Short form report adapted from “Assessment, Education; a new paradigm facilitated by Artificial Intelligence.”
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A call to Action
Is an educational revolution essential for us to adequately prepare our children for the uniquely difficult challenges that they will inevitably face?
It should be made evident to all that humanity is on the cusp of great change. Climate change and the disruption that will be caused by the broad utilisation of artificial intelligence will imminently result in a very different cultural and economic environment for all. The rapidity at which these changes will occur will be unprecedented in human history.
“The UN has declared that the world is likely to reach a “hellish”
3 degrees of global heating within our lifetimes.”
Climate change, our greatest challenge, is now impacting every nation and every individual. The UN has declared that the world is likely to reach a “hellish” 3 degrees of global heating within our lifetimes. These global conditions will be unlike anything that humanity has experienced; failing food supply chains, large swathes of the earth uninhabitable, millions of climate refugees, intense competition for land, water and food, and associated conflicts.
It is incumbent upon us to properly prepare young people to face the coming disruption; a disruption that will be more extreme than that of the Industrial Revolution. Education is the cornerstones of human preparation, but it has remained in our schools and universities alarmingly unchanged over the last four hundred years.
Artificial Intelligence is rightly regarded with suspicion by many. It’s substantial intrusion into our lives is nonetheless undoubted due to both its capacity for good and the momentum of international competition. We must strive to ensure that the balance of its impact is beneficial. This can only be assured if we very consciously address its development and application.
Education can be positively revolutionised - in terms of culture, focus, impact and assessment, - through engagement with artificial intelligence. Acceptance of this premise leaves us with the dilemma of choosing to be inspired by, and consciously guide, the development of artificial intelligence in education now or to wait and have it inevitably imposed upon us by commercially motivated technology corporations.
Early adoption will be extremely beneficial to learners of all ages, teachers, the economy and in dealing with the struggles that will be imposed by climate change.
What is our vision?
Education will be revolutionised, utilising AI, to facilitate the development of personalised curriculums and engagement in collaborative learning projects. This approach supports each learner in developing at their own pace, inspired by their curiosity, interests and natural attributes, delivering the greatest benefit to them and as a consequence increasing their contribution to society.
Crucially no learner will be subjected to formal subject specific exams unless they wish to be.
Learners will not be appraised in order to yield explicit results on a subject basis. Artificial intelligence will allow for the monitoring of performance across a broad spectrum of attributes such as verbal reasoning, cooperation and dexterity. At each stage AI will provide a list of collaborative project options consistent with the learner's rate of progress, perceived needs and interests. Selection of the collaborative projects will be made by the learner with support from teachers and AI performance monitoring.
Crucially no learner will be subjected to formal subject specific exams unless they wish to be. The whole experience of education will be substantially more enjoyable and rewarding. The system will deliver the skills that are recognised as essential to thrive in the 21st century; critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.
Assessment will be available to everybody from notionally age twelve to end of life. It will be conducted primarily on artificial intelligence platforms which will deliver objective explicit results. The outputs will be compiled to create a personal e-portfolio securely owned by the individual.
Individuals will have the opportunity to be assessed online across a very broad range of personal attributes, e.g., spacial awareness, intransigence, social awareness, verbal communication. This form of assessment will allow the participant to be measured against any population of their choosing, e.g., a global population of 30- to 40-year-old non graduates. This provides the participant substantially more self-knowledge than school exam or university degree results. This explicit form of assessment informs the participant in a manner that supports better opportunity selection in all aspects of life.
The participant may grant access to selected elements in their e-portfolio to third parties, such as potential employers, vocational training institutes etc. This will result in significantly more appropriate and successful matching of individuals with opportunities, whether that be in their career or their social activities.
Neurodivergence
It is anticipated that artificial intelligence will identify neurodiversity far more quickly and describe it more accurately than has been possible through current diagnostic practices. It is our contention that this new capacity to recognise and appreciate the benefits of neurodiverse conditions, such as dyslexia and autism, will richly enhance teams and society in general. Our education and assessment systems must be set up to capitalise on, rather than simply accommodate, neurodiversity.
