Why AI education makes sense

The recent surge in popularity of and interest in artificial intelligence in education is considerable. A collaboration between teacher and AI seems to be the way forward in terms of efficient transmission of knowledge and skills, particularly in dynamic subjects.

It is unlikely that teachers physically present in the classroom will ever be replaced, however, it is just as unlikely that teaching without harnessing the benefits of AI will be as efficient.

As educators, what do we strive for? More efficient workflows, differentiated lessons and personalised experiences for our learners are all high-ranking factors. The reduction of repetitive administrational tasks also plays a factor as it frees up teaching time. In a system where content is dictated by a syllabus, the latter point becomes even more pressing.

We have already seen the teacher’s role change from that of a provider-of-knowledge to a facilitator-of-learning. If implemented correctly, AI systems within the classroom setting can further enhance this new role, morphing it into a leader-of-education. The idea behind this shift is that teachers will become ‘educational specialists’, stepping in to fill the gaps left behind by the AI’s shortcomings.

At present, no AI system is capable of multitasking and tailoring content to the same extent as a human educator, however, AI systems do have the ability to get through larger workloads in a shorter period of time.

Shifting focus, AI systems promise something for the students as well. Digital literacy is something often take for granted, an assumption that becomes all the more concerning when one takes into account the number of institutions (educational or otherwise) that use AI-driven systems to handle applications, interviews and examinations.

If we, as conscious educators, want to prepare our students for the world outside of the school grounds, then the practical usage and understanding of AI systems within the school environment is a must.

But what purpose can AI hold within the classroom? As with any code-based system, it’s really up to the user. Content delivery, feedback, testing, and handing of FAQs are all basic examples of how AI can enrich the learning experience. Take into account the fact that teachers in traditional settings are usually limited on time, and the use of AI to meet individual student needs is a wise choice to go with.

Even traditional hard barriers such as language, or missing underlying core competences can be overcome, either through translators, subtitles or redirection to previous content.

Although we speak of teaching within the classroom, AI can further re-enforce what has been achieved at a later stage. Ask any parent who has struggled to help their teenager with a subject that wasn’t their strong suit, and I’m sure they will welcome any AI system that is able to take over. Some systems will even set our study guides and plans for students, making a daunting task much more manageable, if guidelines are adhered to.

In conclusion, AI in education offers a lot to students. It does not rely on residual knowledge, but provides learners with up to date, timely answers. In some instances, teachers themselves will find themselves in the shoes of a student, revisiting and updating their previously acquired knowledge.

It is through AI systems that teachers have access to a wealth of comprehensive information at their fingertips. This allows them to keep their content fresh and engaging, while still based on their past knowledge. With this concept in mind, the goal to provide a strong knowledge and skill base to the sea of 21st-century students becomes, ever so slightly, more achievable.

DANIEL CARUANA SMITH – head of Senior School, St Edward’s College,  Vittoriosa

We don’t know how to build roads

After heavy rainfall, our country is inundated with large pools of water, which help to deteriorate the roads even further. PHOTO: MATTHEW MIRABELLI

Here in Malta, we do not know how to build roads. The laying down of the asphalt is shoddy, and instead of building the road in a convex manner thus making the rainfall gather down on both sides of the road, we always manage to lay our asphalt in a concave way, with the result of having puddles or ponds in the middle of our roads.

No serious attention is given to the land which requires surfacing. We just go and lay a very dismal sort of surface to our roads, which have never been gauged to the increase in traffic, and as such, the surface cracks up, and potholes are the order of the day. After heavy rainfall, our country is inundated with large pools of water, which help to deteriorate the roads even further.

The latest craze in Malta is to divide the carriageways with what I would define as small Berlin Walls, which are also present in roads which can only have a singular traffic lane. God forbid, if a car breaks down, or there is an accident, nothing can be done, as all the traffic at the back of the breakdown/accident are trapped in this singular lane.

Not only are we an incompetent bunch of road builders, but we also excel in not being able to repair the roads. The shoddiest example of bad roads is when there is an attempt to resurface the road. I blame the government for this because it has not allocated road repairs to the local councils, which is the only entity aware of which roads are in dire need of repair, and have a  better sense of qualifying the finished works.

The government has posters on our highways informing us that it spent €400 million on our roads in three years. I ask, how much of this amount was spent on the Marsa flyovers, and the new roads in Attard?

In order to have decent urban roads to start with we need a sense of cooperation between the Water Services Corporation and Infrastructure Malta. The laying of pipes in the middle of the road must immediately stop, and all pipes must be laid under the pavements.

DAVID DEMAJO – St Julian’s

Thank you from Pakistan 

I would like to inform all benefactors who contributed towards Sr Anna Maria (Carmela) Sammut’s mission in Pakistan that the sum collected amounts to €2,256.50. Sr Sammut, Sisters of Charity of St Jeanne Antide, thanks all benefactors who together with their families, alive or deceased, feature prominently in the Sisters’ community daily prayers. 

THERESA ZAMMIT MARMARÀ – Attard

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