5 Ways AI is Taking Over Learning
Author: Maurice Griffiths
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic that has been on the lips of almost everyone for half a decade. Its contribution to society has played a pivotal role in transforming our daily lives, particularly in the area of education, training and development. This wonderful little technological revolution has burst onto the education industry, and with it, brand new ways to look at how we develop skills as well as how we gather knowledge. Here are 5 ways AI is taking over learning.
- 1 Automation of Tasks
Ask any trainer, fulfilling administrative duties can be manageable but also tedious. Companies that use AI will note that automating administrative tasks saves a lot of time. At itel, we use a speech analytics tool so trainers spend less time evaluating calls. Instead, they can focus on one-on-one development sessions with trainees. We can expect more of this from AI as software providers are coming up with better ways of evaluating assessments so that learning and development can be rewarding for the trainer and the trainee.
- 2 The Personalization of Learning
Similar to the personalized recommendations on Netflix, the same tactic has been transferred to educational systems and is now being used to curate content for learners. What this simply means is that AI can assess the learning styles and patterns of individuals and provide content that matches those individual styles and patterns while not sacrificing the quality of or the intended purpose of the content itself. Additionally, it pushes content to learners based on their problem area identified through coaching sessions or evaluations. At itel, we make daily use of this through platforms that allow us to provide content to our learners based on individual evaluations of their customer interactions.
- 3 Cost Efficiency
AI must have a hefty price tag, right? Wrong. The truth is, new technologies come with upfront expenses for installation and training. But eventually, these costs become negligible. Technology gets cheaper over time and so do the components. A study published by eSchool News indicates that by 2021, the application of AI in education and learning will be increased by 47.5% which could see an increase in Return on Expectations for learning plans created with AI in mind.
- 4 Smart Content
Imagine a world where robots can create digital content with the same degree of grammatical prowess as their human counterparts. The truth is technology has already reached the classroom. Through specialized training and learning interfaces, AI has helped to customize learning for learners of all age ranges. There are tools that condense textbook content into digestible study guides for learners, and others that allow educators to design digital curricula and content across a variety of devices. Virtual content such as digital lectures and video conferences are also a reality now thanks to AI.
- 5 Development of Learning Environments
There already exists virtual human guides and facilitators that can think, act and react with humans by using gesture recognition technology in a natural way, responding to both verbal and nonverbal cues. A more digital learning environment is also becoming a reality through institutions, such as the University of Southern California (USC) Institute for Creative Technologies, who are developing smart virtual environments and platforms. They use AI, 3-D gaming and computer animation to create real virtual characters and social interactions. This initiative includes more than virtual facilitators as augmented reality may soon be part of the classroom as well.
