How AI can support educators in personalising learning experiences and improving teaching efficiency

In the rapidly evolving education sector, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key innovation, transforming the teaching and learning process. However, ethical concerns about AI's use in education have sparked debates on whether it will serve as a helpful tool or a hindrance for students.

To explore this further, WION's Dikshant Sharma caught up with Syed Sultan Ahmed, Chairperson of The Association of International Schools of India (TAISI), who shared valuable insights. He discussed how AI can support educators in personalising learning experiences and improving teaching efficiency and examined the potential benefits and challenges for students.

1. How can AI help educators personalise learning experiences for students with different learning styles and abilities?

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Some amazing AI tools are available that can help transform the teaching and learning in our classrooms. AI tools today can customise the lesson plans for every student and suit them to the learning styles of the individual. If a student likes more visuals, the lesson plans can include more visuals, if they prefer audio, there are audio lessons; and if the child prefers more tactile learning, there are 3D apps that help them get almost a real feel of the lesson.

2. In what ways can AI streamline administrative tasks and improve teaching efficiency for educators?

AI and tech tools can play a big role in reducing the administrative tasks of a teacher and give them more time to spend with the student. Creating lesson plans, projects, and tests, followed by evaluating and tabulating projects and tests, consumes a lot of teacher’s time. Technology can release a lot of time for teachers and improve efficiency.

3. What ethical considerations should educators keep in mind when integrating AI tools in the classroom, especially regarding data privacy and bias?

If the learning is focussed on the amount of information a student has garnered and testing is focussed on reproduction of the information, then AI and tech tools can be a challenge. If the schools move towards more concept understanding and application of knowledge, then AI is a great friend, and schools need not be worried about any consequences.

Regarding data protection, if the schools use free tools, which they normally do, there is a chance that data can be public and misused. The answer to this is to use paid versions of any app or AI Agents, which is the right way for a school to work, and it also ensures data security. A better digital infrastructure in schools with up-to-date software and no free versions or cracked versions is another way to ensure data security.

4. How do you see AI enhancing teacher-student interactions without replacing the human element in education?

The role of a teacher in school will not be diminished if AI is used in schools. In fact, the more our schools adapt to AI, the more the relevance of the teacher will come to the fore. The role of a teacher has evolved from a knowledge giver to a guide who enables you to learn and experiment, someone who understands the human side of students and encourages them and gives confidence. This aspect of a teacher will be more relevant as society becomes increasingly digitised.

5. What do you envision as the long-term impact of AI on education, particularly in terms of equity and accessibility?

Technology has the power to democratise education, the more the tech gets used, the cheaper it becomes. Today a lot of AI agents and apps are quite expensive, but I see that becoming cheaper like how a lot of other tech has over the years. AI and tech can also make an average teacher more effective, this aspect of AI can make even our average government school teachers achieve better results. I see a future where the human in the classroom has the role of supporting the social-emotional learning of students, and the AI and tech tools will support the learning of subjects and knowledge. The more we adapt the technology, the more accessible it becomes.