With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), achieving extraordinary, equitable learning for our young people may be more possible than ever.
The potential uses for AI in learning environments are extensive. If these varied uses are applied to equitably transform student experiences for the 21st century, there could be an array of benefits. However, if AI is used solely to operate the current system more efficiently, it could further entrench an industrial-era approach to education.
This resource aims to provide inspiring ideas for using AI in transformative, learner-centered ways. It offers a deeper understanding of the benefits and risks of AI so that schools and districts can make thoughtful design decisions.
Imagine a bright future for learning, powered by AI
As we imagine a bright future for learning powered by AI, let’s explore a hypothetical day in the life of 14-year-old, Zahira. Click the arrows to begin!
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Zahira sits down on a chair in her living room and turns on her phone to explore her learning dashboard. When she clicks into her dashboard, she sees reminders of what’s due and what she needs to bring for the day’s activities, as well as a weather report for her skateboarding meetup after school. She has a late arrival to school today, so she prepares for an at-home activity.
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She begins an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training module offered by the state university, because she is hoping to get her certification this month. With her provided virtual reality headset, she learns how to create a tourniquet. An AI tutoring bot provides in-the-moment feedback on her performance—in this case, her placement was too high on the arm. Then, she gets ready to head to school.
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Zahira gets a reminder to meet with her STEM teacher. They spend 15 minutes reviewing physics work and correct a few misunderstandings. They also check in on how Zahira is adjusting to having a new baby brother at home, something her teacher noticed on her profile updates. Before leaving, Zahira’s teacher adds a new checkpoint assessment to her dashboard, which is due by the end of the week.
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After school, Zahira meets up with her classmates in the parking lot. Since Zahira’s school operates in multiage grade bands and her partners are older, she gets a ride to the skate park to test out the half pipes they’ve designed in physics class. They skate, make observations and adjustments, and upload videos and notes of their experience, which AI will match to standards and credit requirements.
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When Zahira gets home, she preps dinner and chats with her dad. He asks how the skate park assignment is coming along, and if she and her group solved the problem with the angle of the wheelchair ramp. He knows exactly how the project is progressing since the school’s AI chatbot sends daily updates, so he can check in with her each day and support her learning at home.
Bring experiences like these to your school system
Because Transcend believes deeply that learning environments must consider both the outcomes students are working toward as well as the experiences students have, we’ve organized the ideas in this resource into those two sections:
Section 1: The Goals of Learning in the Age of AI
As AI continues to become more advanced and ubiquitous, students will need to develop the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to thrive alongside it. This section describes technical and adaptive abilities that will be critical to using AI in effective and moral ways, as well as uniquely human abilities that AI will never fully match. It also explores how AI may impact the development of new knowledge, skills, and mindsets in both positive and negative ways so that communities can be proactive in their planning.
Section 2: AI and the Student Learning Experience
AI has the potential to dramatically transform the student experience in ways that make it more equitable and aligned to 21st-century needs. However, AI could also be used to further ingrain current practices, perpetuating the inequalities they have contributed to. This section provides examples, links to an AI library of tools, and notes on risks to shape the use of AI in positive ways.
Action Guides
Learning about AI’s potential to transform student outcomes and experiences is part of a much larger process. We also offer supports to help you implement the insights in this resource. Access these guides below:
