EdTech industry enthusiast | Cofounder and CMO/CPO at CodeGym.cc, a platform for learning Java.
Despite all technological advancements, today’s education still utilizes a lot of centuries-old practices. Sure, we’ve progressed a little when tools for online communication appeared, but it’s still people teaching people, with all the benefits and risks that come along. At least, it was before AI. Recent developments in AI may change education as we know it, and while you’re reading these lines, it’s already happening.
How big is the wave?
Let’s look at some numbers to comprehend the power of the coming change. According to the Market Research Future’s report, the size of AI in the education market was $2.5 billion in 2022, and it’s going to grow from $3.45 billion in 2023 to $23.82 billion by 2030. Thus, the projected compound annual growth rate is 38%! Another estimation, made by Grand View Research, looks similar: this company’s analysts expect a market size of $32.27 by 2030.
AI has been conquering all the educational market segments, from K-12 and higher education to corporate learning. And this process will continue, bringing more and more value to students around the globe.
What are the most common applications of AI technology? According to Grand View Research, here are some of them:
• Smart content. It’s content that can adjust to every user’s interests and needs, allowing them to get the most relevant information. It means a better learning experience for students, more effective studying, less mistakes.
• Learning platforms and virtual facilitators. We are used to human facilitation when learning online, but AI can be a virtual mentor, too. When integrated into a learning platform, it can become your personal mentor.
• Intelligent tutoring systems. Such systems analyze student’s data and performance to provide the most accurate instructions. They can tailor the studying strategy to the user’s needs and, as a result, become more efficient than a human teacher. For example, ITS can teach chemistry, math, grammar, etc.
• Fraud and risk management. AI-based algorithms are already much better at discovering fraud than people. So, it’s much harder to fool a machine during an exam.
All these segments have been (and will continue) growing. Still, the analysts expect the smart content segment to grow the fastest, reaching a CAGR of 37.8%.
Are there any examples?
We often hear about challenges that AI creates, like cheating on assignments or exams. But the truth is, AI can help us solve most of them—in addition to many complicated problems humanity’s been struggling to solve for centuries.
That’s why many countries want to use the power of AI to speed up development in different areas. For example, Singapore released the National AI Strategy and aspires to become a world leader in AI by 2030. This strategy includes five national AI projects, one of which is focused on establishing personalized education through adaptive learning and assessment.
Experts know that every student learns differently and has different interests and needs. Still, teachers might not have enough time to alter educational processes for everyone. AI can help them with it. For instance, Singapore decided to implement an AI-enabled adaptive learning system to collect data on students’ learning progress and give personalized recommendations. Plus, AI will save teachers time in grading assignments. And AI-learning companion will keep students engaged and motivated.
Sounds like a dream, isn’t it? But it’s our reality. Today, we can see multiple examples of AI-based services that seemed impossible ten years ago. And it’s only the beginning.
For example, Carnegie Learning creates solutions for K-12 schools and colleges. It analyzes student’s performance and adapts to it: following lessons may be easier or harder depending on the previous results. And teachers gain access to students’ progress so that they can adjust their approach accordingly.
Another example is Duolingo—a popular tool for learning languages. This application has chatbots to help students, give them feedback and recommendations, answer their questions, etc. Such a virtual assistant can really kick up the learning process.
Virtual tutors and automated grading seem like a stable trend. My company has been using gamification and auto-checking tasks in our Java course for years. And recently, we’ve started developing a virtual mentor. Frankly speaking, no EdTech-related company will be able to get away without using AI, one way or another.
How can we prepare for the future?
I believe that all educational institutions and EdTech-related companies will be affected by this trend in the coming years. It means more convenience for students/clients and—at least at the beginning—more challenges for teachers/employees.
Therefore, companies should prepare for the future. For instance, entrepreneurs can:
• Start using AI to teach employees new skills. In this case, you kill two birds with one stone: learn more about AI-enabled technologies and improve people’s performance.
• Create content with AI’s help. For example, with Quizlet, you can make personalized quizzes and flashcards. With Kahoot! you can quickly conduct surveys, and EdPuzzle allows the creation of interactive videos.
• Consider adding an AI-based element to your product or service. It may be a virtual assistant or any other feature that your clients will find useful. Sure, you must conduct some customer interviews first.
• Address the privacy concerns of your users. Some people worry about their information ending up in the wrong hands. If you want them to stay with you, you must give them all the information about the type of data you’re collecting, purposes, security, etc.
I believe it’s not wise to consider AI a problem, even if you’re afraid to lose your job or clients. I think AI won’t disrupt the job market but reshape it. People who lose their jobs will be able to find new ones with proper reskilling. So, if you feel threatened (for yourself or your employees), you may consider reflecting: if my job gets automated by AI, what opportunities will it bring? And how can our company ride the AI train to provide more value to our customers?
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