AI and the Impact on Cognitive Development
There is an abundance of writings speculating on what Artificial intelligence (AI) will mean for the human race and our way of life. As an educator, I relish the intellectual discourse though I am often frustrated that there seems to be minimal discussion on the practical steps going forward in regard to learning. The message in education seems to be either one of banning or blindly embracing this technology.
That is not to say that there are no writings on AI in education. Actually, there are a plethora of articles, research papers, and editorials all providing a view that AI will of course change the landscape of education. That schools, students, and teachers will need to change and evolve, that assessment needs to be altered. There are hopeful pieces that AI will bridge or expand the divide between students, and that it will aid in giving time-poor teachers greater opportunities to differentiate learning for students. The problem is that few of these arguments in the public sphere have raised the question of the long-term cognitive impact of AI on students (and therefore future generations). There is minimal conversation about the impact that early adoption of AI by young people will have on the learning capacity of the individual. Without these important conversations, AI in education may do more harm than good.
Recently, NESA the educational authority for NSW released draft syllabi in a range of courses across Years 7 - 10. One of the purposes of the updates is to remedy some of the issues in the continuity of learning that some courses have faced. NESA is altering its courses to ensure students have the right building blocks (knowledge and skills) to access the next stage.
The requirement for adequate sequencing in education is not new and it is certainly not new in human development. A baby must be able to support their head before you would allow them to sit up unaided. Any parent and educator will attest that clear steps of progression are important in child development.
In education sequencing is essential, students must learn to craft a sentence before they can write a paragraph, and they will learn shapes before they learn trigonometry. AI has the power to disrupt that sequence in learning, and if not incorporated appropriately into education, has the potential to create significant unidentified learning gaps.
AI currently is able to aid or mimic some of the building blocks of learning allowing students to demonstrate skills and knowledge that they themselves are yet to possess.
As learning is designed to be progressive, the long-term effects of students missing foundational knowledge will make access to the later stage of education harder. Skills such as higher-order thinking and problem-solving will become less attainable for all students as they lack the internal scaffolds to support the deep thinking processes needed.
ACARA Continuums in Education.
Dr. Burgis’ advised recently that the school is looking at the ACARA Continuums in Education. These continuums cover a range of different learning skills from literacy to ethics, and they articulate clear learning goals at each stage and/or year of education. They specify the foundational steps that students need to master before they can progress to the more challenging skills.
To find out more about the ACARA Literacy Learning Continuums: ACARA_learning_continuum_2023.pdf
In education sequencing is essential, students must learn to craft a sentence before they can write a paragraph, and they will learn shapes before they learn trigonometry. AI has the power to disrupt that sequence in learning.
Gillian Carpenter
PLC Sydney is looking to use these continuums to build a frame of reference for the school community on what students should be able to do unaided by technology, and what they should be able to do with technology.
These learning continuums will prioritise the cognitive development of our students while equipping them with the skills and understanding of how to use AI.
