#278 - AI as a Tool for Equity of Learning

Continuing our miniseries on AI in education with the fourth episode centred around a AI's potential for equity of learning, host Professor Rose Luckin is joined by Richard Culatta of ISTE, Professor Sugata Mitra, and Emily Murphy of Nord Anglia Education.  This episode and our series are generously sponsored by Nord Anglia Education.

In our fourth instalment of this valuable series, we look at AI’s potential to address various challenges and bridge the educational gaps that exist among different groups of students around the world.  AI can analyse vast amounts of data, provide early interventions, and enhance accessibility, and as long as the deployment of the technology is appropriate to the unique context of the school, the learners, the location, and the access to devices, AI can transform education for those who need the most support.

Guests:

• Professor Sugata Mitra, Author/Professor of Educational Technology, Newcastle University
• Emily Murphy, Senior PD Lead, DNA Metacognition Project, Nord Anglia Education
• Richard Culatta, CEO, ISTE

Talking points and questions include: 

• What do we mean by equity of learning, and how can we understand context?  Is there a danger that AI will simply be used to reinforce or replace existing conventional methods of assessing learning, despite what it's great potential?
• What needs to fall into place for AI to be the promise for education we know it could be?
• What needs to happen to have AI be the magic bullet for equity of learning from a teacher and headteacher perspective?  If the technology is there, and it has the potential it has, how can teachers build on that? 
• How have different practices and innovations in the classroom been adopted and rejected… is AI going to succeed where other initiatives and technologies have either failed to be adopted, or plateaued and fallen by the wayside?  How is AI different?
• How do we talk about getting school infrastructure in place to use AI?
• How we do we convince educationalists, and the budget holders and local governance that AI and other emerging technologies are worth their investment?
• There is some understandable fear about revolutionary technology disrupting existing practice in the classroom, but are we underestimating our students and teachers?