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How Can AI be Used in an Education Setting?

How Can AI be Used in an Education Setting?

Article

Artificial intelligence (AI) may seem complex and intimidating, but it can be a useful educational tool if employed properly. It’s important to remember that AI can’t replace a teacher, but it does offer a number of learning opportunities for students. It’s essential to be able to adapt to a changing world, and knowing how to use AI is a key skill for young people. This article will guide you through the process of integrating these tools in your classroom.

Grade
5-6
| Secondary
1-5
Table of contents

Table of Contents

Integrating AI into Your Teaching Practices

We all know that many of the same digital tools we use in the classroom can also be used for recreational purposes (passively watching videos, for example). The same applies to AI, which can also be used for many different purposes, from education to leisure. It’s essential to teach students how to navigate the different uses of AI so that they can distinguish a relevant use from a less productive or even inappropriate one. Here are three ways AI can be used by young people.
 

AI for FunAI for School: Don’tsAI for School: Do’s
Generate images for social media (memes, avatars, etc.)Do homework with AIGet a more detailed explanation of a concept
Ask questions about your interests (e.g., who is better, Ronaldo or Messi?)Ask AI to write your essayStudy with a practice exam and exercises
Generate immersive role-playing games (examples: Character AI, Snap AI)Generate a summary of a book to avoid having to read itOvercome writer’s block by asking AI to brainstorm ideas

How Can I Use AI Appropriately as a Teacher?

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is a tool that can add value to your practice when it comes to differentiated instruction. It can, for example, simplify the creation of: 

  • Study guides
  • Lesson and activity plans
  • Bilingual media
  • Texts, quizzes, and exercises tailored to the needs of each student
  • Diagrams, illustrations, and tables
  • etc.

A Few Tips for Integrating AI into Your Practices

  • Start exploring it slowly, using the tools you already know.
  • Keep up to date with the latest developments in AI for education, and share your questions and discoveries with colleagues and friends.
  • Bring up the topic of AI usage in meetings with stakeholders and school staff to establish clear guidelines.
  • Consult your school board for information on any legal issues and recommended tools.
  • Set up discussion spaces around critical thinking and intellectual integrity in your class

Comment faire un usage positif de l’IAG en tant qu’enseignant(e)?

L’intelligence artificielle générative ( IAG ) est un outil qui peut avoir une valeur ajoutée dans votre pratique en tant qu’allié de la différenciation pédagogique. Elle peut, par exemple, faciliter votre quotidien dans la création de : 

  • fiches de révision;
  • plans de cours et d’activités;
  • supports bilingues;
  • textes, questionnaires et exercices adaptés aux besoins de chaque élève;
  • schémas, illustrations et tableaux;
  • etc.
Tips and tools

Voici quelques conseils pour intégrer l’IA dans vos pratiques 

  • Commencez à l’explorer progressivement en utilisant les outils que vous connaissez déjà.
  • Faites une veille régulière des derniers développements en IA pour l’éducation et échangez avec vos collègues, puis avec votre entourage afin de partager vos questions ainsi que vos découvertes.
  • Amenez le sujet de l’utilisation de l’IA dans les rencontres des intervenants et du personnel de l’école pour établir des balises claires.
  • Consultez votre centre de services scolaire pour vous renseigner sur les aspects légaux et les outils recommandés.
  • Intégrez des espaces de discussion autour de la pensée critique et de l’intégrité intellectuelle au sein de votre classe.

Using AI to Develop Digital Competencies

AI can do more than make working and studying easier. It can become a powerful lever for developing students’ digital skills. There are two key approaches here: learning about AI and learning with AI. With the former approach, students learn about the ethical issues and biases associated with AI, whereas with the second, they learn to use AI as a versatile tool to help them mobilize their digital literacy. 

Here are just some of the ways you can take advantage of AI to develop digital competencies.

  • Demystifying AI tools 

Help students understand what a chatbot, image generator, or audio transcriber is. Explain how they work so they can be informed users.

  • Exercising Ethical Citizenship in the Digital Age (Dimension 1) 

Discuss the issues of integrity, plagiarism, and citing sources (even for conversations with AI). Also remind your students of the importance of not sharing personal information with AI tools to protect their privacy.

Share tips to help your students question and verify AI-generated information. It’s the perfect opportunity to teach critical thinking. Explain how AI can be used to identify and deconstruct biases in responses, turning a disadvantage into a learning opportunity.

  • Mobilize tools for learning and creativity (Dimensions 3, 6, 7, 12). 

Present different AI-based tools and relate them to these dimensions. Spellcheckers (Antidote, Grammarly) are good examples for the development of Dimension 3. Image generators (Canva, ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney) can be used to enhance communication-oriented projects (Dimension 6) and develop students’ creativity (Dimension 12). Text-to-speech and audio transcription applications are also very practical tools for mobilizing and varying learning (Dimension 3).

Be careful!

Caution! AI for Learning Needs to Be Approached Mindfully!

For artificial intelligence to be a partner in your students’ academic success, it must be used thoughtfully and with guidance. Here are a few tips for successfully integrating it into your classroom:

  • Check your institution’s policies 

Before you start using AI in the classroom, make sure you’re aware of your school or schoolboard’s policies and restrictions on AI use, if any.

  • Complement, not substitute

Propose limits on the use of AI so it is used primarily as a study or revision tool. AI should complement your teaching, not replace it.

  • Fight plagiarism and cheating

Make it clear to students that submitting AI-generated work is a form of plagiarism. This tool can be an assistant, but never a sole author.

  • Model good practices 

Teach your students how to write effective prompts and, above all, how to critically evaluate the quality of the answers they receive.

  • Protect personal data

Remind students never to input personal information into AI tools.

Using Generative AI Ethically and Responsibly

GAI (generative artificial intelligence) in education goes far beyond learning how to use it responsibly. It also raises important issues. The Ministère de l’Éducation has identified five criteria for the ethical and responsible use of GAI in the classroom. The table below describes each of them, along with concrete examples of classroom applications.
 

Ethical Criterion Definition and Challenge Practical Classroom Application Question for Class Reflection
Digital Sobriety

The creation and use of AI consumes large amounts of energy and has an environmental impact (for a single query made to an AI system, the amount of energy required is equivalent to that needed to recharge a smartphone).
The goal is to inform students of the need to use resources responsibly.

 

 Talk to your students about the ecological footprint of digital technology. Take advantage of discussions on AI to address the importance of digital sobriety and informed technological choices. Also mention the importance of maintaining mental and physical well-being by limiting our dependence on GAI. Do I take ecological impacts and impacts on my well-being into account when using GAI tools?
Quality GAI models can generate erroneous and misleading responses (hallucinations). The challenge is to ensure that the information generated is verified. Develop your students’ critical thinking skills by encouraging them to always check the information generated by the GAI. Ask them to check their sources, analyze the responses to identify possible biases, and understand the limitations of the tool. As for images and videos, encourage your students to combat misinformation by identifying fake videos, viral memes, and so on. Have I checked the reliability of the content generated by the GAI?
Equity and Inclusion The GAI must be accessible to all and not reproduce social discrimination. The challenge is to ensure that the GAI does not contribute to widening inequalities. Approach answers provided by GAI with a certain degree of skepticism, taking into account the biases and representativeness of the data. If necessary, you can edit or reformulate responses to ensure equity and inclusion in the classroom. Am I aware of biases and the way certain groups are or are not represented in the content generated by GAI?
Transparency and Explicability Teachers and students are expected to use GAI transparently and report when they use it. The challenge is to remain vigilant, as we have limited knowledge of the intricacies of how GAI works. Some people compare it to a “black box,” since it’s difficult to identify the origin of the data.

Explain how AI works. Explain that GAI uses data and algorithms to generate its answers, but it’s not magic. Teach your students how to cite AI sources (e.g., “image generated by the DALL-E system”). 

Teach your students to use search engines to verify content against other sources. 

 

 Does the content generated by GAI contain facts? If so, how can I check that these facts are correct?
Agency AI should not replace the work of the student or the teacher, but rather support it. The challenge is to maintain autonomy and intellectual honesty, as well as the motivation that comes from accomplishing meaningful tasks. With your students, brainstorm tasks that GAI could help them with. Foster the development of their autonomy by encouraging them to use technical and precise language with the AI without anthropomorphizing it (i.e., attributing human qualities to it or developing sympathy for it). For example, it’s better to say “The AI processed my prompt and generated content” instead of “The IAG understood my prompt and created content”). Does GAI’s assistance allow me to maintain my agency in my practice and devote my time to more meaningful tasks?

 

Additional Resources

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