Categories: News

Revolutionising education through AI: a thoughtful approach

How can we use AI to transform education while being mindful of its limitations, pitfalls and inequities? Researchers at AUT investigate.

<h4><span data-contrast&equals;"auto"><span class&equals;"TextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" lang&equals;"EN-NZ" ><span class&equals;"NormalTextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-parastyle&equals;"Normal &lpar;Web&rpar;">By <&sol;span><&sol;span><a class&equals;"Hyperlink HyperlinkGateOff SCXW248256993 BCX8" href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;academics&period;aut&period;ac&period;nz&sol;dilani&period;gedera" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener"><span class&equals;"FieldRange SCXW248256993 BCX8"><span class&equals;"TextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" lang&equals;"EN-NZ" ><span class&equals;"NormalTextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-parastyle&equals;"Normal &lpar;Web&rpar;">Associate Professor <&sol;span><&sol;span><span class&equals;"TextRun Underlined UnderlinedGateOff SCXW248256993 BCX8" lang&equals;"EN-NZ" ><span class&equals;"NormalTextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle&equals;"Hyperlink">Dilani Gedera<&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;a><span class&equals;"TextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" lang&equals;"EN-NZ" ><span class&equals;"NormalTextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-parastyle&equals;"Normal &lpar;Web&rpar;"> and <&sol;span><&sol;span><a class&equals;"Hyperlink HyperlinkGateOff SCXW248256993 BCX8" href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;academics&period;aut&period;ac&period;nz&sol;chris&period;griffiths" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener"><span class&equals;"FieldRange SCXW248256993 BCX8"><span class&equals;"TextRun Underlined UnderlinedGateOff SCXW248256993 BCX8" lang&equals;"EN-NZ" ><span class&equals;"NormalTextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle&equals;"Hyperlink">Chris Griffiths<&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;a><span class&equals;"TextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" lang&equals;"EN-NZ" ><span class&equals;"NormalTextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-parastyle&equals;"Normal &lpar;Web&rpar;">&comma; <&sol;span><span class&equals;"NormalTextRun SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-parastyle&equals;"Normal &lpar;Web&rpar;">AUT Business School<&sol;span><&sol;span><span class&equals;"EOP SCXW248256993 BCX8" data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h2><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Artificial Intelligence &lpar;AI&rpar; holds immense potential to revolutionise education&period; However&comma; with great power comes great responsibility&period; <&sol;span><&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">As educators and learners grappling with AI&comma; we face profound questions about equity&comma; ethics&comma; efficacy&comma; and the very essence of education&period; How can AI be integrated into education&quest; That question is paramount&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;latest-print-issue&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener"><b>Read the latest print edition of <em>School News<&sol;em> online HERE&period;<&sol;b><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">As educators&comma; we must guide students to use AI responsibly&comma; ensuring it enhances&comma; rather than undermines&comma; their academic integrity&period; As learners&comma; this is as much about digital citizenship as it is about getting good grades&period; As AI becomes prevalent in all aspects of life&comma; these skills will be crucial for students&&num;8217&semi; future success in their professional and personal lives&period; It is essential&comma; then&comma; to explore AI&&num;8217&semi;s potential and pitfalls while maintaining a cautious and deliberate approach&period; This is where our real-time research comes in&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><b><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The AUT AI Teaching Assistant Project&colon; A Case Study in Cautious Innovation<&sol;span><&sol;b><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">As researchers at AUT Business School&comma; we are leading an innovative AI Teaching Assistant project that embodies a thoughtful approach to AI integration&period; The project uses AI to make learning more effective for our students by tailoring lessons to their specific needs&comma; by providing practical and useful feedback&comma; and by offering interactive content that supports deeper understanding and independent learning&period; <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"none">Our investigation included feedback from students and lecturers in three AUT business courses &&num;8211&semi; a condensed summer school&comma; an undergraduate programme&comma; and a postgraduate course&period;<&sol;span><span data-contrast&equals;"auto"> In designing the research&comma; we chose an AI teaching assistant that predates the current generative AI boom&period; Our AI tool operates as a small-world neural network&comma; meaning its knowledge base is strictly limited to the information we provide it&period; This controlled environment allows us to maintain full oversight of the AI&&num;8217&semi;s capabilities and limitations&comma; ensuring consistency across different courses and student cohorts&period; It also helps avoid potential biases or errors inherent in larger&comma; more opaque AI systems&period; By using a well-defined AI tool&comma; we can focus our analysis on specific educational interventions without the noise of rapidly evolving AI capabilities&comma; providing a stable baseline for our findings&period;<&sol;span><span data-contrast&equals;"auto"> This approach allows us to draw more reliable conclusions about the impact of AI on student learning outcomes&comma; unencumbered by the constantly shifting landscape of cutting-edge AI technologies&period;<&sol;span><span data-contrast&equals;"auto"> <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<figure id&equals;"attachment&lowbar;32680" aria-describedby&equals;"caption-attachment-32680" style&equals;"width&colon; 300px" class&equals;"wp-caption alignnone"><img class&equals;"size-medium wp-image-32680" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;12&sol;AdobeStock&lowbar;566812339-1-300x197&period;jpeg" alt&equals;"" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"197" &sol;><figcaption id&equals;"caption-attachment-32680" class&equals;"wp-caption-text">Could AI revolutionise the classroom&quest; © Supatman- stock&period;adobe&period;com<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">So&comma; what have we found&quest; <&sol;span><span data-contrast&equals;"none">Over 200 students had access to the AI teaching assistant&comma; contributing data through operational field notes&comma; questionnaires&comma; and qualitative <&sol;span><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">interviews&period; The results to date demonstrate AI&&num;8217&semi;s potential to transform education positively&comma; but they also highlight the enduring importance of nuanced human judgement and intervention&period; For example&comma; some students found the personalised feedback from the AI particularly valuable&period; One student shared&comma; &&num;8220&semi;It gave me feedback on how to improve my work&&num;8230&semi; and I saw improvement in my grades&period;&&num;8221&semi; However&comma; we also saw evidence of variability in the quality of feedback that AI delivered&period; As another student noted&comma; &&num;8220&semi;It’s indecisive&period; You can submit the exact same document twice and get different scores&period;&&num;8221&semi; These experiences show the need for ongoing refinement of AI tools to enhance their consistency and&comma; therefore&comma; their effectiveness&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><b><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Embrace AI’s Potential&colon; Personalisation at Scale<&sol;span><&sol;b><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The promise of AI in education lies in its ability to enhance student engagement and personalise learning experiences&comma; which can lead to better academic outcomes&period; In our project&comma; the AI tools proved especially effective in providing rapid&comma; tailored feedback&comma; which students found helpful&period; The immediacy of AI feedback&comma; often delivered within a minute&comma; allows students to make real-time improvements&period; One student reflected on the efficiency of AI tools&comma; noting&comma; &&num;8220&semi;It made revision easy&&num;8230&semi; I wish I had that for all my courses&period;&&num;8221&semi; This combination of quick feedback and adaptability to individual learning needs represents a significant step forward in educational technology&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><b><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Beware AI’s Pitfalls&colon; Equity Concerns and Workload Worries<&sol;span><&sol;b><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">While the potential of AI to transform education is substantial&comma; equity is a major concern&period; We must ensure that AI does not exacerbate existing educational disparities but instead helps to level the playing field&period; The risk of creating a two-tiered education system where only some students have access to AI tools is real&period; To mitigate this risk&comma; educators must not only provide equal access to AI tools but also ensure that all students have the digital literacy skills to use these tools effectively&period; This includes setting clear expectations in course materials and assessment frameworks and actively discussing AI’s ethical use with students&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The implementation of AI also risks adding to educators&&num;8217&semi; workloads&period; Striking the balance between these benefits and drawbacks is crucial for leveraging AI&&num;8217&semi;s potential to enhance learning for all students while supporting educators to do their work effectively and efficiently&period; By fostering a culture of responsible AI use&comma; we can complement human critical thinking while upholding academic integrity&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><b><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The Road Ahead&colon; Charting a Course for AI in Education<&sol;span><&sol;b><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The full impact of AI on tertiary education and future careers is unfolding in real time before our eyes&period; The integration of AI into education is not just a technological shift&semi; it&&num;8217&semi;s a societal one&period; As we stand on the brink of this educational revolution&comma; the choices we make today will shape the learners and leaders of tomorrow&period; The question is not whether AI will change education but how we will steer that change to create a more equitable&comma; effective&comma; and enlightened educational landscape for all&period; Our research at AUT is just one step in this journey&comma; but it&&num;8217&semi;s a crucial one in understanding how to harness AI&&num;8217&semi;s potential while mitigating its risks&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;134233117&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;134233118&quot&semi;&colon;true&comma;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;240&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<figure id&equals;"attachment&lowbar;32681" aria-describedby&equals;"caption-attachment-32681" style&equals;"width&colon; 225px" class&equals;"wp-caption alignleft"><img class&equals;"wp-image-32681 size-medium" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;12&sol;Chris-Griffiths-225x300&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" width&equals;"225" height&equals;"300" &sol;><figcaption id&equals;"caption-attachment-32681" class&equals;"wp-caption-text">Author Chris Griffiths&period; Image&colon; supplied&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;<p><span data-olk-copy-source&equals;"MessageBody"><strong>Chris Griffiths<&sol;strong> is a senior lecturer at Auckland University of Technology &lpar;AUT&rpar; with a unique blend of industry experience and academic expertise&period; His research focuses on how tempered radicals navigate hierarchical manufacturing environments&comma; balancing personal identity with organisational success&period;<&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>With a background in design&comma; manufacturing&comma; and supply chain management&comma; Chris transitioned to academia in 2013&period; He holds an MBA in operations and management from AUT and is completing his PhD&period; Chris&&num;8217&semi;s passion for education extends beyond the university&semi; he continues as a trustee of schools for over 20 years&comma; demonstrating his long-standing commitment to educational governance in New Zealand&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<figure id&equals;"attachment&lowbar;32682" aria-describedby&equals;"caption-attachment-32682" style&equals;"width&colon; 225px" class&equals;"wp-caption alignright"><img class&equals;"wp-image-32682 size-medium" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;12&sol;Dilani-Gedera-289x300&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" width&equals;"225" height&equals;"300" &sol;><figcaption id&equals;"caption-attachment-32682" class&equals;"wp-caption-text">Author Dilani Gedera&period; Image&colon; supplied&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;<p><span data-olk-copy-source&equals;"MessageBody"><strong>Dilani Gedera<&sol;strong> is an Associate Professor and Director of Learning and Teaching at the Faculty of Business&comma; Economics&comma; and Law at Auckland University of Technology &lpar;AUT&period;&rpar; With over 24 years of experience in higher education&comma; she specialises in digital education and innovative pedagogy&comma; with a particular interest in integrating AI into educational practices&period; Dilani has extensive experience in programme development&comma; curriculum design&comma; and creating authentic learning and assessment experiences&period; Her research explores technology-enhanced learning&comma; online pedagogies&comma; and the scholarship of teaching and learning&comma; all aimed at improving student outcomes through learner-centred approaches&period;<&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;latest-print-issue&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener">The Term 4 edition of School News is out now&period; Read it HERE&period;<&sol;a><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<div style&equals;"position&colon; relative&semi; padding-top&colon; max&lpar;60&percnt;&comma;326px&rpar;&semi; height&colon; 0&semi; width&colon; 100&percnt;&semi;"><iframe style&equals;"position&colon; absolute&semi; border&colon; none&semi; width&colon; 100&percnt;&semi; height&colon; 100&percnt;&semi; left&colon; 0&semi; right&colon; 0&semi; top&colon; 0&semi; bottom&colon; 0&semi;" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;e&period;issuu&period;com&sol;embed&period;html&quest;backgroundColor&equals;&percnt;23ffffff&amp&semi;backgroundColorFullscreen&equals;&percnt;23ffffff&amp&semi;d&equals;snnz67-term4-2024&amp&semi;hideIssuuLogo&equals;true&amp&semi;u&equals;multimediaau" sandbox&equals;"allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-downloads allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-forms" allowfullscreen&equals;"allowfullscreen"><&sol;iframe><&sol;div>&NewLine;<div style&equals;"position&colon; relative&semi; padding-top&colon; max&lpar;60&percnt;&comma;326px&rpar;&semi; height&colon; 0&semi; width&colon; 100&percnt;&semi;"><iframe style&equals;"position&colon; absolute&semi; border&colon; none&semi; width&colon; 100&percnt;&semi; height&colon; 100&percnt;&semi; left&colon; 0&semi; right&colon; 0&semi; top&colon; 0&semi; bottom&colon; 0&semi;" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;e&period;issuu&period;com&sol;embed&period;html&quest;backgroundColor&equals;&percnt;23ffffff&amp&semi;backgroundColorFullscreen&equals;&percnt;23ffffff&amp&semi;d&equals;2025-leotc-supplement&amp&semi;hideIssuuLogo&equals;true&amp&semi;u&equals;multimediaau" sandbox&equals;"allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-downloads allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-forms" allowfullscreen&equals;"allowfullscreen"><&sol;iframe><&sol;div>&NewLine;

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