that only teachers are able to do,” he said. “I hope to see more on that front.”
He also emphasized the need to teach students now to begin questioning and critiquing the development and use of AI. “AI is not going away,” said Lee, who is also director of CRAFT (Classroom-Ready Resources about AI for Teaching), which provides free resources to help teach AI literacy to high school students across subject areas. “We need to teach students how to understand and think critically about this technology.”
Immersive Environments: Revolutionizing the Classroom Experience
Immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) are poised to transform classrooms in 2024. With new high-profile devices entering the market, the educational applications of these technologies are expanding rapidly. Unlike the traditional use of VR headsets for passive experiences, students can now engage in creating their own interactive 360-degree environments using just a smartphone or an affordable camera with simple online tools.
Kristen Pilner Blair, director of research for the Digital Learning initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, highlights the potential of these technologies: “Students can learn about the effects of climate change by virtually experiencing the impact on a particular environment. They can also become creators, documenting and sharing immersive media that shows the effects where they live.” This evolution from passive consumption to active creation enables students to personalize their learning experiences and deepen their understanding of complex subjects.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into these virtual simulations promises to further enhance these experiences. “Imagine a VR experience that brings you to a redwood tree,” explains Schwartz. “You could have a window pop up that allows you to ask questions about the tree, and AI can deliver the answers.” Such interactive learning environments are set to offer rich, engaging educational experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom setup.
Gamification: Engaging Students Through Play
The gamification of learning activities is another trend expected to gain momentum in 2024. This approach uses dynamic videos and interactive elements to engage students and maintain their attention, making learning more enjoyable and motivating.
According to Schwartz, “Gamification is a good motivator because it involves rewards, which are very powerful.” However, he cautions that the rewards associated with gamification are often specific to the activity and may not necessarily translate to a broader interest in learning. “If I get rewarded for doing math in a space-age video game, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be motivated to do math anywhere else,” he notes.
Schwartz advocates for more creative play patterns that reward students for critical thinking and strategy adaptation rather than just speed and accuracy. By focusing on these aspects, gamification can move beyond “chocolate-covered broccoli” – making inherently dull tasks more enjoyable with surface-level incentives – to genuinely fostering a love for learning.
Data-Driven Education: Harnessing Technology for Personalized Learning
The increasing use of technology in schools is generating vast amounts of data on students’ classroom and online activities. This data provides valuable insights into students’ learning processes, highlighting areas of struggle and potential opportunities for growth.
“We’re now able to capture moment-to-moment data, every keystroke a kid makes,” says Schwartz. However, outside of research settings, this granular data is often used by tech companies to refine software design rather than providing actionable insights to educators.
The promise of personalized learning lies in generating content tailored to students’ interests and skill levels, making education more accessible to multilingual learners and students with disabilities. To realize this promise, educators need to be able to understand and analyze the data being collected. Advances in AI are helping to identify patterns and insights from this data, but it must also be accessible in a format that teachers can use for decision-making.
With the growing collection of student data comes the need for stringent privacy measures. Schools must consider how data is collected, regulated, and protected, especially in light of the rise in cyberattacks on K-12 schools in 2023. Strong systems need to be implemented to safeguard student data and maintain trust.
Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology
As Schwartz observes, technology is “requiring people to check their assumptions about education.” While AI can replicate existing biases and outdated instructional models, it also offers new possibilities for identifying unique student needs and customizing learning experiences accordingly. “It’s an opportunity to think of entirely new ways of teaching,” Schwartz says, “and this is the path I hope to see.”
As we move forward, the challenge will be to harness these technologies to create educational environments that are engaging, inclusive, and tailored to the needs of each student. The future of education is not just about integrating new tools but reimagining the very way we teach and learn.