This UNESCO report on AI and the future of education consists of a collection of short articles from a range of academics. The report has 8 sections, following a introductory chapter on ' reclaiming education's public purpose through dialogue'. This chapter sets the scene and focus of the report, bringing in the humanistic emphasis required to meet the challenges and disruptions caused by the rapid arrival and uptake of AI. Chapter summaries are also presented. The full text is available on the website with hard copies available on request from UNESCO.
Following on, the sections are:
- AI futures in education - Philosophical provocations - has 3 chapters. As the section title implies, these discuss the implications of AI on education.
The first chapter by B. Akomolafe stressed the need to go beyond using AI as a tool but as something that will shift both the ontological and the epistemological foundations of education.
- Debating the powers and perils of AI - with 3 chapters.
Both chapters - the first by A. Horn and the second by E.M. Bender, focus on the importance of teachers work and the need to ensure that there is investment in teacher education / professional development and to support their work with adequate and clear policies to guide their practice.
- AI pedagogies, assessment and emerging educational futures - 5 relevant chapters.
All the chapter in this section, are useful for reading for all educators. A. Birhane begins with laying out the limits and and inherent dangers underlying the integration of AI into education.
C.Aerts and followed on by P. Prinsloo write on AI's promise for adaptive and personalised education. There are many advantages but also inherent challenges which all educators need to be wary of.
Then M. Perkins and J. Roe and the following chapter by B. Cope, M. Kalantzis and A. K. Saini address the issues of Gen AI and assessments.
- Revaluing and recentring human teachers - with 2 chapters.
In this section, the discussions from the previous sections are reinforced. There is great importance in ensuring teachers attain AI literacies to guide their work in an informed approach.
- Ethics and governance imperatives for AI futures in education - 2 chapters.
As always with AI ethics must be front and centre to inform evaluation, implementation and practice.
- Confronting coded inequalities in education has 5 chapters discussing this issue.
The chapters in this section, argue for the need to be wary and to ensure that AI does not need to furthering the divide between the haves and haves not. The role of education in ameliorating the current private/capitalists AI push is presented. AI can assist with increasing inclusivity but it needs to be used in a planned and informed manner.
- Reimagining AI in educational policy: Evidence and geopolitical realities with 2 chapters.
Two think pieces, one from G. Siemens and the other from I. Toumi, both respected researchers and leaders in the educational technology field. Both warn of the moves by nations to harness AI for political and economic power and the importance of educators, education policy makers etc. in ensuring that AI is equitably availed and used for the common good of humanity. Some sobering thoughts in these two chapters :(
The report closes with a brief conclusion.
The report provides a 'state of the play' and collates the perspectives and thoughts of many of the thinkers in education, especially those who research in the educational technology space. Some of the chapters are speculative but the discussions are required for educators to dwell deeply into the consequences of engaging or not engaging with AI. In all, a worthwhile read.
As a accompaniment, here is a blog post by Carlo Iacono, on 'Inside the University 2030? a 'design fiction' piece describing how AI, as a partner for learners, makes many far-reaching changes to how teaching and learning occurs in the universities of very near future.
How things play out, remains to be seen but the pace of change is rapid, and keeping up with potential and possibilities for AI to support learning (rather than to replace it) remains a pragmatic way forward.
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