Simplifying learning with AI and data science amid COVID-19

E-learning is the biggest force in education currently, and AI is progressively making the experience of learning online uniquely compatible with individual student needs. While AI-powered learning solutions have certainly been around for a while, COVID-19 has definitely accelerated its adoption. As a result, the education process is getting streamlined, and slowly but surely abandoning traditional ideas of what constitutes effective pedagogy.

If you told someone a couple of decades ago that machines would soon be able to replicate human intelligence, they would likely respond with a disbelieving scoff.

Cut to today, and we are reaping the benefits of Artificial Intelligence simplifying human lives. From facial recognition that locks and unlocks our phones, to smart assistants on our bedside tables operated by verbal commands, AI is a part of practically all the things we do in modern life.

Students in the same class learning the same material could now progress at their own individual rate. Thanks to AI, teachers have been empowered to break out of the role of delivery agents for pre-planned lectures, and step into the shoes of learning facilitators.

Reference learning material has become far more accessible with extensive 24/7 libraries like the one we have at Lido, and doubt-solving a lot more instantaneous with seamless chat support.

AI has revolutionized education like it has, because it introduced two primary processes that could not be executed manually earlier. First, being able to store data related to every single step in a learner’s journey, and then second, instantly converting this raw data into actionable insights.

Artificial intelligence has also removed extraneous variables from the learning process, reduced the pressure of administrative tasks on tutors, and minimized the possibility of human error.

The most significant direction-change brought about by AI in education, has to be an increased emphasis on personalized learning. Every student is different in their own unique ways. Except now, AI makes it possible for educational platforms to tweak a student’s learning experience based on their individual needs and preferences.

Components like homework, tests, and projects, that determine a student’s learning outcomes, can now be adjusted according to each student’s level of knowledge, speed of learning, and academic goals.

AI also allows for an analysis of a student’s learning history, and in turn, the identification of weak areas and the designing of interventions. AI-powered chatbots have made instant query resolution possible during all hours of the day, and reduced the response time significantly.

With support automation and conversational intelligence, AI can help students practice a language, get answers to frequently asked questions, and receive feedback on an essay in a matter of seconds. Intelligent tutoring systems have established competency-based-learning as the key approach in teaching course content, again enabling students to set a realistic pace for themselves.

Although a few of the AI-powered systems we use currently are fairly mature, what we have seen till now is just a sliver of what AI has in store for the education sector. Soon, we should be able to do things that sound even more far-fetched, like adjusting learning material to a student’s emotional and physical state in real time.

This article has been written by Nishu Goyal, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Lido Learning