Elevating student voice: What do students think about AI in the classroom?
Artificial intelligence has entered the chat… Or should we say classroom?
With the new school year on the horizon, many educators are wondering what role artificial intelligence will play in their classrooms and how it will impact students’ learning. The rules surrounding AI aren’t yet defined and we’ve previously talked about how AI is revolutionizing students’ (and adults’) lives.
Larry Ferlazzo, an English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California, and an Opinion Contributor for EdWeek, huddled up with his students to find out what they think about AI in the classroom. We’re all about elevating student voices, so this week we are highlighting these opinions and what they mean for the future of education.
Students’ take on AI in the classroom
In a two-week unit on artificial intelligence, Ferlazzo asked his students, “What impact do you think generative AI might have on schools and the way people learn.”
Check out what students had to say below:
It’s unreliable:
Student Take: “Generative AI was made to aid humans, hence its ability to perform human-like tasks. A way these AIs can assist students is by giving inspiration for assignments regarding writing and art. The “help” provided by generative AI can negatively affect schools and how people learn because of the false information, chatbots specifically, are known to give out.” – Bo, a rising Senior
TSI Tip: Students are discovering that AI isn’t flawless, making students more hesitant to trust and rely on AI for accurate information. By teaching students how to spot misinformation and engage in fact-checking, educators can equip them with the tools to navigate the world of AI confidently. This approach fosters a healthy skepticism and empowers students to make informed decisions and reliable conclusions. Find out how to stop the spread of misinformation here!
It’s biased:
Student Take: “I think that the impact that generative AI might have on schools is that it can narrow down the learning and perspectives that the students might have. For example, when we used most AI generators for images, we saw that it was very biased and only showed a certain group of people when talking about certain topics.” – Karol, a rising Senior
TSI Tip: Educators can empower students by promoting diversity and inclusivity in their teaching practices. Karol’s observation about the potential bias in generative AI highlights the importance of exposing students to a wide range of perspectives and representations. Educators can foster an inclusive learning environment by incorporating diverse materials, resources, and voices into their curriculum. Find out what else students have to say about their desire for more authenticity and diverse content here.
A source of inspiration
Student Take: “The impact I believe generative AI might have on schools and the way people learn is creating a new era of knowledge revolving around inspiration. Generative AI is able to provide all sorts of ideas and automated answers to questions which can take the load off of students. However, not all automated answers are correct; this will call for the student to double-check sources and scrap the AI’s response into their own.” – Alex, a rising Senior
TSI Tip: Students can use AI to find inspiration, and ask questions relating to project ideas, essay topics, artwork, and more. But it is important for students to see AI content as more of a suggestion rather than a definite answer. By instilling the value of critical thinking and originality, educators can help students strike a balance between leveraging the benefits of AI and maintaining their own creativity. Empower your students to navigate ChatGPT and other AI platforms in high-characters ways through our platform playbook.
Neither good nor bad:
Student Take: “Generative AI has both a positive and negative impact on schools and the way people learn. Tools such as these can benefit people in working more efficiently and also checking one’s work. Although these AIs help people work more efficiently, the work is not always held to a high standard nor is it always correct. Many times tools like these makeup work that is not even real.” – Adeline and Naxiely, rising Seniors
TSI Tip: While AI tools can enhance efficiency and assist in checking work, they can also raise concerns regarding the accuracy and integrity of assignments. Empower your students to play to their core values when turning in assignments and using social media and tech and find out how you can help your students navigate AI as cheating detection software remains imperfect.
Technology will only continue to evolve and play an ever-growing role in students’ lives. This makes it more important than ever to ensure that students have the skills to use AI effectively, positively, and efficiently. By empowering student voices, we can better understand their needs and perspectives. Instead of ignoring or avoiding the rapid changes in education technology, it is crucial that we empower and equip students to navigate tech to their advantage and develop the skills they need to thrive in their digital world.
TSI’s Take
Here at The Social Institute, we provide the resources to prepare, support, and guide students, educators, and families to navigate their worlds, both online and offline, in positive, high-character ways. Educators play a critical role in empowering students to develop the skills they need to practice positive AI and tech use.
When used positively, technology can create an effective and engaging learning environment for students. In our #WinAtSocial LIVE Lesson: Breaking down ChatGPT and the role of artificial intelligence in our lives, students learn practical tips on using AI platforms ethically and effectively. Read these blogs to learn about the trending AI tools that students are using to fuel their health, happiness, and future success and the ed-tech tools you can bring to the classroom to support students.
If you’re interested in hearing directly from students about how social media and tech like AI are impacting their lives, register for our upcoming webinar.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.