Can AI apps replace teachers? Experts urge caution on school model

Imagine a school day where students spend only a few hours learning math, languages ​​or science through AI-powered apps without the support of certified teachers, while spending a large chunk of time learning life skills, taking trips and exploring passion projects.

Some Canadian education experts see the unconventional model promoted by American private school network Alpha School as a blend of pre-existing learning approaches and new AI technology – which may work for some students, but also requires careful consideration of issues including students’ privacy, well-being and what children are actually learning.

How does this work?

alpha school has done curiosity increased and woke both of them up Appreciation And Criticism For its claim that it can improve traditional schooling. Its website says students “crush academics”. By limiting core subjects to a few hours of intensive daily study and “going beyond the classroom”, with a larger block of time devoted to practical learning, field trips and workshops that build life skills such as public speaking and teamwork.

The company says adults on site, whom it does not call teachers, help by providing inspiration, guidance and training.

Chelsea, Ky. In general, this is a common model in homeschooling and will also be familiar to students enrolled in some alternative schools, says Stephanie Sewell, an alternative education consultant based in Texas.

The academic study segment, in this case conducted through online learning platforms, is based on the concept of “mastery,” said Sewell, a former teacher in both public and private schools.

“They’re asking you to solve a series of problems to show your mastery of it and, if you don’t get them all right … you keep (drilling) on,” he said. “It’s a really special way to learn.”

What’s new?

The innovation lies in using recent AI-powered technologies to shape that educational block, like the adaptive, dynamic learning found on platforms like IXL or Khan Academy, perhaps mixed with some customization to reflect individual student interests.

Tech-personalized learning has been around for a while. New York, for example, launched a school initiative in this direction more than 15 years ago, said Behan Farhadi, an assistant professor of educational policy and equity at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Describing it as a “boutique” approach for a select few, Farhadi said the model has struggled to scale. A former high school teacher, her expertise includes online learning, educational technology, and ed tech policy.

“Technology allows for the rebranding, remarketing of something that has been tried and failed to deliver on the promise that it provides, especially for public schooling — or any type of large-scale instruction,” Farhadi said.

One method for all children?

Sewell believes that a time-integrated, “uber-efficient,” technology-reliant approach to learning could work for some high school students—for example, someone motivated to quickly complete a prerequisite coursework before university. Meanwhile, others need a slower pace to better absorb the material and avoid feeling stressed, he said.

Sewell also questions whether elementary-aged children, particularly kindergarteners, should be learning through screens for extended periods.

“Children that age are still learning a lot about how to live with other people in this world,” she said. “Considering something like early math, early writing, early reading in that online, AI context as important worries me a bit.”

Chris Kennedy, superintendent of the West Vancouver School District and a Canadian schools champion early inclusion of AI literacy and toolsThinks that “self-starters” can handle it, but they represent only a portion of the student population.

He said, “Some students can thrive with very little teacher contact… Other students need far more intensive support and while (AI) technology can adapt to the child quickly, it can’t encourage, it can’t support, it can’t do those things in the same way that humans can.”

What are the risks?

Because the Alpha School model involves Online monitoring and data collectionAs other tech platforms do, Farhadi said he is extremely concerned about student privacy and surveillance — including webcams recording students and apps tracking scrolling, eye and mouse movements to prove they are paying attention.

When considering AI in schools, Kennedy also said student safety, security, and privacy are top of mind.

Another major concern of his is the underlying knowledge base of any platform. For example, if an app or tool is used, will students lose the Canadian or local Indigenous context and context in their learning?

Kennedy welcomes AI as a way to extend and enhance learning, but not just to speed it up.

“Computer-assisted learning is part of school today, but it is not completely part of school,” he said.

“Moving quickly to the questions, are you actually learning? Is checking those boxes worth going to school?”

Is AI-powered education a given for Canada?

Alpha School has locations in more than 20 U.S. cities, but did not respond to CBC News’ request about bringing its model to Canada.

Kennedy said he supports giving students access to different ways of learning and technological innovation. While kids are already using AI, he said the most impactful use right now in Canadian schools is teacher-led.

He pointed to West Vancouver teachers using AI to support lesson planning, for example quickly adapting or translating a written passage for a class of students with a wide range of reading levels.

Fresh from a recent conference in Quebec, Kennedy said attitudes toward AI still vary widely across Canada. There is a need, she said, for a coordinated national policy that shares principles, guidelines, and approaches to the use of AI in K-12 – one that ensures students are not just consumers today, but are building knowledge to help advance AI in the future.

“We don’t fully agree on what it means to use AI effectively in education,” Farhadi said. While some schools are really innovating — she knows one school where students trained their own chatbots — she said successes in the public system don’t always get the attention they deserve.

Sewell said she thinks AI-powered education will inevitably expand in Canada, but she would like to see it done with conscious integration, extensive study and maintaining some “old-fashioned” learning processes.

“Children who are being taught to write by AI may never have started out with a blank screen and an idea, (or) they have writer’s block. Do we value that inherently human experience enough to make sure our young humans still have that experience?” Sewell asked.

“If we only ever use machines, what if at some point the machines no longer work? We need to remember how to do that.”