AI to change education landscape

Radical moves needed to foster creativity, problem-solving ability

Kim Tae-wan, president of the Korean Institute for Future Education

Chung Jae-young, education professor at Ewha Womans University

Kim Sung-wan, biomedical engineering professor at Seoul National University Hospital

Kim Jin-sook, research fellow at the Korea Education and Research Information Service

By Chung Hyun-chae

Education and engineering experts have emphasized that education should focus more on enhancing students’ problem-solving ability, creativity and teamwork by better utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in the so-called information era.

They expect that AI technology will change the educational landscape by making education more interactive and creative.

This expectation has grown since AlphaGo beat Korean go master Lee Se-dol 4-1 in the historic machine-versus-human match in Seoul last month.

AlphaGo is the AI computer program developed by Google subsidiary DeepMind.

“The Korean public was shocked at the news that AlphaGo defeated world go champion Lee Se-dol and started worrying about how to deal with the new era,” said Kim Tae-wan, president of the Korean Institute for Future Education.

“As AI develops further, robots could replace humans in most existing jobs, especially doing simple repetitive work,” he added, pointing out that education now lags far behind rapid technological advancement.

He said non-cognitive skills including having a good personality and sensitivity that machines cannot obtain will become more crucial.

Student-centered learning

Chung Jae-young, an education professor at Ewha Womans University, said AI will take education a step further.

“The most viable and effective AI-applied education is a customized education tailored to each student,” Chung said.

He expects AI will promote student-centered learning by making one-to-one mentoring available at schools.

“Some students are quick to understand things while others are slow, but teachers cannot consider each student’s level of understanding in class under the current education system because they have to follow a fixed curriculum,” Chung said.

“Being able to have two-way communication with humans, AI could serve as a tutor of each individual so that students can move at their own optimal rate and make real progress in their study with the help of the advanced technology.”

Chung suggested authorities should revise the college entrance system to change radically the nation’s outdated education framework in line with the rapid development of AI and IT technologies.

He also called for a change in the role of teachers to help customized education take root.

“Teachers will no longer need to convey knowledge or information to students because AI will do so,” Chung said. “Instead, teachers will have to focus on personality development education to help students build non-cognitive abilities.”

More investment in AI

Kim Tae-wan stressed the importance of “coding education,” as the Ministry of Education plans to make coding education mandatory for elementary and middle-school students, starting from 2018.

“People should know machine language, that is coding, to understand and make use of the AI technologies,” he said.

Kim Sung-wan, a biomedical engineering professor at Seoul National University Hospital, urged the government to invest more into research and development in AI-related fields, with a long-term perspective.

He cited the example of the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik I, the world’s first satellite, into orbit in 1957. The United States was stunned and was thus inspired to start its own space program.

“I think Korean scientists, especially women scientists, are competitive in developing AI technology because they are delicate,” Kim said.

Project-based learning

“The most ideal educational method is project-based learning in which students can apply their knowledge in solving social problems,” Kim Jin-sook, a research fellow at the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), told The Korea Times.

She cited the case of Stanford University. In one class, the students participated in a project called “Happy Feet,” in which they made 3D-printed shoes to help children from poor communities protect their feet from fleas. The project was inspired by the 50,000 students who drop out of schools in Nairobi, Kenya, due to infections.

“This kind of project allows students to have experience in solving the urgent problem at hand, poverty, by applying their skills, knowledge and insight,” Kim said.

“And they will never forget the project for the rest of their lives.”

Kim Tae-wan also stressed the importance of project-based learning.

“Students have to learn how to think deeply, which can be done by solving problems,” he said. “While solving problems, students also can learn how to cooperate with other people, which I believe will be a very important competency in the future.”