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SAN DIEGO — Universities are increasingly considering hiring adult learners as a way to increase enrollment. in anticipation Decrease in students in traditional age groups. Meanwhile, higher education authorities are struggling with how to best serve students who may not have been in a formal education setting for years.
For some, the answer is artificial intelligence. continues to divide educators. Critics warn that AI could undermine higher education by eroding students’ critical thinking skills and leading to an environment where AI both writes and grades classes. But advocates and edtech companies are touting burgeoning automation as a cost-effective solution to some of the sector’s toughest challenges.
This week, leaders from two giant universities that have long specialized in serving nontraditional students will take to the stage. Southern New Hampshire University and University of Phoenix — Speaking at the annual meeting ASU+GSV Summit We shared insights from our experience implementing AI.
“There is no silver bullet.” John Woods, University of Phoenix President and Chief Academic Officerhe told attendees at the Education and Technology Conference on Monday. “You have to lead with strategy.”
Implementing strategy first
Lisa Marsh Ryerson, Southern New Hampshire President and CEOemphasized that university officials should guide AI, not the other way around. In other words, Be a primarily online non-profit organization does more than just purchase a large number of product licenses for its more than 189,000 students.
“AI can certainly help, but we shouldn’t let it build our strategy,” she said during a panel discussion Monday.
woods Agreed.
“There are 40 companies here that will give you their business card and say you can have a tutor for every class,” he said. “It’s not that easy.”
He says universities need to have a clear vision of what they want from AI tools before they go to market, both in terms of organizational outcomes and what implementing them means for learners and instructors. Susan Winslow, CEO of Macmillan Learning, an edtech company that provides AI tools.
From there, you can consider acquiring tools and strengthening your engineering staff to support those goals. ryerson Said.
Choosing an AI tool is A conversation that “doesn’t end once and for all” winslow In particular, taking into account the following points: Potential cybersecurity risks posed by AI. Managers should regularly check on AI usage to ensure it is aligned with strategic priorities.
Classroom support and tutoring tools
One of the most widely touted applications of AI is the increase in one-on-one mentoring. In recent years, dozens of AI-focused companies have started offering tutoring chatbots. Industry heavyweights like Google and Khan Academy have also launched their own versions.
However, simply telling students that they now have access to an instructional chatbot likely won’t reach the students who would benefit most from the assistance. woods.
In many cases, students using tutoring tools are already high-achieving students who want to “keep an A or raise a B to an A,” he told conference attendees.
Instead of pointing you to widely available help, woods We recommended the introduction of AI tools to complement the course curriculum.
At the University of Phoenix, a for-profit institution with more than 82,000 students, Students studying to become mental health counselors are using an AI chatbot to practice conversations with clients. Faculty then review those records and provide feedback, he said. Education majors are similarly using AI to practice conversations that might arise during parent-teacher conferences.
In both cases, human oversight is central to the process, and students are “not just using AI for AI’s sake.” woods Said.
says that the possibility of personalized education, such as providing law students and nursing students with individualized instruction in the same history class, is becoming increasingly possible from a technology perspective. woods.
But most universities aren’t equipped to execute on that vision, he added, and need a firm grasp of what each student needs and when.
