Artificial intelligence (A.I), defined as intelligence exhibited by machines, has many applications in today's society. AI are programs developed to perform specific tasks, that are being utilized for a wide range of activities including medical diagnosis, electronic trading platforms, robot control, and remote sensing. AI has been used to develop and advance numerous fields and industries, including finance, healthcare, education, transportation, and more – Wikipedia.com
Artificial Intelligence is now a part of our normal lives. We are surrounded by this technology from automatic parking systems, smart sensors for taking spectacular photos, and personal assistance. Similarly, Artificial Intelligence in education is being felt, and the traditional methods are changing drastically. Taking a study from the Chinese they deeply understood their onions, in the world, they are currently the leading AI nation which has a 100% effect on their productivity from education to technology evolution.The academic world is becoming more convenient and personalized thanks to the numerous applications of AI for education. This has changed the way people learn since educational materials are becoming accessible to all through smart devices and computers. Today, students don’t need to attend physical classes to study as long as they have computers and internet connection. AI is also allowing the automation of administrative tasks, allowing institutions to minimize the time required to complete difficult tasks so that the educators can spend more time with students. Now is the time to discuss the transformations brought by AI in education, understanding the fact that Nigeria is a developing nation, however, if Nigeria as a country will improve her educational system the need to embrace the expertise of AI will be important so as to duly affect the following arms in the education sector.
1. Simplifying Administrative Tasks
AI can automate the expedition of administrative duties for teachers and academic institutions. Educators spend a lot of time on grading exams, assessing homework, and providing valuable responses to their students. But technology can be used to automate the grading tasks where multiple tests are involved. This means that professors would have more time with their students rather than spending long hours grading them. We expect more of this from AI. Actually, software providers are coming up with better ways of grading written answers and normal essays. The other department that is gaining a lot from AI is the school admissions board. Artificial Intelligence is allowing for automation of classification and processing of paperwork.
2. Smart Content
AI and education go hand in hand and the new techniques could be all that is required to ensure that all students attain their ultimate academic success. Smart content is a very hot subject matter today. Robots can produce digital content of similar quality as what different essay writing services can create. This technology has already reached a classroom setting. Smart content also includes virtual content like video conferencing, video lectures. As you can imagine, textbooks are taking a new turn. AI systems are using traditional syllabuses to create customized textbooks for certain subjects. As a result, textbooks are being digitized, and new learning interfaces are being created to help students of all academic grades and ages. “An example of such mechanisms is Cram101 which uses AI to make textbook contents more comprehensible and it is easy to navigate with summaries of the chapters, flashcards, and practical tests. The other useful AI interface is the Netex Learning which enables professors to create electronic curriculums and educative information across a myriad of devices. Netex includes online assistance programs, audios, and illustrative videos”- Wikipedia.com
3. Personalized Learning
Have you checked the type of personalized recommendations on Netflix? The same technology is being utilized in how students are taught at schools. The traditional systems are supposed to cater to the middle but don’t serve pupils sufficiently. The curriculum is designed to suit as many pupils as possible by targeting 80% of the middle. However, the pupils are struggling to attain their full potential when in the top 10%. Still, when they are in the bottom 10%, they have difficulties following along. But when AI is introduced, teachers are not necessarily replaced, but they are in a position to perform much better by offering personalized recommendations to each pupil. AI will customize in-class assignments as well as final exams, ensuring that students get the best possible assistance. Research indicates that instant feedback is one of the keys to successful tutoring. Through AI-powered apps, students get targeted and customized responses from their teachers. Teachers can condense lessons into smart study guides and flashcards. They can also teach students depending on the challenges they face in studying class materials. Unlike in the past, college students can now access a larger window time for interacting with professors. Thanks to AI, smart tutoring systems, like Carnegie Learning, can offer quick feedback and work directly with students. Even though these methods are still in their inception stages, they will soon become fully-fledged digital teachers to assist students with any educational needs.
4. Global Learning
Education has no limits, and AI can help to eliminate boundaries. Technology brings drastic transitions by facilitating the learning of any course from anywhere across the globe and at any time. AI-powered education equips students with fundamental IT skills. With more inventions, there will be a wider range of courses available online and with the help of AI, students will be learning from wherever they are.
5. New Efficiencies
AI improves IT processes and unleashes new efficiencies. For instance, town planners could use it to minimize traffic jams and improve the safety of pedestrians. Similarly, schools can determine the appropriate methods of preventing students from getting lost in crowds when they run in corridors. AI can also be used in the modeling of complex data to enable the operations department to create data-driven forecasts. This, in turn, allows proper planning for the future, for example assigning seats during school functions or ordering food from local cafeterias. Speaking of which, schools can avoid a lot of wastages caused by over-ordering thereby saving costs. Through new efficiencies, Artificial Intelligence in education can pay for itself. The truth is new technologies come with upfront expenses for installation and training. But eventually, these costs become negligible. Technology gets cheaper over time and so does the hardware and software.
A study published by “eSchool News” indicates that by 2021, the application of AI in education and learning will be increased by 47.5%. The impact of this technology will be felt from the lowest education levels through higher learning institutions. This will create adaptive learning techniques with customized tools for improving learning experiences. Artificial Intelligence might inform the students how their career paths look like depending on their goals thus assisting them beyond academics. Only time can tell the ultimate impact of AI in the education industry.
As part of our readiness to cause a change in the educational sector, by and large to the country as a whole we are building an industry in the IT world. “elevating the next generation through IT'. We are starting an IT company “NextTech Nigeria” visit NEXTTECH to know more.