The Power of Artificial Intelligence in Personalized Learning

FAQs

• What is personalised learning?

  Personalised learning (PL) is an educational concept centred on giving students control over how they learn. It allows them to learn at their own pace and at times that are most convenient for them. The idea, once considered radical, is becoming a reality, and interest in it increased during the pandemic when many students were learning from home.

• How does Artificial Intelligence (AI) help implement personalised learning?

  AI can help implement personalised learning on a large scale in several ways. These include creating adaptive personalised learning programmes, providing intelligent tutoring systems, using natural language processing to engage students, generating insights into student performance, and automating administrative tasks.

• What is adaptive learning?

  Adaptive learning is a teaching method and a key component of personalised education. It works by supporting the unique learning pace and knowledge level of each individual student. This is critical to a student’s ability to learn, as it allows them to progress and grow their knowledge at a pace that is right for them.

• What are the benefits of adaptive learning for students?

  Studies have shown that students using adaptive learning models feel they have more control over their learning and demonstrate more perseverance in their tasks. They also tend to show more confidence and are less dishonest in their academic work. This approach allows students to be more successful and self-directed in their education.

• How does AI create adaptive learning programmes?

  With AI, adaptive learning systems can continually analyse the learning behaviours and patterns of each student. The system then dynamically adjusts the difficulty level and style of the content to meet that student’s individual needs. These systems can assess a student’s understanding, identify areas where they are having difficulty, and provide targeted explanations, feedback, and practice exercises.

• What is an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS)?

  An Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) is a computer system designed to provide immediate, personalised feedback and instructions to students without requiring human intervention. An ITS is often considered a critical part of a broader adaptive learning system.

• How effective are Intelligent Tutoring Systems?

  Research suggests they are effective learning aids. A 2021 systematic review found that these systems were useful in helping students learn STEM subsections. Additionally, a 2023 study concluded that an ITS “can be very powerful to support teaching and learning”.

• What is Natural Language Processing (NLP) and how is it used in education?

  Natural Language Processing is a subfield of AI that can analyse text, understand its context, and generate human-like responses. In an educational setting, NLP can be used to give students automated, instant feedback on their writing, including grammar and mechanics. It can also be used to develop interactive learning materials like chatbots and virtual assistants to engage students.

• How can AI generate insights into student performance?

  AI-powered analytics tools can offer deep insights by monitoring a student’s progress, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and predicting future performance by analysing past behaviour. These insights can be produced for individual students or to assess the performance of an entire classroom or school, which helps educators customise lesson plans and interventions.

• How can AI automate administrative tasks for teachers?

  AI can assist teachers by automating many administrative duties, such as grading assignments, creating personalised reports, and tracking attendance. Automating these tasks frees up more time for teachers to focus on teaching and providing one-on-one assistance to students.

• What specific school-wide administrative tasks can AI automate?

  AI can automate the management of student records, including admissions, enrolment, and academic progress, which have traditionally required significant manual input. It can also automate the generation of reports like attendance and grade reports, and handle scheduling for classes, teachers, and exams to prevent conflicts. Finally, AI can answer routine questions from students and parents via chatbots or knowledge bases.

• What are the potential challenges of using AI in education?

  As AI’s role in education expands, there are challenges that must be addressed, particularly concerning data privacy and the digital divide. Schools and education leaders are advised to be cautious about how they implement AI and to use studies and pilot programmes to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-benefits of new AI applications.