AI and the future applications in education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an essential tool in many aspects of life, and its impact on teaching and learning languages is far from negligible. Based on my observations, the use of AI will continue to improve my teaching quality as a test-prep teacher.

Over the next two years, I expect that AI will be more deeply integrated in the teaching process of teachers, me included. I have been using AI tools, mainly ChatGPT and ElevenLabs to assist with preparing lecture materials. ChatGPT plays a crucial role in editing my lesson plans and marking homework and tests, while ElevenLabs is used for voice generation, which provides precise and natural-sounding audio content for my lessons. In a two-year time, these tools will probably be improved, with updates in the current features and introductions of new ones. With the anticipated integration of more AI technologies in teaching and learning, I certainly have to improve my knowledge on this tool if I want to fully utilise it. As discussed in the Horizon Report section on AI, institutions are focusing on supporting AI fluency to equip both faculty and students with the skills needed to use AI responsibly. This is why I hope to join more official training sessions for teachers hosted by official institutional bodies such as schools and universities. These introductory courses will not only equip teachers with various up-to-date AI tools to assist their lesson preparation, enhancing the overall teaching quality.

Looking ahead to the next five years, I anticipate that AI will become even more embedded in my teaching. To be more specific, it may play a larger role in streamlining administrative tasks, such as automatically generating personalised learning paths for students based on their progress. This will enable me to spend more time on higher-order learning activities. For example, AI will be likely to help me analyse student speaking performances in real time, in terms of identifying common errors and providing immediate feedback. I could then judge the appropriation of such feedback and give students advice accordingly to improve their speaking skills. This aligns well with the article “Finding appropriate uses for AI-enabled technology”, as AI should be used to improve human work, not replace it. In my own experience, AI has been a supportive tool in enhancing my teaching rather than a substitute for human engagement, and it will continue to be.

In ten years, I foresee AI will drive the evolution of personalised education even further. By that time, adaptive learning systems and AI-driven virtual teaching assistants will have been commonplace in classrooms, including mine. AI will not only assist with creating engaging lesson materials but also support students in developing critical thinking and communication skills. As noted in the article “Supporting AI Fluency”, teaching AI fluency to students will be critical, and as an educator, I will need to adapt my curriculum to ensure students not only use AI tools but understand their implications. With AI, I can focus even more on guiding students through complex thinking processes while AI handles repetitive tasks like error correction and test marking, both of which I already use in my IELTS test-prep classes.

In conclusion, the adoption of AI in education will not only elevate the tools and methods I use but also fundamentally solidify my role as an educator. Based on my experiences with AI in my IELTS classes, I believe that its thoughtful and ethical use will enhance my teaching, making it more responsive and effective in meeting the needs of more learners.