In the ever-growing world of technology, it is clear that we are moving closer and closer to a world taken over by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Every single day universities move further away from traditional learning methods and closer to ‘data analytics and artificial intelligence to deliver just-right, just-in-time learning to students’ (Hutchins, 2017).
From a university perspective, we can see why the need to implement AI is important in order to keep up will rival universities, maintaining relevancy and to not become redundant. However, what about the students who will be learning with the AI? How will AI affect their ability to learn? What do students think the strengths and weaknesses of AI is and will it deter them from university, or draw them in? Well that is what I aim to find out.
The question I will be exploring in my research project is what university students really think about the implementation of AI in their place of learning. In order to do this I will confine the study to students who attend the University Of Wollongong and are completing an undergraduate degree in a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies. It should be noted that this is not a black and white issue; AI is a complex topic and one single student could have many differing thoughts on AI, little own a large cohert. Therefore in order to effectively study this issue I will have a range of different questions related to AI that students will answer.
In order to make this research task achievable, my research means will include a typical survey or questionnaire for the students to answer. To explore the topic further however, and hopefully engage a deeper level of critical thinking towards the topic, I will aim to educate my peers on AI, which will supply them with the knowledge they need to accurately answer the questions according to what they believe. To do this, I plan to present small inserts’ of academic content on the different aspects of AI and its effect on universities, and allow the reader to read two opposing academic views. From there they will simply tick which one they agree with more and answer why… which will allow the reader to be both more educated on the topic, as well as give the project a more accurate view of their thoughts on AI (no guesswork will be required from not knowing what something means). It will be a simple and achievable process that will hopefully result in a better understanding of how students are reacting to, and thinking about AI implementations in universities. Reflexivity wise, I am both intrigued and worried about the potential strengths and weaknesses AI will bring, and I believe this project will be engaging to other students and stakeholders alike, as they will be able to see how their fellow students are reacting to the topic.
The reason I chose this topic is because it is both very timely and highly relevant. In the first article I came across in the World Economic Forum, Mark Dodgson, Director of Technology and Innovation Management Centre at the University of Queensland Business School says that “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology whose time has come. As AI surpasses human abilities… it is seeping into our lives in ever more profound ways. The most innovative AI breakthroughs, and the companies that promote them… have their origins in universities. Now AI will transform universities“(Dodgson, 2017). Such an article represents the heavy multitude of sources expressing similar views of how AI is growing and will be needed in universities, ultimately forever changing the learning process. It is clearly a timely topic because it is so close to becoming a reality in all universities (that wish to stay relevant). However, it was extremely difficult to find any sources on how students– the stakeholders in this situation- are reacting to how AI will change the fundamental aspects of university that they have grown accustomed to. That is why I believe this project is so important as it will bring a different perspective to the discussion.
My second source also stresses the urge for universities to prepare for ‘a technology enabled future’, stating “unless universities move quickly to transform themselves into educational institutions for a technology-assisted future, they risk becoming obsolete (Kah, 2018)”. Interestingly though, the very same article states how “research has shown that it’s as effective for students to use a combination of online courses and traditional in-classroom instruction as it is to just have classes in person (Kah, 2018)”. This prompted me to question- But what about when AI takes over universities completely? Research shows it will inevitably happen, with sources predicting ‘there is a 50 percent chance that AI be able to perform all human tasks better than humans in 45 years, and all human jobs are expected to be automated within the next 120 years (Bort, 2017)’. So I find it very fascinating to know how other students feel to only learn through technology. Clearly, there is an issue to be explored.
The aim of this research project is to move past what the academics say, and discover how students really feel about the new changes to the structure of university through the introduction of Artificial Intelliegence. By participating and reading the results of this project, the participants will be able to feel potentially comforted that many other people share their feelings or indeed potentially can have their own opinions changed due to seeing how likeminded people view the issue.
So, do the Pros outweigh the cCns? Or is it the other way around? Let’s see what we, the students, think.
References:
Dodgson, M. (2017). Artificial intelligence will transform universities. Here’s how. [online] World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/08/artificial-intelligence-will-transform-universities-here-s-how/ [Accessed 15 Mar. 2018].
Hutchins, D. (2017). AI Boosts Personalized Learning in Higher Education. [online] Technology Solutions That Drive Education. Available at: https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2017/11/ai-boosts-personalized-learning-higher-education [Accessed 17 Mar. 2018].
Kah, S. (2018). Universities must prepare for a technology-enabled future. [online] The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/universities-must-prepare-for-a-technology-enabled-future-89354> [Accessed 15 Mar. 2018].
Bort, R. (2017). Will AI take over? Artificial Intelligence will best humans at everthing by 2060, experts say. [online] Newsweek. Available at: http://www.newsweek.com/artificial-intelligence-will-take-our-jobs-2060-618259> [Accessed 17 Mar. 2018].
Pictures from:
https://futureoflife.org/background/benefits-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/teaching-thinking-skills-in-schools
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