Artificial Intelligence in EdTech : The Future of the Assignment (Part 4)

Indiana (Business & Sports) has a surprisingly large EdTech braintrust, with a rich history of ANGEL Learning, Pearson , Cengage Group , McGraw Hill Higher Education , Epsilen , Courseload, etc., either starting here or having major offices here.? I was reminded of this when I got to sit down with a couple of folks from Project Lead The Way over the last couple of weeks.? If you don’t know the team at Project Lead the Way, you probably should.? They’ve made a huge impact on STEM education in K12, by focusing on project based learning and really investing in professional development for teachers.??

It had been some time since I’d really looked at PLTW and project based learning in general, but it fits so nicely into this thread around assignments in a Generate Artificial Intelligence world.? True project based learning is the perfect type of assignment to promote learning in this new world.? It’s important to distinguish between just “doing a project” as a supplement to traditional learning, and true project based learning, where the primary avenue of learning happens through the project itself.? (If you want to understand more about the difference between the two, please check out the PBL Works site).

So, why does PBL have so much potential in a generative artificial intelligence world?? First of all, it is, by definition, experiential learning, happening in real time and both synchronous and asynchronous.? One of the key elements of PBL is “sustained inquiry,” so AI can be leveraged at various points, but likely can’t complete the entire project.? Secondly, PBL is generally done in groups, which requires skills like teamwork and collaboration, soft skills that are not really replaceable by AI.? PBL also gives students agency throughout the project, often called “Student Voice and Choice,” which can help students stay motivated in the actual learning, rather than just trying to get to the end product.

As we think about how to change our courses and curriculum going forward, instructors and designers should be considering and evaluating how project based learning could be leveraged in various disciplines.? Oh, and check out what’s happening at Project Lead the Way if you need an interesting model.