Michael Zwaagstra: Schools Should Keep AI in Its Proper Place

Commentary

At the dawn of a new school year, the issue of artificial intelligence (AI) looms large. But innovations have always been a part of classroom instruction.

For example, calculators changed the face of math class forever. Kind of.

Before the invention of calculators, all math equations were done manually. Calculators changed things by making it possible to solve complex equations in seconds and often without thinking much about the problem. All you had to do was punch in the correct numbers and—presto—the answer magically popped up on the screen.

Naturally, this led to some debate among teachers. Some thought there was no longer a need for students to memorize math facts including multiplication tables, while others argued that learning basic skills was still important, regardless of whether calculators were available or not.

With the benefit of several decades of hindsight, the evidence is clear that students still should learn basic math facts. While calculators make it possible to solve equations quickly, students who don’t know, by memory, the order of operations, or basic math facts such as multiplication tables, struggle to solve complex equations.

That’s because people have only a limited amount of working memory available at any given time. By committing basic math facts to their long-term memories, students can free up space in their working memories to tackle challenging math questions. In short, it would be a huge mistake to allow students to get away with not mastering important math skills.

Fast-forward to the present challenge of AI. Just as calculators made it easier to solve math equations, AI programs such as ChatGPT can perform research, correct grammar, and even write essays for students in a matter of seconds.

Obviously, this leads to an obvious question: What should schools do about students using AI? Some schools have tried to ban AI entirely while others embrace it as a regular tool just like a pencil or a pen. Simply put, AI creates even more ethical questions and instructional challenges for teachers than calculators ever did when they were first introduced in classrooms.

Rather than bury our collective heads in the sand, we should tackle the problem of AI head on.

One of the most important things we can do is identify which activities are immune to AI’s influence. Frankly, this is why in-person tests and exams are more important than ever. If tests are written with pen and paper under a teacher’s supervision, students will not be able to use AI to formulate answers. Thus, rather than abolish tests and exams, with the advent of AI programs, we must embrace formal tests and exams even more than before. And we must use them more regularly.

As for regular assignments, schools should have students complete as much of their work in class as possible. For assignments that must be completed at home, teachers should design questions that are as “AI-proof” as possible. For example, asking students to answer specific questions about something discussed in class is much better than having them write a generic essay on a famous person’s life.

Teachers will need to redesign assignments so that they cannot be easily completed by AI. Students are naturally inclined to follow the path of least resistance. So it’s important for teachers to make it hard for them to get AI to do their homework. That way, most students will conclude it’s better to do the assignment themselves rather than have AI do it for them.

Finally, it makes good sense to allow students to use AI as a tool on some assignments. Since the technology is already being used by many professionals to make their jobs easier, it’s a good idea to teach students appropriate ways to use it. The key is to ensure that students know the difference between using AI as a resource and using it to cheat on an assignment.

AI is here to stay, but that doesn’t mean schools should let this new technology take over the classroom. The key is to keep AI in its proper place.

Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow with the Fraser Institute.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.