AI is one of the most controversial subjects in education, as it should be. AI is so powerful. I believe should be used throughout education in a useful and positive way. I use AI to generate ideas that I would never think of and allow me to expand on those thoughts. AI is like the know-it-all best friend who can be helpful or ultimately disappointing. We want to utilize our “best friend” without ruining ourselves. Although AI can cause cheating and plagiarism in a student’s education, the use should be balanced because it can be used to direct students, provide new ideas, and develop their thoughts. There is nothing wrong with your ideas being inspired by AI. I remind you, as a reader, to not feel less than or belittled by using AI for inspiration.
New Ideas Where?
AI can be used in education by providing new ideas. AI can gather information from many sources across the internet. I love AI and think it should be implemented in classes, but of course with regulations. I can’t lie, I have many instances where AI has given me information that helped me develop my ideas, but there can be cases where my ideas are mainly due to AI. I wouldn’t say I have been super dependent on AI, but when I have a “study block” or “writer’s block” (especially for the traumatizing thing I call EE), it has helped push me in the right direction. For example, for my history IA, I needed educational sources to support my argument. My argument was very specific so finding sources was difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, I used AI to find sources that relate to my topic specifically. This was really helpful in saving time, as well as it allowed me to further develop my idea. In some instances, it can provide a new perspective that I would not have thought of. When in doubt, we as students should use AI to give a small boost in the right direction.
AI Implemented
To be transparent, I used AI to find inspiration for this article. I can understand the negativity towards AI: “It’s not authentic,” “It leads to cheating.” All of this is true, but with regulations and diligence, AI can do wonderful things, especially with IB. Websites such as RevisionDojo, implement AI, Jojo AI, to help give guidance to students. I have used RevisionDojo during my time studying for my exams. It helps explain concepts, gives examples, and answers questions in an instant. Its ability allowed me and my friends to receive immediate explanations when we were absolutely confused about a practice problem. Unfortunately, that happens more often than not.
Wow so Helpful
Additionally, it can produce diagrams, including— timelines, food webs, pie charts, etc. AI’s 24/7 accessibility allows us to prepare and get help for exams whenever we need it. When I was struggling to understand the timeline of the presidency in the US, I used AI to create a timeline that showed their policies. This was extremely useful and efficient because I was so overwhelmed with trying to study history as there was SO much content.
With AI, I was able to easily receive information and create diagrams that would guide me in the right direction. Of course, take caution with AI because it can gather misinformation and we wouldn’t want that. Not all uses of AI have to retain such a negative connotation. There are so many great uses listed above and more.
Be Responsible
It is important to understand that “with great power, comes great responsibility.” AI is a very serious thing in education and can lead to negative outcomes. I know MOST students have used AI at least ONCE during their education, whether it be finding resources or helping solve problems. It can lead to us as students misusing AI, leading to cheating and the worst outcome of all…plagiarizing. Those are a big NO-NO. We want to avoid that at all costs.
Teachers avidly emphasize that the use of AI can be helpful, however, there is a fine line between gathering information and developing your ideas and plagiarizing the gathered information as your own. Moreover, author, J. Bailey, states that we can become so dependent on AI that it stiffens our critical thinking skills. Although AI can provide quick and beneficial information, it does impede our ability to create our ideas.
Thus, while there is a negative connotation surrounding the use of AI in students’ studying and education in general, due to the potential for cheating and plagiarism, however, the advantages of AI cannot be overlooked. The important aspect of AI is to balance it. (wink wink IB learner’s profile) When we appropriately use AI, it can be such a powerful tool to guide students and ignite creativity. I especially believe you should establish clear regulations with yourself and your use of AI as it can definitely get out of hand. Ultimately, AI should be used to better our abilities and not replace our creativity and hard work entirely. Who wants AI to take all your credit?
References
Bailey, J. (2023, December 20). AI in Education. Education Next. https://www.educationnext.org/a-i-in-education-leap-into-new-era-machine-intelligence-carries-risks-challenges-promises/
