Opening a Black Box

The idea of AI is something relatively new to me. This topic has piqued my interest in how it can be used in education, and I question what the implications are of using AI within an educational setting. This blog will touch upon AI and its most recent impact on learning design.

The presentation 'AI and Learning Design in Education' (2023) included various panellists from different education sectors and discussed AI's impact. Clint Lalonde (as cited in Royal Roads University, 2023) called AI and ChatGPT a "black box" (14:59) and asked how we can understand what is going on within the box if we cannot see what it is inside. How is the technology getting the information it is, and what is it doing with the information we put in it? How can we use this technology in an ethical manner and without worrying about how students are using the technology?

While there are many questions when it comes to AI and how it can work within an educational setting, Hadley (as cited in Royal Roads University, 2023) mentions that there is a silver lining (24:57). That is, we can embrace this technology instead of trying to ban students from exploring it and flip what is being assessed. I agree with trying to find ways to incorporate it into the classroom. There is much potential for good when using AI, which can enhance student learning in various ways. That is not to say that students should be allowed to use it to complete assignments, but instead, use AI in terms of helping the learning process. Moreover, it is important to note that AI should be used in an exploratory manner and help make learning meaningful. The way to flip assignments and embrace the use of AI could involve multi-layered assignments. Discussing multi-staged assessments reminded me of when I completed my internship in a grade 5 class. There was never an assignment with only one part; there were always various steps needed to complete it. If we were to stick to this type of assessment, I think that this would help teachers integrate AI during one of the steps that helps the students learn but, at the same time, does not impact the educator's learning goal.

The use of AI was compared to using a calculator in math (Wilson, as cited in Royal Roads University, 2023, 27:56) in that a calculator is a tool, but you still need the background knowledge to understand what you are doing. Thus, we, too, can use AI as a learning tool, but we must still be mindful that AI cannot do everything for us. We must still be able to explore, research and do things independently; we cannot learn if we have a machine do it for us. This is where the concern about the use of AI comes in.

Some valid concerns were brought up about how the use of AI can impact the cognitive development of children and adolescents the more AI is used when it comes to writing (Webster, as cited in Royal Roads University, 2023, 52:10). I cannot help but compare this to when cell phones became smartphones and the worry about students not knowing how to spell because of the use of shortened abbreviated words, or the use of spellcheck. Suppose we keep an open conversation with the students and set boundaries from the beginning. In that case, we can minimize the negative impact AI may have in the future on these essential skills, like writing.

In the end, this panel has taught me a lot and allowed me to reflect upon the positive impact of AI and concerns about using it. AI in education is an ongoing conversation that is constantly evolving. Suppose we are open to having these conversations. In that case, I optimistically believe that we will one day find a way to open this black box and explore what is going on inside as we continue to gain a better understanding of the use of AI in education. 

Royal Roads University. (2023, March 7). AI and Learning Design in Education . YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFrAs59sDHI