Artificial intelligence can benefit all teachers – but it must be tailored to each school and success hinges on every member of staff receiving training in AI.
That is the view of Baz Nijjar, vice-president of education technology and digital innovation at international schools group GEMS Education, who is responsible for training teachers and leaders in AI.
Nijjar, who began his career as a computer science teacher in England before filling various leadership roles, spoke to Tes as GEMS prepares to open a school in Dubai in August where AI will immediately play a pivotal role.
Its School of Research and Innovation will train staff and students in AI from the start – GEMS will be supported in this by Microsoft, having signed an agreement with the tech giant – but Nijjar has shared what he sees as key principles around AI for all schools, regardless of setting or circumstances.
“Everybody’s going to be trained on this digital ecosystem from the first day,” he says, in the belief that training for all staff is fundamental to getting the most out of AI.
Avoid rushed approaches to AI
Yet, while Nijjar believes that schools cannot put off engaging with AI, he stresses that they should not be hasty.
“The main advice is not just to jump into any decision making without there being the proper evaluation – first of all, see what tools are out there and what they can be utilised for,” he says.
A school’s implementation plan for AI should fit around the priorities of the school and where it will have the “most impact”, perhaps even involving highly specific approaches at the “granular level” of individual subject departments.
He adds that schools should “ensure that everybody has access to different types of training, different types of workshops…all revolving around what your school improvement plan or school needs are”.
Training should involve students and parents, not only teachers, he stresses.
AI could be “linked to all of the key data points that we will require from a student’s educational and holistic journey through the school”, says Nijjar. An AI app could, for example, instantly show “how my student has performed this week or give me a summary of their progress in a specific subject”.
Teachers, therefore, would not have to go through the often laborious process of seeking out such information from other teachers or admin staff.
“You’re utilising AI to try and get those low-hanging fruit,” he says.
AI offers schools the prospect of an educational “ecosystem” that focuses on “enhancing communication, enhancing access to information, enhancing the opportunity to progress through the curriculum”.
Not all AI has the same value
A common pitfall, says Nijjar, is failing to realise that some AI tools may be far less effective than others.
“Not all tools will have the same quality of infrastructure and not all tools will meet your needs in the same way,” he adds.
Schools, then, should evaluate each AI tool they are considering using, rather than just adopting it because they have seen it used in other schools. Even if an AI tool is proving successful in one setting, says Nijjar, it may not be something that fits with another school’s improvement plan.
“AI isn’t the solution to all but if you evaluate it properly, and you integrate it effectively and efficiently, then it can have a positive impact,” says Nijjar.
It should be “woven into” curriculum planning and school strategy, “not just an add-on”.
Impact on teacher workload
AI has been talked up as a way of slashing teachers’ workload – but Nijjar stresses that this is not guaranteed.
“If you use it effectively…then of course it can reduce workload, it can reduce your admin time,” he says.
However, if a teacher uses an AI tool without giving much thought to how it can be adapted to their circumstances, “it’s not going to really make that much of a difference”.
In contrast, if a teacher takes care to “create the right prompts and the right kind of inputs” it could help them personalise resources for 30 students within minutes, he says, rather than taking many hours.
In short, handled correctly, AI can allow teachers to “truly personalise the provision for each and every child”.
Supporting teachers, not replacing them
On the existential question of what AI means for the role of teachers, Nijjar does not believe they will be replaced – but he says that people in all professions will have to move with the times.
“What it will replace is those who don’t utilise AI effectively,” he adds.
Teachers “need to experiment” with AI, says Nijjar, and even teachers who lack confidence about using AI “don’t need to be afraid or hesitant – you can learn at your own pace”; it is more important that someone is a good teacher in the first place.
“If you feel you’re very competent, if you’ve been teaching history for 30 years, you know the curriculum inside out – then train that [AI] model to support you with your planning.” Do this well, he says, and it will save teachers time and also benefit students.
As Nijjar puts it: “I personally don’t think it’s about replacing teachers – but about enhancing and improving student-related learning outcomes.”
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