Artificial intelligence (AI) and the use of artificial intelligence are becoming more accepted in every aspect of our lives, from daily, at-home tasks to work, including the use of artificial intelligence in higher education.
While there are things to be wary of, including academic, ethical, and legal challenges, artificial intelligence holds great promise for higher education as it can help students better prepare for the future.
Artificial intelligence can help students choose the right college, learn more efficiently, graduate on time, and enter the job market feeling confident and prepared. Plus, it can even help educators enhance learning through more effective individualized learning plans and efforts.
Let’s take a look at what artificial intelligence is, the various applications of artificial intelligence we’re seeing in education, and how this new technology is reshaping students’ academic and overall college experience.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence focuses on creating intelligent machines and systems that perform tasks and solve problems that would otherwise require human intelligence, like playing games or understanding natural language.
This technology relies on extensive computing power and massive amounts of data processed by algorithms in order to solve problems, automate routine tasks, streamline processes, recognize and classify images, pattern and speech recognition, make predictions, and even make decisions.
Artificial intelligence is being used in industries in a variety of ways, from self-driving cars to digital assistants and the manufacturing of robots. Plus, candidates can find themselves working with artificial intelligence in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, small start-ups, and higher education institutions.
Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
Higher education institutions are joining other companies and organizations in embracing the use of artificial intelligence for educators and students alike in a number of ways.
1. Administrative Support
Colleges and universities are streamlining their administrative processes by using artificial intelligence tools to power student record systems, transportation, information technology (IT), maintenance, scheduling, budgeting, and more.
These tools are also used to interpret data on recruitment, admission, and retention efforts to predict if students are in danger of failing or dropping a course. As a result, faculty and staff are alerted of potential problems to support and address a student’s problems before they occur.
Furthermore, many schools are implementing artificial intelligence chatbots to address student questions about financial aid, advising, and career opportunities. This around-the-clock service provides additional answers and support to students in need outside of normal classroom or business hours.
2. Personalized Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning artificial intelligence tools like virtual tours and virtual teaching assistants are being used to further personalize a student’s education experience.
These virtual learning experiences offered by colleges and universities are available twenty-four-seven and allow students with different needs the ability to receive information at their own personalized pace. Schools are also able to stay adaptive and focused on their students through this new technology.
On the teaching side, professors and educators are beginning to use artificial intelligence tools to:
- Generate content
- Write code
- Resolve accessibility issues
- Reconfigure writing processes
- Detect plagiarism
3. Research Support
Higher education institutions are using artificial intelligence in research by using tools to sort through large sets and amounts of data to identify patterns, build models, recommend relevant articles, and prepare manuscripts for publication.
Through this process, teachers and education administrators are equipped to make better and more informed decisions when it comes to their lesson planning, assessment, and even professional development.
Plus, these reports can also be highly effective in implementing positive changes for the safety, security, and cybersecurity of everyone working or attending a specific institution.
How is Artificial Intelligence Reshaping the College Experience?
Regardless of one’s stance and opinion on artificial intelligence, everyone can agree that it has and continues to reshape one’s experience in higher education and career after college.
Artificial intelligence is opening the door for more inclusion, access, and support for students, professors, and administers in higher education through:
- Rapid data analysis
- Smarter and more helpful virtual chatbots and assistants
- Identifying and preventing plagiarism and fraud
Thus, it’s important for higher education institutions not to fear artificial intelligence and instead embrace it for all the good it can do to enhance student learning.
Schools and students alike should engage in discussions about the impact of artificial intelligence on administrative, teaching, and research practices and be transparent in the issues surrounding data collection and ownership, intellectual property, security, and rights and privacy.
Lastly, institutions can use artificial intelligence for good and for the benefit of their faculty and students by paying attention to the tools students use most, monitoring and examining the tools for maximum efficiency and effectiveness, and obtaining feedback and input of concerns and what users what to see from these tools.
Artificial intelligence isn’t going away, and every industry, including higher education, should work to embrace and utilize the tools to make their lives better.
At University of Bridgeport, our Master’s in Artificial Intelligence prepares graduates for in-demand commercial or research positions in industry and academia. Or, consider earning one of our many degrees in education, where our faculty prepares you for the up-to-date advances in the field, including the use of artificial intelligence.