BUFFALO, N.Y. — Holiday breaks have started or will soon start for local colleges and schools in WNY.
When those students return to the classrooms, their teachers and instructors will try to make sure they are learning in the most effective way that eventually could involve artificial intelligence.
2 On Your Side looked at this complex issue of plugging AI into the learning process with someone who trains teachers for future generations.
Whether it was Captain Kirk or Captain Picard of the Next Generation, fans of the Star Trek shows could often see the crew of the Enterprise asking the starship's computer for help in answering questions or commands.
Dean Wendy Paterson of the Buffalo State University School of Education took notice as one of those fans, saying "Star Trek - computer - do this or do that. But it always took the command of a human."
That is a unique way to ponder artificial intelligence from this distinguished educator since like most institutions, AI is definitely on the agenda. Paterson said, "A tool can make things more efficient and effective or it can suggest a direction that you couldn't take without that tool."
She adds that the academic instruction field is definitely exploring the subject. "We're learning what it can do. We're learning what it should not do. We're talking about ethics and integrity. We're talking about plagiarism. But we're also talking about creativity and adaptive technology," Paterson said.
It is a "tool" for teaching in the classroom perhaps for enhanced computer literacy. For example, Dean Paterson said education students may be asked to draw up a lesson plan. First they would do so without any AI assistance.
"After they produced that, then I'll ask them to use CHAT GPT to develop the same lessons in our unit design," Paterson said. "And then they'll take a look at the two of them and determine okay, what did this do that I didn't do. How can I use what it might have generated. What did it generate that was not useful, not true."
That would be the dreaded "hallucination" factor of AI - that is the machine making stuff up to try to suit the teaching task.
And again, there is the other perceived education downfall of AI assisted plagiarism as a computer sifts through various sources on a subject with a student's temptation to copy the best written ideas.
So, how would a teacher prevent it or notice it in a student essay assignment? Paterson said training for teacher interaction with students and judgement are the keys. She explained it in this way: "I would say - so Ron - tell me about what you wrote. And where did you get these ideas? And it would be very clear very quickly whether you had actually written it or whether you had stolen it."
But there is also a very positive AI example from a genius with a giant intellect who had to deal with the terrible effects of disease. Paterson said, "Stephen Hawking used a form of artificial intelligence so that he could communicate what was inside his head that he couldn't otherwise get through his hands or any other communicative tool. "
So, Paterson sees the potential for artificial intelligence to provide breakthroughs with instruction for special needs or learning difficulties.
"Adaptive technology - helping students with disabilities to be able to do those things that perhaps they cannot do without technical assistance," Paterson said.
"We just need to find the sweet spot. Where is it that we can take advantage of this amazing tool so that it helps us to do our job which is to develop these human beings into critical thinkers, active citizens and persons with integrity and honesty," Paterson said.
Here is also some recent policy guidance on artificial intelligence from the New York State School Boards Association.
