As we celebrate International Day of Education 2025 on 24th January, the theme of “AI and Education: Human Agency in an Automated World” (1) underscores a critical juncture in the evolution of learning. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming various sectors, and education is no exception. While AI offers immense potential to personalize learning experiences and enhance educational outcomes, it is crucial to maintain a human-centered approach that prioritizes critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
AI and education are a match made in heaven. The marriage of the two has the potential to revolutionize learning by personalizing instruction, automating tasks, and providing valuable insights. AI-powered tools can adapt to individual student needs, offer personalized feedback, and identify areas where students may be struggling.
The intersection of AI and education provides many opportunities for students as well. It can enhance student engagement and motivation. Interactive AI-powered tools, such as educational games and simulations, can make learning more fun and engaging for students. AI can also provide students with immediate feedback on their work, helping them identify areas for improvement and stay motivated.
Additionally, AI can assist educators in various ways, such as automating administrative tasks, providing personalized insights into student learning, and creating customized lesson plans. This can free up educators’ time to focus on more meaningful interactions with students and provide more individualized support.
Looking ahead, AI is poised to play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of education. The key however, is to integrate AI and education in a manner that adds value to all stakeholders, instead of diminishing the role of human beings. Because that’s where the challenge begins.
AI is rapidly transforming education, and early years education is no exception. The impact of AI on education extends beyond traditional school settings. Early childhood education plays a pivotal role in shaping young minds and preparing them for a future increasingly intertwined with technology. By fostering a love of learning, developing essential social-emotional skills, and cultivating a growth mindset, early childhood educators lay the foundation for children to navigate the complexities of an AI-powered world.
While AI offers exciting possibilities for personalized learning and enhanced educational experiences, it’s crucial for policy-makers, educators and parents to know where to draw the line. AI comes with great things. But the dark side has serious repercussions:
These concerns are at the surface. The real issues come to light only as time passes by, as was the case with Sweden.
In 2009, Sweden replaced books with computers in the classrooms. Fifteen years later, the country is now investing over a hundred million euros to return to basics: textbooks and handwriting. As the world adopts the digital-age, one questions Sweden’s sanity as they’ve reversed the National Agency for Education’s decision to ensure usage of digital devices in preschools.
“There’s clear scientific evidence that digital tools impair rather than enhance student learning,” Karolinska Institute, a highly respected Swedish medical school focused on research, said in a statement in August 2024 on the country’s national digitalisation strategy in education.
The return to more traditional ways of learning is a response to politicians and experts questioning whether Sweden’s hyper-digitalised approach to education, which also included introduction of tablets in preschools, had led to a decline in basic skills. Another contributing factor was a decline in reading ability among Sweden’s children between 2016 and 2021 (2).
When students returned to school after the summer break in September 2024, several teachers were spending less time with tablets (and other devices), online research and typing skills, while they emphasized traditional skills such as reading from print, handwriting and reading time. In yet another shocking twist, Lotta Edholm, the Swedish Minister for Schools also stated that the ministry plans to halt digital learning for preschoolers (children under the age of six).
The lesson learned from Sweden’s case hits hard: we cannot remove the human connection and traditional skills completely, especially in early years education.
As we navigate the intersection of AI and education, it is essential to prioritize human agency and the unique qualities that make us human. By fostering a balanced approach that combines the best of human-led instruction with the potential of AI-powered tools, we can create a future where education empowers individuals to thrive in an automated world while preserving the values of creativity, critical thinking, and human connection.
What are your thoughts on the role of AI in education? Share your insights and experiences in the comments below.
References:
1. https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day
2. https://pirls2021.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/files/PIRLS-2021-International-Results-in-Reading.pdf
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