The Impacts of AI on Student Learning and Educator Efficiency  

Introduction

The uprising improvement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is irreversibly changing the nature of education and student learning. AI is human intelligence simulated into computers and machines to replicate human actions (Kohli R. et al., 2021). Its integration into the education system has simplified tasks in the field and sped up the education process for teachers, school staff members and students. While recent psychology research has shown AI to be beneficial for teaching and student learning, teachers and the public worry about its long-term effects on child social development. As AI takes a more prominent role in education, there is a possibility of the loss of the social aspect of learning. The excessive use of AI in schools could negatively impact social and creativity skills in children. Nonetheless, the use of AI as a tutoring and organizational tool should be promoted in schools, as it has shown to induce positive outlooks on studying in both educators and students. 

The Benefits of AI Integration in Education

The integration of AI in educational settings has showcased positive outcomes in students, teachers, and faculty staff (Robayo-Pinzon et al., 2023; Chounta I.A. et al., 2022; Alhwaiti, M., 2023). In a study conducted by Robayo-Pinzon et al., (2023), students held drastic positive beliefs about AI. The findings reported that AI functions such as Machine Teacher, Smart Tutoring Apps, and different ChatBots, are being enthusiastically welcomed by students, as they provide tailored additional tutoring. Students reported having their study time shortened, while simultaneously having their knowledge strengthened because of the usage of AI. They claim its usage leads to time-saving as a result of decreased time spent on “unnecessary activities” (Robayo-Pinzon et al., 2023). The advancements of these technologies keep making tutoring more accessible to all students, providing them with individualized feedback and additional help at the click of their screen, regardless of their socioeconomic status. 

Teachers have also experienced similar positive outcomes from implementing AI into their professional roles. Educators in Estonia advocate for integrating AI into their jobs, as they believe that using AI functions can speed up the process of various teacher tasks, such as grading, course planning, providing personalized feedback to students, etc. (Chounta, 2023). These Teachers’ positive outlooks on AI integration are mirrored in general school faculty members as well, as seen in Alhwaiti’s (2023) research. The incorporation of AI in schools since the global COVID-19 pandemic has displayed a significant favourable influence on the occupational well-being of overall school faculty members. As the COVID-19 global lockdown forced education to be fully transferred online, this shift from in-person to online learning has permanently changed teaching and guidance provision. This shift has made the development of low-cost technologies that provide customized support and services for students crucial. As a result, we have seen a rapid increase in the development of self-service technologies. By using The United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the researchers gathered data on the effects AI had on faculty members’ Performance Expectancy (P.E.), Effort Expectancy (E.E.), Social Influence (S.I.), and Facilitating Conditions (F.C.). The gathered data reveals a significant positive correlation, meaning that all faculty members felt improvements in P.E., E.E., SI, and F.C., as well as their overall occupational well-being when they used AI as an aiding tool for their job. 

Concerns with AI Integration in Education

Although recent research has reached a consensus on the positive effects of AI integration in academic settings, many people are skeptical of this idea. While AI implementation leads to higher satisfaction in students, teachers, and staff members, it is too early to predict the long-term consequences of such an abrupt change in education. Researchers Chounta, I.A. et al. (2022) spotlight the strong beliefs and worries teachers have about their occupational replacement with AI. Human interaction is an irreplaceable aspect of teaching, learning and overall human development. The possible replacement of teachers with AI can lead to unknown negative impacts on child development because of the “dehumanization of the learning experience” and decreased human interactions (Adlawan, 2023). Some of the effects associated with this risk could be emotional and social challenges, technology dependency and critical thinking limitations, all of which would hinder students from learning. There is a lot of uncertainty on the long-term effects of AI, so it should be implemented with a lot of care and regulations. To avoid risks of excessive AI usage in education, AI should not be used as a primary source of information provision in schools. It must only be used by teachers to simplify their organizational tasks, such as course planning, prompt ideas for exams, etc. By students, it must only be used as a tutoring device to help them with individualized instruction and feedback outside of class. Using AI generated text should also be forbidden as it can limit students’ creativity and perpetuate unfairness in the classroom (Yang, 2023).

Conclusions

Social interactions are fundamental for the development of emotional intelligence and meaningful connections. For this reason, educator roles must never be fully replaced by AI. However, their workload can be lightened while their outcomes are enhanced by using AI (Chounta I.A. et al., 2022). It is undeniable that AI has positive effects on teachers, staff members and students alike when looking at efficiency, speed, accessibility, and many other aspects. If it is regulated appropriately and only used as an assistant, it can be a life-changing positive addition to the education system. Therefore, its correct usage should be promoted in schools as it leads to more positive outlooks and outcomes for both students and educators. 

References: 

Adlawan, D. (2023, October 31). The Pros and Cons of AI in Education and How it Will Impact 

Teachers in 2023. ClassPoint. https://www.classpoint.io/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-ai-in-education. 

Chounta, I. A., Bardone, E., Raudsep, A., et al. (2022). Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions of 

Artificial Intelligence as a Tool to Support their Practice in Estonian K-12 Education. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 32, 725–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-021-00243-5 

Kohli, R., Phutela, S., Garg, A., & Viner, M. (2021). Artificial Intelligence Technology to Help 

Students With Disabilities: Promises and Implications for Teaching and Learning. In A. Singh, C. Yeh, S. Blanchard, & L. Anunciação (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Critical Issues in Special Education for School Rehabilitation Practices (pp. 238-255). IGI Global. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.4018/978-1-7998-7630-4.ch013 

Mohammed Alhwaiti (2023). Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence Application in the Post-Covid 

Era and Its Impact on Faculty Members’ Occupational Well-being and Teaching Self Efficacy: A Path Analysis Using the UTAUT 2 Model. Applied Artificial Intelligence, 37:1. DOI: 10.1080/08839514.2023.2175110 

Robayo-Pinzon, O., Rojas-Berrio, S., Rincon-Novoa, J., & Ramirez-Barrera, A. (2023). Artificial 

Intelligence and the Value Co-Creation Process in Higher Education Institutions. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2259722 

Yang, M. (2023, January 6). New York City schools ban AI chatbot ChatGPT. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/06/new-york-city-schools-ban-ai-chatbot-chatgpt