2023-09-02 12:41:10
“Write a 15-paragraph text as if you were an expert historian on the Falklands War”. Enter. “Create a presentation on the main geographical features of Patagonia as if you were in the last years of high school”. Enter.
That’s how easy are the instructions that can be asked of an artificial intelligence tool so that in seconds -yes, seconds- it performs the task. In the jargon, these requests are called “prompts” and they have many advantages: they are easy to formulate, with narrative explanations and in the vocabulary that we ask for. They are conversational chats that offer answers to everything.
In the year of greatest explosion of technology called “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) and the popularity of tools such as ChatGPT or Midjouney, it is fair that we then wonder regarding its potential and how it will change our lives. Starting with the youngest.
How can kids use AI tools at school? should they enter the classrooms? Is it beneficial for them that they have at their fingertips the answer to all the questions in an app? The questions are many.
It is worth clarifying that it is a technology that is already among us in multiple ways, even behind application algorithms that we use daily, such as movie and series recommendation systems on streaming platforms or on product shopping sites.
A recent study published by Chicos.net, an organization that has been analyzing childhood and adolescence in digital environments for 25 years, states among its conclusions that “although AI has been a widely publicized topic in the media, in general it has not been addressed in the schools. Adolescents acknowledge that AI might help them with homework, but they value human learning and the role of the school in their formation. They expect guidance and criteria for use from the school in this regard”.
Recall that, earlier this year, New York City banned the use of ChatGPT in public schools “due to concerns regarding negative impacts on learning,” authorities argued at the time. The truth is that this decision does not discourage its use among students, which is why, a few months later, the measure was lifted.
From EZ Generation We consulted Ana Clara Genta, specialist in digital education at Chicos.net and responsible for HumanIA, a project to work teaching and artificial intelligence in secondary school. From his perspective and following the training work he does with teachers, he stresses the importance of a critical look and experimentation with the tools.
“There are still no definitive conclusions. We’re just thinking regarding how to add this technology to classroom work. Far from forbidding or taking the tools uncritically, we are in a process of starting to experiment, daring to try. Teachers recognize that their students are already using artificial intelligence to solve different assignments that they themselves do in the classroom, for the resolution of practical work, for example. So what we propose to them is that they add AI tools to their own proposals. Do not stay with the first response offered by ChatGPT, which is generally quite poor”, explained Genta.
An important part of the incorporation of artificial intelligence in the classroom is the training of teachers in this technology, the knowledge of the tools that exist, and which are the ones that the students themselves use. Then there is the stage of incorporation into the daily tasks of the student to then think regarding their evaluation. But is it possible to think of an evaluation?
“We propose a perspective thought of in the work processes, not so much in the results”, highlights Genta regarding the view that HumanIA has in this regard. “From there, with the teachers, to be able to evaluate the development of skills that are put into play in relation to technology in the work process. Skills of what we call ‘critical digital literacy’. That is, to train boys and girls in skills to be critical, responsible, reflective users and creators of technology.”
A first possible conclusion then is that the human factor is key. Both HumanIA and UNESCO, in their report “on artificial intelligence and education”, highlight it. Artificial intelligence “offers opportunities to support teachers in their educational and pedagogical responsibilities, human interaction and collaboration between teachers and learners must continue to occupy an essential place in education. Keep in mind that teachers cannot be displaced by machinesand ensure that their rights and working conditions are protected”.
Let’s ask ChatGPT and see what it says. “It is important to note that while ChatGPT has great potential for education, it should not completely replace human interaction in classrooms. It should be used as a complementary tool to enrich the learning experience and provide additional support to students and educators.”
free training
HumanIA offers free 2-hour meetings for teachers. The idea of the meetings is that they are active moments, in groups, to learn regarding the available tools. Debates are held among the attendees, experiments with artificial intelligence research fields, among other activities.
– To participate, it is necessary to register from the website and, for the moment, there are two dates available: September 6 and October 18.
– Registration at Chicos.net/HumanIA.
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