"AI is a great opportunity for personalised learning"
Inspiring BIS City Talk on the hot topic of AI in the classroom
The BIS City Talk focussed on a highly exciting topic: "AI in education: empowering tomorrow's digital citizens". It’s no wonder that the sixth Bavarian International School's (BIS) public expert forum attracted more guests than ever before. With Tristan Post (AI Founders & TUM), Dr Diana Knodel (fobizz & App Camps), Isabell Fries (expert in Future Work and Human Machine Interaction) and Dr Chrissie Sorenson (BIS Head of School), the panel was top-class.
What are the opportunities and risks of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom? How will AI change schools? What future skills will students need in a rapidly changing world? All these questions were passionately discussed by the speakers at the BIS City Campus, with great involvement of the enthusiastic audience, moderated by TV presenter Nina Eichinger.
In summary, the most important seven headlines of the evening were:
=> No future education without AI. AI is not a fleeting trend, it is here to stay and will continue to improve. We are only at the beginning of a long journey of change, but schools should approach the technology critically but with an open mindset. "The IB is excited by the opportunities that these tools bring to education to enhance learning experiences," states the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IB).
=> AI offers great opportunities for personalised learning, customised as in the Netflix algorithm, and can therefore maximise learning and teaching potential.
=> AI can relieve teachers of administrative and planning tasks, which in turn gives them more freedom to focus on their core task: working directly with students.
=> AI can lead to greater equality, as the technology can be used regardless of location, time or social background.
=> Teaching soft/human skills plays a decisive role in a school of the future.
=> “AI won’t replace humans – but humans with AI will replace humans without AI.” (Harvard Business Review)
=> Last but not least: Bavarian International School (BIS) is well prepared for the integration of AI into the school and, as an educational frontrunner, is already in the midst of learning, testing and implementation.
In his keynote, AI expert and TUM lecturer Tristan Post emphasised that AI will not replace teachers, but will change the role of the teacher to become more of a learning facilitator. Personalisation, as with Netflix, is a huge opportunity.
“AI won´t replace teachers”
Dr Diana Knodel from Hamburg, EdTech entrepreneur and founder of fobizz and App Camps, added that we should get used to AI becoming a normal part of education, just as it is normal to have electricity everywhere. Teachers' openness to AI will change dramatically when they see how much time it saves them. "AI won't replace teachers, but it will relieve their workload significantly," says Dr Diana Knodel.
Human skills are key
Future Work expert Isabell Fries, who researched human-machine interaction at the University of Cambridge, focussed on the change in skills: "Critical thinking will be more important than ever before, because disinformation, propaganda and fake news are among the greatest risks facing the world. For this reason, we need to strengthen human skills, empathy, using our hearts and the four big C's: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication."
This approach was supported by Dr Chrissie Sorenson, Head of School at BIS. Teaching future skills or human skills plays a key role in the International Baccalaureate and especially at BIS. A clear value system provides a binding compass for all members of the community. And the school director adds: "The genuine, deep personal relationships between teachers and students will continue to play a decisive role. This is where true personalised education takes place, but it can be supported by AI."
Critical reflection and responsibility
It was clear from all the statements and discussions that the new technology should be approached with a curious but critical mindset. We need to be aware of the risks and, above all, learn how to use AI responsibly, ethically and critically. In his closing remarks, Tristan Post quoted the Director of the London School of Economics, Minouche Shafik: "In the past, jobs were about muscles, now they're about brains, but in the future they'll be about the heart."
