On a global scale, education still lags behind other industries when it comes to investing in technology: on average, only 3% of its expenditure is allocated into digital transformation. Surprisingly, the United States and Europe are moving at a slower pace when it comes to EdTech – the largest venture capital investor into EdTech solutions is China, with India confidently catching up on the amount of investments.
This situation is rapidly changing, though – as per last year research by Holon IQ, the global EdTech market will reach $341 billion in 2025, as investors in the US and Europe start to see the value of education technology. This means organizations and businesses will spend more on digital EdTech tools and solutions – largely, due to the advent of AI and its growing role in business and academia.
In this article, we will talk about how AI applies in learning both inside and outside the traditional classroom and explore its historical background and future perspectives. Read on to learn more!
The History of EdTech: Back to the Roots
Exploring the present and future of AI in EdTech is easier in the context of EdTech history in general. Back in the ’80s, along with the rise of personal computing, technologies have started to pave their way into academia. Back then, computer technology was still treated as a specific domain of a few tech geeks and was far from massive adoption.
The US education reform, kick-started in the ’90s and aimed to promote student achievement, saw the advent of the Internet, with personal computers becoming more advanced. At this point, educators started using computing technology to augment teaching and learning.
It was not before the 2000’s when artificial intelligence (AI) entered the picture. Along with the demand for increased accountability and progress measurements, technologies were getting more portable and sophisticated. The Internet became omnipresent, accounting for increased connectivity. Teachers started using online gradebooks, digital curricula, and Learning Management Systems.
Image source: Edelements.com
The Present State of AI in EdTech
Today, a growing number of interconnected smart devices, as well as the development of AI have set the stage for a new trend for personalized learning. Below are some of the most vivid examples of how artificial intelligence currently applies in education.
Assisting teachers in education management
In the recent past, administrative tasks have been taking up a large portion of the teachers’ time. With AI capability to automate and streamline repetitive rule-based processes (such as filling-in gradebooks, generating report cards, etc), educators can now redirect their attention and focus on teaching and communication.
Skills and knowledge assessment
While carrying out precise knowledge and skills assessment is difficult for us, humans, AI can assess skill levels, identify knowledge gaps and offer personalized learning curricula. This AI feature is now broadly used in both K-12 and workforce training.
Counseling and support
Routinely used in business, AI chatbots can also offer struggling students a helping hand. Today’s students feel they would rather confide in a virtual assistant than talk to school or university counselors about what bothers them. Chatbots can answer any pressing questions students may have, offer guidance on every aspect of school life and suggest activities.
Extra-curriculum tutoring
Tutoring and studying programs are finally relieving parents from the necessity to help their children with homework: an AI app can explain a complex subject, assess knowledge and help students learn in a fun and engaging way. Learning apps (such as Duolingo) targeted at broader audiences are becoming increasingly popular as well. The rise of homeschooling is also happening largely due to increasing AI advancement and sophistication.
Inclusion and distance learning
AI is the technology behind real-time subtitles helping foreign students and students with hearing impairments understand what the teacher is saying. As such, artificial intelligence helps students master subjects that aren’t available locally, avoid lagging behind caused by illnesses, and open doorways to better learning opportunities.
Read also: How EdTech Transforms Education
A Sneak Peak Into the Future
So what does the future hold for AI in EdTech? The main driver of EdTech transformation is business with its growing demand for employees who can quickly adjust to changing workplace roles and keep up with the pace of innovations. With business dictating the trend for result-oriented and achievement-driven learning, we are definitely going to see a further rise of personalized education, which is likely to completely transform the education delivery as we know it.
Lifelong learning
Lifelong learning will be the core concept of the new education system. The education will move even further towards personalization and take students’ individual learning styles and pace into account. The evaluation of knowledge and skills will also change with regard to highly adaptive content and the application of newly learned skills in simulated environments. This approach will apply throughout the entire educational pathway – from elementary education to highly specialized professional training.
Integration with immersive technologies
Another driver for increased AI adoption in EdTech is the impending advent of 5G – a mobile network expected to bring us, even more, connectivity and efficiency. Enhanced mobile connection, low latency and better IoT support are just some of the improvements that will soon impact a number of industries, including education.
5G will provide an infrastructure for integrating AI with AR/VR, and the effects we can expect could be truly revolutionary. A student wearing a headset could learn in a virtual environment with an AI assistant guiding him along the way. Such technologies are already applied in manufacturing, but 5G connection could propel them towards becoming mainstream.
Rethinking teachers roles
Will AI render teachers irrelevant? There’s an ongoing discussion in the educators’ community as to whether or not the role of a teacher will be reduced to merely assisting students with completing their personalized educational plans. If AI can teach and assess better than humans, is there still anything it cannot do? In the future, most experts agree, the role of a teacher will shift towards mentorship, assistance, and establishing moral values. With AI eliminating the need to handle routine tasks, teachers could get a better grasp of students’ personalities and truly connect with them on a deeper and more meaningful level.
A concept of AI-assisted learning (as opposed to AI-driven learning) places even higher importance in a teacher’s role. According to this approach, students will learn hard skills at home through an app, and practice creative tasks in the classroom, under teachers’ supervision.
Read also: Top-5 E-Learning Trends For 2020
AI is still an emerging technology and has immense potential for application in EdTech. Failing to see this potential may lead to missing opportunities for future growth. On the other hand, future EdTech development pathways may be hard to predict – there are market forces that don’t apply in education. One way or the other, business, with its high demand for advanced workforce training, is driving the AI adoption, and solutions for career training may be currently the best area for investments.
Have questions on how you can apply AI in EdTech? Contact us now for a free consultation!