Unconventional Classrooms - Teaching AI at Young Age 2023

In today’s changing times, where technology is advancing abundantly, there is a dire need for creative work and critical thought based pedagogy, producing new knowledge and inquisitiveness in students - which further has to be conditioned through all means. Unconventional educational approaches are diverse methods of learning. They enable learners to generate emergent forms of knowledge for themselves and address transformative challenges.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been significantly changing the structure of every industry and exponentially increasing the availability of cutting-edge tools utilized in people’s everyday lives.This state-of-the-art technology has also considerably influenced educational practices, and efforts are constantly being made to incorporate AI into teaching and learning. There is an emerging interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) teaching and learning in the K-12 setting. New Education Policy 2020 highlights the importance of artificial intelligence and integrates AI education at all levels.?

Experts from different industries are studying its capabilities and discovering new ways of its application, it is emerging as an evolving science. The? systems represent a pretty exciting area of study: There is a good-sized call for people with the skills needed, and the technology is still developing and growing and thus it becomes imperative to teach children at an early stage and age.?

Within the educational context, AI has been employed to achieve a range of goals, including enhancing the learning experience of students, creating personalized learning experiences, and most commonly, analyzing student data to provide insights that can inform and guide data-driven information to support students who are at risk of falling behind. On the other hand, teaching AI refers to the process of educating individuals on how to understand and utilize AI technologies. This research area encompasses teaching students about the underlying principles of AI, how to program AI systems, and how to design and develop AI applications.?

The focus is mainly on approaches that are useful to cultivate AI teaching and learning - starting with basics like computer programming - teaching skills like critical problem solving and innovating thinking primarily. Often these are considered far ahead from the traditional means of teaching and lesson mandates in schools. However, if we look closely - The field of AI in education started around 30 years ago, with systems designed to teach basic skills, like arithmetic, while recognizing and addressing common mistakes. More recently, the explosion in computing power, development in algorithms, and the increase of available data are making new, more sophisticated tools possible.?

By teaching AI to young children, not only can students be better prepared for a future where AI is expected to play a significant role, but it can also encourage ethical and responsible use of AI later in life. AI is going to play a critical role in education, and the sooner this is recognized, and AI-based efforts are encouraged, the better for our country. Learning Matters specifically is using AI to improve student learning outcomes and enhance teacher competency. There is going to be a boom in AI and IoT adoption globally, across industries and domains.?