ChatGPT is on everyone’s lips. Even at schools and universities, there is hardly a topic that is being discussed more controversially. Generative artificial intelligence is sometimes viewed very pessimistically or – on the other hand – praised as a technology that will bring salvation. Often both are done without reference to research results, undifferentiated and very one-sided.
The discussion ends in the question of whether teachers will still be needed in the future. But is this really a relevant question?
We want to broaden our perspective and venture deeper into the topic (it is about much more than ChatGPT): What does the use of AI in education actually mean for students and teachers? How can AI be used meaningfully in and alongside teaching? What does research say: Do children and adults learn differently when technology is involved?
In CAISzeit, Dr Matthias Begenat talks to two proven experts about this: Prof. Dr. Nikol Rummel heads the research programme Educational Technologies and Artificial Intelligence at CAIS and is Professor of Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at the Ruhr University Bochum. Dr Sebastian Strauß is a post-doctoral researcher at the Ruhr-Universität in Nikol Rummel’s team and an associate researcher in the CAIS programme. His research focus is computer-supported collaborative learning.
Research content recommended in the interview:
- Statement of the German Ethics Council on Humans and Machines – Challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence. There is a section on education here that I highly recommend – there is also a short summary. https://www.ethikrat.org/fileadmin/Publikationen/Stellungnahmen/deutsch/stellungnahme-mensch-und-maschine.pdf
- Wayne Holmes, Stamatina Anastopoulou, Heike Schaumburg, Manolis Mavrikis – Personalised Learning with Digital Media. A common thread. https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/2018-06/Studie_Personalisiertes_Lernen.pdf
- DFG research group “Promotion of Diagnostic Competencies in Simulation-based Learning Environments in Higher Education (COSIMA)” led by Prof. Frank Fischer from LMU Munich. On the web: https://www.for2385.uni-muenchen.de/index.html. On Twitter: https://twitter.com/COSIMA_MUNICH
- Ken Holstein (researches Teacher Awareness Tools, co-design with teachers, complementarity of humans and AI in the classroom). On the web: https://www.thecoalalab.com/kenholstein. Twitter: https: //twitter.com/d19fe8
- Simon Buckingham-Shum: University of Technology Australia (researches the use of digital learner data in different contexts). On the web: https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Simon.BuckinghamShum (here you can also find videos by and with him)
- KI Campus: here you can find free online courses on various topics related to artificial intelligence. https://ki-campus. org/
- Virtual Competence Centre “Teaching and Learning Writing with AI – Tools and Techniques for Education and Science”: this is about writing in educational institutions and science. The website includes publications, a blog and resources on Large Language Models in education. https://www. vkkiwa.de/
- Meredith Broussard – Artificial Unintelligence (a non-fiction book by a data journalist, it talks about digitisation and machine learning and how it works, but also addresses issues from the US context about textbooks and standardised testing). https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262537018/artificial-unintelligence/
- Pedro De Bruyckeres, Paul Kirschner, Casper Hulshof – Urban Myths about Learning and Education. https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780128015377/urban-myths-about-learning-and-education#book-description
Can you recommend any novels, films or documentaries on the subject?
- Kazuo Ishiguro: Klara und die Sonne (not really about education, but it happens)
- Marc-Uwe Kling: Qualityland (this is about personalisation of all life situations. Well transferable to education)