Learning with AI - how will it change our world?

E-learning
23/11/2023

What exactly is Artificial Intelligence? And how will it affect “learning”? How can we use it effectively to teach and test knowledge?

Pluvo visual dots yellow
What exactly is Artificial Intelligence? And how will it affect “learning”? How can we use it effectively to teach and test knowledge?

There's no getting around it anymore. Artificial Intelligence is “here to stay”. Because at Pluvo, we are progressive and prefer our preparing for the future instead of focusing on the past, we dive into this fascinating development spread across four blogs.

In this blog, we'll start at the beginning. With a bit of history, the opinion of AI itself, and our perspective on how AI will enrich learning.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) consists of automated systems that can perform tasks that previously required human intelligence. These systems work by means of specific algorithms. They are able to recognise patterns and make decisions, and like humans, they get better the more they practice. An example of this technology is the AI chatbot ChatGPT, which has been open to the general public since November 2022. This chatbot answers questions and bases its responses on information from millions of indexed web pages. It is a form of “generative AI” because it generates text based on the information entered.

What does AI (ChatGPT) think about it?

“In the future, I see AI, such as ChatGPT, playing an essential role in enriching learning by providing personalised and adaptive learning tools. By continuously learning and evolving, AI can provide support that closely matches individual needs and thus optimises the learning experience.”

That sounds good, right?

How is AI changing our online education?

AI is going to revolutionise online learning by providing learning experiences personalising, automating tasks, and valuable insights to offer in students' performance. AI is used to create adaptive learning platforms that adapt the content and pace of instruction to the specific needs and preferences of each individual student. this increases engagement and improves learning outcomes.

In addition, AI-powered tools can automate administrative tasks such as grading assignments, generating feedback, and managing course materials, leaving trainers and teachers more time for valuable interaction with students.

AI algorithms can also analyze large amounts of data to measure patterns and trends in student performance, allowing trainers to intervene early and provide targeted support and feedback.

A practical example

Glean is a great example of how AI tools can make learning much easier for students and students. Glean records the audio of the lesson and allows students to return to class at their own pace, add detailed notes and highlight essential information.

So students never have to miss a thing and can really focus on the learning experience instead of trying to write everything down in a hurry and frantically while they also want to listen and participate. What an outcome!

Focus on the right things

There has been a lot of commotion among traditional teachers about the developments in AI. Students and students can now all use ChatGPT.

So it is our job as teachers or trainers to respond to this. This requires that we look at our approach again.

For example, we first let students or students write a paper to demonstrate their knowledge: that's no use anymore. If they know a little bit about how to enter an effective prompt into AI, AI will indiscriminately write a paper for them. So how can we then test the knowledge and skills? By using other methods of assessment, teachers and trainers can measure the knowledge and skills of their students and students in a more authentic way.

Examples include the use of practical assignments, presentations, case studies, group projects, portfolio evaluations and structured oral exams.

Shouldn't we have done this much earlier anyway? 😉

Are there also disadvantages?

Yes, definitely. AI is still fairly error-prone. That's why you can't just assume that AI, for example, makes the right adjustments, interprets the data 100% error-free, or has sufficient “knowledge” of topics and teaching materials. This indiscriminate assumption can lead to major blunders.

That is why it is still important that an expert has ultimate responsibility for the content of the teaching materials, learning environment, lessons, and assessments.

Of course, we also don't want learning to become a lonely affair now. In the world of e-learning, we have actually worked very hard in recent years to make online learning as personal as possible. If we then use a “robot” to maintain contact with our students and provide them with “standard” feedback, all of this was for nothing. In addition, data, privacy, and ethical considerations also play a role.

The future
So, in our opinion, AI is an integral part of e-learning. Advanced AI tools make learning even more more personal, improve evaluations and create valuable content. As if that weren't enough, AI will also play a role in the rise of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in education, making learning experiences even more fun and exciting. The developments are happening very fast and we are following them closely. So be sure to also read our next blogs about AI or contact us.

Kimberley van Tol
Kimberley van Tol

As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.

Bianca Mokkenstorm-Goethals
Bianca Mokkenstorm-Goethals

I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!

Close notification