This article highlights a critically important gap in AI education for both future teachers and current educators. here’s a breakdown of the key points:
The Problem:
High demand, Low Support: Both students (pre-service teachers) and their instructors (teacher educators) are eager to learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI), but there’s a lack of institutional support and training to facilitate this learning.
Lack of Implementation: A large majority of both pre-service teachers and university educators surveyed reported not using AI in their current classrooms and having received no training on how to implement it.
Fear of the Unknown: this unfamiliarity with AI might lead some professors to avoid it altogether, which is a disservice to students entering a workforce increasingly shaped by AI.
The Need for Guidance:
Informed Decisions: Providing faculty with data about AI will empower them to make informed decisions about its use in their teaching, whether it’s for specific applications or to decide against using it.
Preparing Students for the Future: Students need to understand AI because it’s rapidly transforming the world of work, with estimates suggesting a significant portion of current jobs could be automated in the coming years, requiring workers to adapt and possibly change fields.
A Proposed Solution:
workshop framework: Priya Panday-Shukla, an instructional designer, has developed a workshop to provide educators with a framework for considering how to use Generative AI (GenAI).
Graduated Levels of AI Use: This framework, inspired by the OSPI’s AI matrix for K-12, proposes four levels of AI integration in classrooms, ranging from a complete ban to a mandatory requirement for students to use GenAI.
Clarity and Clear Guidance: This system aims to help educators be transparent with students about the acceptable levels of AI assistance for different assignments and the necessary steps for using these technologies.
Key Principles for AI Use:
Not a Replacement for Rigor: Panday-Shukla emphasizes that AI is not a substitute for original research, writing, or academic rigor.
Verification Remains Crucial: When verifying information, the traditional methods of checking sources one by one are still necessary.
AI as a Tool: AI is presented as another tool that requires thoughtful integration and proper learning to use effectively.
Transparency in Usage: The article highlights the growing trend of journals requiring declarations of AI use in published papers, as demonstrated by Panday-Shukla’s own use of Google Gemini for clarity and readability checks in her research.
In essence, the article argues for proactive AI education and the development of clear guidelines to help educators and students navigate this transformative technology responsibly and effectively.
