{"id":1215080,"date":"2025-02-07T04:03:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T09:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1215080"},"modified":"2025-02-07T04:03:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T09:03:24","slug":"unescos-international-day-of-education-2025-ai-and-the-future-of-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1215080","title":{"rendered":"UNESCO\u2019s International Day of Education 2025: AI and the future of education"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Recently, our Chief Learning Officer Rachel Arthur and I had the opportunity to attend UNESCO\u2019s International Day of Education 2025<\/a>, which focused on the role of education in helping people \u201cunderstand and steer AI to better ensure that they retain control over this new class of technology and are able to direct it towards desired objectives that respect human rights and advance progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals\u201d.<\/p>\n

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How teachers continue to play a vital role in the future of education<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Throughout the event, a clear message from UNESCO was that teachers have a very important role to play in the future of education systems, regardless of the advances in technology \u2014 a message I find very reassuring. However, as with any good-quality debate, the sessions also reflected a range of other opinions and approaches, which should be listened to and discussed too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With this in mind, I was interested to hear a talk by a school leader from England who is piloting the first \u201cteacherless\u201d classroom. They are trialling a programme with twenty Year 10 students (ages 14\u201315), using an AI tool developed in-house. This tool is trained on eight existing learning platforms, pulling content and tailoring the learning experience based on regular assessments. The students work independently using an AI tool in the morning, supported by a learning mentor in the classroom, while afternoons focus on developing \u201csofter skills\u201d. The school believes this approach will allow students to complete their GCSE exams in just one year instead of two, seeing it as a solution to the years of lost learning caused by lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

Whilst they were reporting early success in this approach, what occurred to me during the talk was the question of how we can decide if this approach is the right one. The results might sound attractive to school leaders, but do we need a more rounded view of what education should look like? Whatever your views on the purpose of schools, I suspect most people would agree that they serve a much greater purpose than just achieving the top results.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whilst AI tools may be able to provide personalised learning experiences, it is crucial to consider the role of teachers in young people\u2019s education. If we listed the skills required for a teacher to do their job effectively, I believe we would all reach the same conclusion: teachers play a pivotal role in a young person\u2019s life \u2014 one that definitely goes beyond getting the best exam results. According to the Educational Endowment Foundation, high-quality teaching is the most important lever schools have on pupil outcomes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cQuality education demands quality educators\u201d \u2013 Farida Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Also, at this stage in AI adoption, can we be sure that this use of AI tools isn\u2019t disadvantageous to any students? We know that machine learning models generate biased results, but I\u2019m not aware of research showing that these systems are fair to all students and do not disadvantage any demographic. An argument levelled against this point is that teachers can also be biased. Aside from the fact that systems have a potentially much larger impact on more students than any individual teacher, I worry that this argument leads to us accepting machine bias, rather than expecting the highest of standards. It is essential that providers of any educational software that processes student data adhere to the principles of fairness, accountability, transparency, privacy, and security (FATPS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How can the agency of teachers be cultivated in AI adoption?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We are undeniably at a very early stage of a changing education landscape because of AI, and an important question is how teachers can be supported.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cEducation has a foundational role to play in helping individuals and groups determine what tasks should be outsourced to AI and what tasks need to remain firmly in human hands.\u201d \u2013 UNESCO<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I was delighted to have been invited to be part of a panel at the event discussing how the agency of teachers can be cultivated in AI adoption. The panel consisted of people with different views and expertise, but importantly, included a classroom teacher, emphasising the importance of listening to educators and not making decisions on their behalf without them. As someone who works primarily on AI literacy education<\/a>, my talk was centred around my belief that AI literacy education for teachers<\/a> is of paramount importance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Having a basic understanding of how data-driven systems work will empower teachers to think critically and become discerning users, making conscious choices about which tools to use and for what purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, while attending the Bett education technology exhibition recently, I was struck by the prevalence of education products that included the use of AI. With ever more options available, we need teachers to be able to make informed choices about which products will benefit and not harm their students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cTeachers urgently need to be empowered to better understand the technical, ethical and pedagogical dimensions of AI.\u201d \u2013 Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO, AI competency framework for teachers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A very interesting paper<\/a> released recently showed that individuals with lower AI literacy levels are more receptive towards AI-powered products and services. In short, people with higher literacy levels are more aware of the capabilities and limitations of AI systems. Perhaps this doesn\u2019t mean that people with higher AI literacy levels see all AI tools as \u2018bad\u2019, but maybe that they are more able to think critically about the tools and make informed choices about their use.\u00a0<\/p>\n

UN Special Rapporteur highlights urgent education challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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For me, the most powerful talk of the day came from Farida Shaheed, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education. I would urge anyone to listen to it (a recording is available on YouTube<\/a> \u2014 the talk begins around 2:16:00).\u00a0<\/p>\n

The talk included many facts that helped to frame some of the challenges we are facing. Ms Shaheed stated that \u201c29% of all schools lack access to basic drinking water, without which education is not possible\u201d. This is a sobering thought, particularly when there is a growing narrative that AI systems have the potential to democratise education.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When speaking about the AI tools being developed for education, Ms Shaheed questioned who the tools are for: \u201cIt\u2019s telling that [so very few edtech tools] are developed for teachers. [\u2026] Is this just because teachers are a far smaller client base or is it a desire to automate teachers out of the equation?\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure if I know the answer to this question, but it speaks to my worry that the motivation for tech development does not prioritise taking a human-centred approach. We have to remember that as consumers, we do have more power than we think. If we do not want a future where AI tools are replacing teachers, then we need to make sure that there is not a demand for those tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The conference was a fantastic event to be part of, as it was an opportunity to listen to such a diverse range of perspectives. Certainly, we are facing challenges, but equally, it is both reassuring and exciting to know that so many people across the globe are working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for future generations. Ms Shaheed\u2019s concluding message resonated strongly with me:<\/p>\n

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\u201c[Share good practices], so we can all move together in a co-creative process that is inclusive of everybody and does not leave anyone behind.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As always, we\u2019d love to hear your views \u2014 you can contact us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The post UNESCO\u2019s International Day of Education 2025: AI and the future of education<\/a> appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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