Schools Grapple with Measuring the Impact of AI in Education
Across the nation, schools are delving into the use of AI, yet many face a common challenge: assessing the technology’s impact on students remains elusive. AI’s potential in educational settings is vast, but determining whether it benefits or harms learners is a complex task.
In Dayton, Ohio, one school’s experiment highlights these challenges. The Alternative School at Jackson Center has introduced an AI chatbot named Jordan, designed to engage students by soliciting advice on issues like managing expectations from adults. This initiative aims to prompt students to express their feelings more openly.
A student, known only as N, shared their experience with the AI chatbot. “I feel like a therapist, like I’m actually helping him,” N said, referring to Jordan. The student found common ground with the chatbot, noting, “I’ve been through similar things like Jordan, so it’s – like, it’s easier for me to try to help him get through it.”
Despite N receiving high marks from the chatbot, the difficulty lies in quantifying the chatbot’s effectiveness. Mike Kentz, a consultant involved in the project, expressed, “Every test, every experiment that I try to measure in some sort of concrete way, I can only get as far as perception.”
Robin Lake, from the Center on Reinventing Public Education, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the lack of evidence building in educational innovation. “It’s been frustrating to see that innovation is tackled without a lot of attention to evidence building,” Lake stated.
Lake also pointed out the rapid pace of technological advancements, which often leaves educators overwhelmed. “The technology is moving so quickly. Tools are being produced at such a rapid pace. And everybody is feeling overwhelmed in schools and saying, you know, I don’t know what works,” she noted.
In Wichita, Kansas, educators are cautiously introducing AI tools in schools. Katelyn Schoenhofer, the AI specialist for Wichita Public Schools, explained that students have been exposed to various AI applications, including an AI math tutor and a day dedicated to AI exploration for middle schoolers.
Schoenhofer maintained a cautious yet optimistic stance on AI’s future in education, stating, “We are still going ahead with caution but with optimism with our students because it is something that is going to impact their lives. It is something they need to be educated about.”
Lake advocated for establishing clear guidelines from state and federal levels to ensure these AI experiments can effectively prepare students for a rapidly changing world. She warned, “We will set our kids back from being able to navigate a world that is changing outside of schools faster than we can possibly imagine.”
As educational institutions continue to explore AI’s potential, the challenge remains to develop reliable methods for evaluating its true impact on student learning and development.
