8 Future Trends of AI in Educational Technology

Artificial intelligence has transformed the way we communicate, think, work, and even entertain ourselves. While AI has undoubtedly been the most disruptive tech over the last two years, it is still in its infancy. We have yet to tap into its true potential, and with innovation and research finding new layers, artificial intelligence will soon uncover applications and use cases we never knew existed!

Among the various sectors AI has transformed, the education sphere remains the most interesting, primarily owing to the complexities involved. The fact that AI requires data and personal information of students to provide personalised learning brings ethical concerns into the equation. However, integrating AI into education offers several benefits, and it is important to understand the future trends of AI in educational technology.

Future trends of AI in education

Learning about the key trends in educational technology aids in long-term strategic thinking. It also allows institutions and educators to be prepared to implement changes in the learning processes. Here are some of the recent (and future) trends of AI in educational technology.

Personalised learning

One of the key trends of AI is personalised learning, which allows teachers to adapt and tweak educational materials and teaching methods to cater to individual needs of each student. This ensures that students remain more focused and motivated and effectively assimilate the information.

Automation

Automation helps teachers focus on the important issues, while things like grading and creating a schedule can be automated. Previously, educators had to spend a significant amount of time checking tests and creating class schedules. However, with automation now coming into the picture, they can focus on the quality of education and student interaction instead of grading papers.

Interactive teaching materials

AI technologies also enable teachers to create interactive lessons, simulators, and virtual master classes. This ensures that the learning modules are interesting, engaging, and easily understandable. 

Content generation

AI’s biggest benefit lies in its ability to simplify and generate content. This can be in terms of text, visuals, or audio. For instance, teachers won’t have to resort to traditional methods to create presentations or illustrations. Instead, artificial intelligence can make such content more appealing to young students. This saves time and effort, while students will be more drawn to the content generated by AI.

Content recommendation

Artificial intelligence can also be used to recommend content for students based on their learning patterns, speed, progress, and interests. This becomes a part of adaptive learning, as teachers and institutions can create ideal learning environments for students, providing individual attention to them.

Immersive learning

AI can also drive immersive learning sessions, taking an interactive and engaging educational approach. This involves a combination of AI tech with other technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality to simulate real-world scenarios. In return, it offers real-time feedback to motivate students, while AI-powered virtual characters can help students develop certain skills, which may not be possible through traditional classroom learning.

AI assistants and chatbots

During the 2023-24 academic year, Harvard University’s introductory programming course was taught by a chatbot. This highlights the level of sophistication AI has attained and how AI tech can play a crucial role in the educational sphere. Moving forward, neural network is expected to reduce the workload of teachers while assisting students in learning and mastering the course.

AI assistants and chatbots can do more than just provide access to educational materials. They can find issues in codes, elaborate on confusing parts, and offer feedback on programs. However, institutions will face certain challenges, such as constantly updating programs and providing robust guidelines to ensure data privacy and security. Chatbots and AI assistants will, in all likelihood, become more integrated and complex in the coming years as they will learn from vast datasets and improve their interactions.

Wearable tech

Smart wearables are going to become even more commonplace over the next few years, and they are already being used in educational settings. These can be body-worn gadgets or implantable sensor devices, which can record information from the person wearing them and from the surroundings.

A few examples of wearable tech include VR/AR headsets, which can make the learning process more immersive. Other gadgets like smartwatches can monitor student performance and stress levels, contributing to safer classroom environments.

Conclusion

Knowing the future trends of AI in educational technology will help institutions, policymakers, and teachers prepare for their effective implementation. Collaborative efforts between teachers and tech developers can ensure students have the ideal learning environment, allowing them to tap into their true potential. It will also help students learn and understand complex subjects, while teachers can benefit from AI tech and channel their attention towards student development.

Financial institutions like NBFCs will also have a vital role to play in the development of AI technology, as they must provide funding to startups developing cutting-edge technologies. With online marketplaces also integrating AI into their platforms to improve customer experience, AI technology will undoubtedly evolve and become even more sophisticated in the near future.