Lee Anna Stirling
Advances in technology over the last 20 plus years have been a support to education. For example, in PBL where students are involved with inquiry to solve a real-life challenge, technology facilitates gathering information about the topic. Long distance experts can visit the class via platforms such as Zoom. Students can also reach out to experts with emails, Skype, and more. Websites with information abound, as do online videos. Collaboration among students is facilitated with tools such as Google Docs and Google Classroom.Technology facilitates students creating engaging formats such as videos or slideshows and sharing their findings far and wide, for example on a website, podcast, or YouTube.
With AI such as ChatGPT there are a plethora of helpful education uses. Just two examples: though the teacher needs to verify for correctness and alignment with learning goals and students’ needs – teachers can receive draft outlines of entire lessons or units. For individual projects, students can let AI know some things they like to do, within parameters, and ask the AI platform for lists of project topics.
All artificial intelligence can do, can be great as a support for education. But human actions and interactions cannot be replaced. AI can come up with solutions, but the solutions are based on a consolidation of information already generated by others. On the other hand, students have been known to find unique solutions to challenges that have confounded experts. In addition, information/solutions AI comes up with must be verified by humans. AI is fine as a junior partner, but humans need to retain our capacity to evaluate information – to think!
People skills like sensitivity to others, respect, sticking to a task, formulating goals, and collaboration are important in family life, community, and the workplace, and need to be developed. With learning frameworks such as PBL with Inquiry & Service, whether K-12, or College & University, students develop self-confidence, self-efficacy that their own efforts can help solve real-life challenges. They realize their abilities are worthy and can make a positive difference for themselves and others. Intrinsic interest in a subject and desire for lifelong learning are likely to occur when students are involved with research, problem-solving, and products meaningful to them.
In PBL students learn to collaborate with others. As groups analyze and consolidate information group members have gathered, and as they collaboratively create their group’s product, students are supported in sharing their views, respectfully listening to others, and understanding diverse perspectives. Throughout the process, students practice self-management, coaching, and group management. They gain problem-solving skills and strengthen their adaptability, initiative, and creativity. If the public audience feature is a verbal presentation, students strengthen their public speaking. Students retain content knowledge, gained throughout the unit, longer than knowledge gained from a lecture, reading, or AI.
While AI can deliver well for a specific objective, it does not choose its own goals or think creatively. PBL supports students in these abilities. Most importantly, artificial intelligence does not interact with empathy or compassion – traits whether developed within PBL or other learning experiences, humans need to model.
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