Automation Creates Resources for the Modern Classroom

Automation in education has its own unique challenges and benefits. Just as we’ve seen in other contexts, automation has the ability to facilitate efficiency, accuracy, and scalability in the classroom, too.

We see four primary ways that automation is improving education:

• Automating repetitive tasks

• Filling in education gaps

• Improving classroom engagement

• Overcoming resource shortages

In today’s post, we’ll look at each of these in greater detail.

Automation Takes on Repetitive Tasks

Teachers can employ automation in the classroom to quickly resolve repetitive tasks, leading to better time management and workflow efficiency (and more time to focus on the valuable, non-repetitive tasks of teaching).

Automation in administrative tasks isn’t entirely new: most of us can relate to taking tests in college using Scantrons (and other machine-gradable formats). Now, with advancements in AI that allow for the interpretation of a variety of different handwriting styles, automated grading solutions are no longer limited to perfectly filled-in bubbles. Next-level plagiarism detection, essay-scoring algorithms, and automated feedback summaries are possible tools for today’s teachers.

Repetitive administrative tasks, such as entering grades into multiple systems, could also be automated. Automation can be tailored to the unique system structure and needs of a given district, school, and classroom. These systems may be used for creating external and internal reports, tracking progress for individuals or classes as a whole, or monitoring purposes.

Automation Fills in Education Gaps

Teachers are called on to creatively synthesize numerous information sources into coherent courses, lessons, and assignments. New AIs like ChatGPT can aid in creating lessons from various sources or summarizing information. And eventually, AI might be able to develop personalized assessments that can free up teachers to interact with students more personally.

Automation Increases Engagement in the Classroom

Studies have shown that when people take ownership of an endeavor, they are much more invested in their results and success than when they are merely required to participate. Allowing students to see their most current progress reports and grades is a good start, and AI can make this easier and faster.

Additionally, AI and automation technologies can deliver immersive, engaging classroom experiences that weren’t possible in previous decades.

In an edtech classroom, digital quizzes and games can engage students further. AI could even unlock the ability to personalize content to areas as needed, motivating students to keep progressing.

Some different automation approaches involve AI, VR, and AR, as defined below.

• AI refers to artificial Intelligence, which involves processing massive amounts of data from multiple sources, discovering patterns and connections, and presenting the results in order to make near- or real-time decisions or for better human decision-making.

• AR stands for augmented reality, which allows the user to obtain more information about reality in real time.

• VR refers to virtual reality, where the user is immersed in a fictional world where they can learn real-world skills and information.

A few popular edtech platforms that use automation in some of these ways include Duolingo (a language learning program), Udemy, and Coursera.

Automation Can Stretch Resources

Classroom sizes and teacher shortages have long been an issue. A single teacher can only address a limited number of students’ needs in a given period of time. With automation, hours a week can be freed up from monotonous tasks — but there are still limits to time and physical location.

Perhaps a teacher has a spare hour to tutor a student –— but will the student have the same hour available (not to mention access to the location and transportation home after)? Even with remote platforms, teacher and student availability may not match up, or there may be too many students in a class to give individual time to each routinely. But AI can be available 24/7.

Beyond mere availability, AI can produce self-paced, personalized assessments that can identify and then focus on areas the student needs to progress in. Individualized tutoring can summarize the content and fill in the gaps that the student missed, whether due to learning constraints on the student side or the presentation side.

Google Classroom has become a leader in classroom learning and automation hubs. New AI-powered tools such as Schoolytics are integrating with Google Classroom, taking its capabilities to new levels.

Real-World Applications of AI in Education

As we wrap up, consider these three use cases that combine elements of the automation techniques discussed above.

• Reducing the amount of time spent on mundane tasks ranging from emails to grading

• Assimilating data for tracking progress and record-keeping, then analyzing that data to identify areas for further evaluation

• Personalizing detailed approaches for individual students

With automation in the educational setting, there is hope for avoiding or reducing teacher burnout: some surveys predict automation can save a teacher up to 13 hours a week. At over a quarter of the standard measured workweek, that much time would certainly reduce stress and free up mental resources that teachers could refocus on what matters most: their students.