The Next Big Thing in K-12 STEM Education-Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

The Next Big Thing in K-12 STEM Education-Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

by | Jan 21, 2020 | Blog

The Next Big Thing in K-12 STEM Education-Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

In a study carried out by the U.S Department of Commerce, it was discovered that STEM occupations have grown at a faster pace than regular occupations over the years. Now more than ever, skilled and knowledgeable individuals are needed to fill the ever-growing roles in the STEM sphere.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is more than a bunch of complicated concepts pooled together. It is actually a very big part of our daily lives and the world. Each component of STEM plays a role in sectors such as designing roads and bridges, changing the weather, exploring other occupations and much more. It is this increased globalization and digitalization that has made STEM a vital part of education. Empowering future generations with the knowledge and skills to take on these accelerated growths and innovation is important. STEM education benefits everyone across genders, ethnic groups, locations, fields, and more. The K-12 range has been chosen to receive this education because we can teach STEM at any age. Starting while the kids are much younger helps to normalize the concept and help them transition easily to their learning.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) has its own role to play in this STEM education for K-12. AI and Machine Learning are poised to uplift STEM education in schools. We will explore how below.

AI and Machine Learning (now and in the future of education)

 

  • AI and Machine Learning – Students

Several techniques have been employed to use AI to give students personalized learning experience and a simple way to adopt STEM skills. From being able to assess the students’ weakness and strengths through diagnostic testing, AI is able or rather employed to create personalized curricula based on the students’ individual needs. In a regular classroom where there are about 30 students, a teacher might find it almost impossible to reach every student at the customized level of learning that is so vital to them. AI is used to foster sophisticated learning to the extent that student’s expression can be read to identify if the student is struggling to gain understanding and further explanatory lessons will be provided in response to that.

AI applications are equally targeted at providing support and tutoring outside the classroom and connecting kids that may be unable to attend regular classes.

Several software use AI to create an adaptive STEM curriculum on all STEM subjects. These curricula are personalized to the student’s understanding and learning challenges. They are used across the K-12 education range. Future studies and applications all focus on a STEM made-easy approach with AI and Machine learning as the drivers.

Further AI applications in view are emotional support and well-being. Students emotions affect how students learn and studies and work are in motion to create an AI system that can provide oral support to students during learning. The cognitive states in question are Distracted, Inactive, and Concentrating. This research and endeavor are based on proof that emotional support positively impacts students’ ability to learn and teacher may be unable to fill the gap as needed.

  • AI and Machine Learning – Teacher collaboration

As AI and Machine learning continue to impact education and provide solutions that evolve, teacher and AI collaboration becomes more vital. AI and Machine learning can drive efficiency, feedback, personalization, and organization to help teachers better meet the needs of their students. The idea of collaboration is that teacher and AI work together to provide the best outcome for fostering learning (STEM education included) for the students. One such touchpoint is grading. Educators spend a lot of time grading tests and homework. Current and future technologies focus on using AI for these activities while at the same time providing recommendations to the educator to help close the learning gap with students. This frees up an educator’s time, leaving him/her with more freedom to invest in understanding students’ needs. Following small successes like this, research is underway to involve AI in the enrollment and admission processes.

STEM education may not be as easy for teachers without a solid background on the concept to teach. Teachers are expected to upgrade their skills and knowledge in this area and be able to impact students with it. AI and Machine learning can assist and teach the teacher as much as they do the same for students.

 

  • AI and Machine Learning – Connecting everyone in STEM education

With many of the applications of AI and Machine learning for STEM education still in the works, there are other expectations. AI and Machine Learning are expected to assist and enable proper STEM education for both students and teachers alike. At the same time, suggestions have been made towards worldwide or inter-school connections. STEM education is world impacting and with AI almost anything is possible. AI can be connected to different classrooms across the world to foster greater communication, cooperation, and collaboration between schools, nations, and educators.

  • AI and Machine Learning – Future workforce

STEM is now and the future. So are AI and Machine Learning. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2022, a high number of organizations and companies would have employed Machine Learning. Hence, the forum encourages governments to focus strongly and rapidly on empowering students with education and skills. The primary focus of these skills and education being STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In addition, non-cognitive soft skills. All of these are critical to meet the impending need.

In a recent study carried out by Microsoft, it was discovered that by 2030, students should have mastered the following to be able to survive in the new world:

  • Understanding problem solving and teamwork.
  • Utilizing innovative technology primarily AI

 

These discoveries make it clear that there is still much to do in K-12 STEM education Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Hopefully, with slight improvements in the current pace and realization of other innovative solutions, students will be ready for the future. The most crucial point is to keep up with the introduction of these techniques to K-12 education.

Game-based Learning(GBL) and Why does it matter in Education?

Game-based Learning(GBL) and Why does it matter in Education?

by | Nov 25, 2019 | Blog

Game-based Learning(GBL) and Why does it matter in Education?

Video games are designed to be addictive.

The mark of a great game is that it keeps the player hooked on to it for as long as possible. The key elements needed to achieve this is to make the game as interesting as possible. The game needs to be interactive, engaging and must have the right risk to reward ratio for the player to not give up on it. 

 

Parents with young children fret about the addictiveness of computer games these days. There is ample evidence to suggest that people are spending more time playing games. They are also spending more on them. The video game industry is among the fastest-growing sectors of America’s economy and generated $25 billion in sales in 2011. The subtle art of developing such games may sound easy but even multibillion-dollar studios oftentimes fail to achieve this feat.

With so much time and money put into this industry, it has become a widespread worry that traditional methods of education are simply not interesting enough. The benefits of gaming, however, should not be overlooked. Games have been used to train people to type, to overcome phobias, develop motor skills, teach problem-solving, release tension and even exercise. A brand new study suggests they might help those with dyslexia learn to read. Why would a child choose plane old books over a colorful, interactive and fun experience?

This simple question has gone on to breed an entirely different approach to education. Game-Based Learning (GBL) is a method of fusing education into knowledge-based games. game-based learning applications can draw us into virtual environments that look and feel familiar and relevant. Within an effective game-based learning environment, we work toward a goal, choosing actions and experiencing the consequences of those actions along the way. We make mistakes in a risk-free setting, and through experimentation, we actively learn and practice the right way to do things. This keeps us highly engaged in practicing behaviors and thought processes that we can easily transfer from the simulated environment to real life.

With a renewed sense of purpose, students would earn rewards for their performance that would further encourage them to explore their respective subjects and to fortify their knowledge base. Game-based learning is built to be adaptive from the beginning. During the production process, the game is tested and adjusted to be a more effective learning tool. As new information comes out in the field or educational approaches are adjusted, the game can be changed to suit them. After the game is released, it can be updated with new information, approaches, and more. Games even have student-monitoring analysis tools that allow teachers to monitor the students so the game can be adjusted in future updates.

One such software is Wowzers.

Wowzers is a math-based GBL solution that allows students from kindergarten to grade 8 to take a much more interactive approach towards mathematics. It is developed by a group of professionals who have made sure that is based on the universal standards of mathematics. It is also grounded on brain-based research that makes sure that the approach taken by the game is relevant to the targeted demographic. The assessments are highly adaptive and are also trackable. This means that the teachers can recognize and improve specific areas of the subject where the student may be struggling. Wowzers provides a personalized approach to learning where the curriculum adapts to the performance of individual students. This results in the student revising what they are struggling with along with learning new syllabus in other areas.

On the other hand, Wowzers also helps retain the students’ interest through context-based learning. This helps students easily interact with the subject. Providing a narrative to a problem further helps in delivering the practical aspect of mathematics to the students.

To adopt this new way of teaching, the teachers need to be trained too. This is exactly why wowzers provides the “Wowzers Professional Development Certification Course”. This course allows the teachers to understand this method of education to the fullest and use this software to its full potential.

Game-based learning is about more than giving students educational games like Wowzers. It’s about changing the approach of students towards learning and the approach of learning towards students. The goal is for students to enjoy the process of learning itself.
As a student learns through game-based learning, they gain much more ownership of the material, which improves retention. The combination of different approaches and goal-based learning addresses all of the learning styles at the same time. No matter what a student’s primary, secondary, or tertiary learning style, a game can address them. Games can even combine multiple subjects into a single game, creating a versatile learning tool.

Learning games also provide students a safe environment for failure.

It can be hard for students, especially adolescents, to fail in a public setting like a classroom. Games give them a chance to try out new things. If they fail in the environment of the game, then they can simply try again and learn from their mistakes. Instead of education based on rote memorization, students learn through experimentation and trial and error.

To conclude, it is fairly safe to say that the modern education system has been very slow to adapt to the needs of the new generation of students. This may be due to the effort that it takes to push out revised versions of textbooks that were first published decades ago or the failure to make use of the latest and greatest IoT tools available to us today. At this crucial time, GBL tools like Wowzers offer us a unique perspective on education that is almost guaranteed to improve today’s classrooms in more ways than one. These tools help students reach their full potential without ever being pressured or overwhelmed by the fear of failure; and therefore, solving one of the biggest issues with the current education system. Game-Based Learning is the stepping stone towards the future of education.