Berlin. Type texts at lightning speed and view answers on your cell phone in just seconds: this is now possible with ChatGPT and Co. New technology poses challenges for schools, because it has some potential for cheating. However, the majority of teens and young adults see AI as an opportunity – and they also use corresponding tools in the classroom, a current survey shows. The first federal state has now announced that it wants to develop its own tool.
In most schools, the subject of artificial intelligence is barely structured. This is demonstrated by the representative “Leaders of Change” survey conducted by Vodafon, in which Infratest Dimap surveyed 1,590 young people between the ages of 14 and 20. Only 17% of those surveyed said that the use of AI is allowed in their schools and that there are rules about it. Otherwise, according to the survey, how this issue is dealt with depends on individual teachers (38 percent). 38 percent of those surveyed also said that the use of AI was not yet a problem in their school.
This is a sobering result, as the majority of young people (69%) assume that good knowledge of AI will be important for their future career. 67% also expect teaching to change within the next five years at the latest. 89% of 14- to 20-year-olds said they would primarily use AI to help them search for information, and 58% are already using it for this purpose. 58% of those surveyed also want the use of AI applications to become an integral part of teaching.
When asked whether they considered the use of artificial intelligence in schools to be an opportunity or a risk, 73% responded with “more than” or “definitely” an opportunity, while only 27% saw it as a risk.
Artificial intelligence is not a magic solution
The discussion around the technology gained momentum when the ChatGPT chatbot was made live for the general public in November 2022. Since then, there has been discussion in the education sector about how it could transform learning. Because software such as ChatGPT can be used to create lectures, homework assignments, text explanations at lightning speed, or to solve mathematics assignments, there are concerns about negative effects on learning behavior and development of students' judgment.
Despite the overall positive attitude towards the subject, young people are also aware of potential drawbacks: more than half (57 percent) fear their performance will be indistinguishable from that of AI, and around one in two (49 percent) see the risk of unlearning itself by Use of artificial intelligence tools. One in three respondents (34 percent) expressed concern that cheating would no longer be detected.
“AI tools are great at helping us organize complex topics, but they do not replace human discourse or social and emotional interaction in the learning process. A constructive and critical approach to intelligence Artificial technology makes it possible to use this technology in a balanced and purposeful way in the educational sector.” He recommends that teachers view technologies not so much as a panacea but as a new type of tool that can support and enrich the learning process.
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“Dynamic development imposes special requirements on teachers.”
Education is still looking for common answers on how to use ChatGPT and Co. In teaching and how artificial intelligence technologies will change teaching and learning in general. At the end of January, the Standing Scientific Committee of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (SWK) published proposals for dealing with AI in schools (as mentioned). Educational researchers at SWK are also convinced that the right tools can be useful for teaching – if the conditions are right. Skillful use of AI tools should be practiced and experienced by students as a new learning goal. Teachers must be qualified accordingly. “The dynamic evolution of tools imposes special demands on teachers,” the paper says.
SWK also cites “technological, ethical and legal issues” that question its legal use in schools. Therefore, the demand for educational policy is to integrate AI tools into appropriate learning platforms. All learners and teachers should be given access to these tools for free or at low cost. “Technological progress should not lead to greater social inequality, but opportunities should be available to all,” stressed the Chair of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), Saarland State Education Minister Christine Streichert-Klevot (SPD), in a statement. “.
The Ministry of Culture plans to use the AI tool in Saxon schools
The Saxon Ministry of Culture has announced the first steps in this direction. The ministry announced that a new artificial intelligence tool should be made available to teachers before the start of the 2024/25 school year. The tool should initially support the creation of texts and later also images. Assignments can be created using AI, making lesson preparation, implementation and follow-up easier. “More training courses for teachers are also being prepared to support the introduction of the tool,” the statement continued. Questions still need to be clarified regarding the specific technical implementation, financing and data protection requirements.
The Education and Science Union (GEW) has repeatedly criticized the lack of data protection compliant offers for schools. “Teachers and schools have to take care of it themselves, and if there are doubts, they also bear the risks,” said Burkhard Naumann, state head of GEW in Saxony. Naumann refuses to shift the challenges of digitalization onto teachers: “Politicians must also do their homework and create the right framework conditions for this.”
The Bitcom Digital Association has also warned in the past that the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs is required to present a common concept for implementing AI in teaching as quickly as possible – including a funding model for obtaining licenses for digital teaching and learning content. Although most federal states have already published guidelines for the use of AI in teaching, a common approach is needed.
According to KMK, the goal is to fundamentally promote the use of AI across countries. To this end, the countries want to “agree on a common framework this year and take common paths through the concrete integration of artificial intelligence into school educational processes.” The Ministry of Education of North Rhine-Westphalia has led the working group “Artificial Intelligence in Schools”. The North Rhine-Westphalia state school ministry said at the beginning of the year that the recommendations were currently under development. News4teachers with materials from EPA
Artificial intelligence as a “Socratic dialogue partner”: How chatbots can be used for learning
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