Online education

Examiners fooled as AI students outperform real students in the UK

In a groundbreaking study published in PLOS One, the University of Reading has unveiled startling findings from a real-world Turing test involving AI in university exams, raising profound implications for education.

The study, led by the university’s tech team, involved 33 fictitious student profiles using OpenAI’s GPT-4 to complete psychology assignments and exams online. Astonishingly, 94% of AI-generated submissions went undetected by examiners, outperforming their human counterparts by achieving higher grades on average.

Associate Professor Peter Scarfe, a co-author of the study, emphasised the urgent need for educational institutions to address the impact of AI on academic integrity. He highlighted a recent UNESCO survey revealing minimal global preparation for the use of generative AI in education, calling for a reassessment of assessment practices worldwide.

Professor Etienne Roesch, another co-author, underscored the importance of establishing clear guidelines on AI usage to maintain trust in educational assessments and beyond. She stressed the responsibility of both creators and consumers of information to uphold academic integrity amid AI advancements.

The study also pointed to ongoing challenges for educators in combating AI-driven academic misconduct, even as tools like Turnitin adapt to detect AI-authored work. Despite these challenges, educators like Professor Elizabeth McCrum, the University of Reading’s pro-vice chancellor of education, advocate for embracing AI as a tool for enhancing student learning and employability skills.

Looking ahead, Professor McCrum expressed confidence in the university’s proactive stance in integrating AI responsibly into educational practices, preparing students for a future shaped by rapid technological change.

Why does it matter?

The IATSE’s tentative agreement represents a significant step forward in securing fair wages and job protections for Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes workers, ensuring that the rapid advancements in technology do not come at the expense of human employment.

BBC boosts educational content with £6 million AI investment

The BBC is embarking on a multimillion-pound investment in AI to revamp its educational offerings. It aims to cater to the learning needs of young users while securing its relevance in the digital age. This £6 million investment will bolster BBC Bitesize, transitioning it from a trusted digital textbook to a personalised learning platform, ensuring that learning adapts to each user’s needs and preferences.

As the broadcaster marks a century since its first educational program, it plans to enhance its educational brand further by offering special Live Lessons and interactive content on platforms like CBBC and BBC iPlayer. By leveraging AI-powered learning tools akin to Duolingo, the BBC aims to harness its extensive database of educational content to provide personalised testing, fill learning gaps, and offer tailored suggestions for further learning, akin to a ‘spinach version’ of YouTube.

Why does it matter?

Recognising the need to engage younger audiences and fulfil its founding purpose of informing, educating, and entertaining, the BBC’s investment in educational content serves dual purposes. Amidst concerns over declining viewership among younger demographics, the broadcaster seeks to reinforce its value proposition and attract a broader audience while reaffirming its commitment to public service. Through initiatives like Bitesize, which saw a surge in users during the pandemic, the BBC aims to educate and foster a lifelong relationship with audiences, irrespective of age.

Texas introduces AI grading for standardized tests

Texas students face a new era in standardised testing as the state rolls out an AI-powered scoring system to evaluate open-ended exam questions. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is implementing an ‘automated scoring engine’ employing natural language processing technology akin to chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. With plans to replace a majority of human graders, TEA anticipates annual savings of $15–20 million, reducing the need for temporary scorers from 6,000 in 2023 to under 2,000 this year.

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams, revamped last year to include fewer multiple-choice questions, now feature up to seven times more open-ended inquiries. TEA’s director of student assessment, Jose Rios, cites the time-intensive nature of scoring these responses as a driving factor behind the shift. Despite initial training using 3,000 human-graded exam responses and implemented safety nets, including human rescoring for a quarter of computer-graded results and ambiguous AI-confounding answers, concerns linger among educators.

While TEA is optimistic about cost savings, some educators, like Lewisville Independent School District superintendent Lori Rapp, remain cautious. Rapp notes a ‘drastic increase’ in zero-scored constructed responses during the system’s limited trial, raising questions about test question integrity versus automated scoring accuracy. The move towards AI-driven grading aligns with a broader trend in education, with AI essay-scoring engines already in use across 21 states, albeit with mixed success. TEA emphasises distinctions between its ‘closed system’ scoring engine and broader AI, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in its implementation.

Why does it matter?

As Texas students navigate this new grading landscape, concerns about fairness and accountability emerge. With generative AI tools already raising issues of academic integrity and equity, questions arise about the consistency and impartiality of AI grading. As the rollout progresses, stakeholders will be watching closely to assess the impact of AI on standardised testing and its implications for education policy and practice.

Law school deans in the US divided over accreditation of online programs

A recent American Bar Association (ABA) proposal to accredit fully online law schools has sparked a nationwide debate among law school deans. In November, the ABA’s council initiated a process to gather public comments on proposed standard changes allowing online law schools without physical campuses to seek accreditation.

While some argue that the move could enhance access to legal education and reduce costs, others, including deans from prestigious institutions such as Villanova University and UC Berkeley, are raising concerns about the quality of education and the lack of data regarding the bar pass rates and employment outcomes of online law school graduates.

The proposal’s fate remains uncertain, with the ABA council set to meet in May and further rounds of feedback anticipated before a decision is reached.

Why does it matter?

Currently, only law schools with physical campuses can obtain accreditation for fully online JD (Juris Doctor) programs and only graduates from accredited institutions can sit for the bar exam. However, there is a shift in some states, exemplified by the Indiana Supreme Court’s recent decision to allow graduates of schools not accredited by the ABA to request a waiver to take the bar exam, following California’s early move. The move aims to address the shortage of attorneys in Indiana, though the quality of the online education program remains questionable.

EU launches toolkit to combat fake news in history education

The Council of Europe and the EU have collaborated to introduce a new educational tool to empower young people to assess content found online and in the media, discern historical inaccuracies, and engage in critical thinking about the material they come across. Dubbed the ‘Toolkit for History Classes: Debunking Fake News and Fostering Critical Thinking,’ this resource comprises 11 online activities designed to help students analyse various topics and events through historical sources and a multiperspective approach. Accompanying this toolkit is a free online training course for secondary school teachers, offering practical guidance on integrating the toolkit into classroom settings. Scheduled for release to the public in Autumn 2024, this initiative seeks to equip students with essential skills for navigating the digital landscape.

The unveiling of the toolkit will take place during the HISTOLAB European Innovation Days in History Education, scheduled from 3 to 5 April at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg. The conference, which is focused on history education, will bring together over 150 practitioners from across the EU and beyond to showcase and discuss innovative initiatives and practices in research, academia, and history teaching. Participants will explore diverse educational approaches, from analysing historical narratives through social media to using architecture to teach about totalitarian regimes.

The Innovation Days will feature nine practical workshops demonstrating engaging teaching methods that resonate with young learners. Examples include using LEGO to teach concepts of democracy and leveraging the medium of football to impart historical knowledge. With a focus on interactive and student-centred learning, these workshops aim to bridge the gap between traditional teaching methods and the interests of contemporary youth, fostering a deeper understanding of history in the process.

TikTok expands STEM education focus in EU amid regulatory scrutiny

TikTok is intensifying its focus on educational content amid mounting scrutiny in the US and the UK. The platform is rolling out its STEM feed across Europe, starting with the UK and Ireland, following its successful launch in the US last year. This dedicated feed, featuring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content, will now be integrated alongside the main feeds for users under 18 and can be enabled by older users through the app’s settings. Since its US debut, one-third of teens regularly engage with the STEM feed, with a notable surge in STEM-related content production.

The expansion comes with enhanced measures to ensure content quality and reliability. Namely, TikTok is partnering with Common Sense Networks and Poynter to vet the content appearing on the STEM feed. Common Sense Networks will assess appropriateness, while Poynter will evaluate information reliability. Content failing these checks will not qualify for the STEM feed, aiming to provide users with credible educational materials.

This move arrives amidst growing criticism over TikTok’s handling of harmful content and its impact on young users. Concerns have been raised about addictive design tactics and inadequate protection of minors from inappropriate content. In response, the EU is investigating TikTok’s compliance with online safety regulations.

By emphasising its educational initiatives, including the STEM feed, TikTok aims to position itself as a constructive platform for youth development, countering regulatory scrutiny and public concerns.

Why does it matter?

TikTok’s push for educational content aligns with its recent efforts to present a positive global image to lawmakers and stakeholders. The company has showcased the STEM feed in congressional hearings to refute accusations of harm to young users. Through initiatives like this, TikTok seeks to demonstrate its commitment to promoting learning and responsible content consumption while navigating regulatory challenges in multiple jurisdictions.

Schools and lawmakers ramp up media literacy education

As concerns grow over the proliferation of AI-generated disinformation, schools and lawmakers are doubling down on media literacy education. The push, already underway in 18 states, aims to equip students with the skills to discern fake news, which is particularly crucial as the 2024 presidential election looms. Beyond politics, the harmful effects of social media on children, including cyberbullying and online radicalisation, underscore the urgency of these efforts.

States like Delaware and New Jersey have set the bar high, mandating comprehensive media literacy standards for K-12 classrooms. These standards promote digital citizenship and empower students to navigate media safely. Yet, disparities exist among states, with some, like Illinois, implementing more muted forms of media literacy education, focusing primarily on high school instruction.

In response to the lack of federal guidelines, bipartisan efforts in Congress, such as the AI Literacy Act, seek to address the gap. Introduced by Rep. Lisa Blunt-Rochester and Rep. Larry Bucshon, the bill aims to integrate AI literacy into existing education programs, emphasising its importance for national competitiveness. However, progress on the bill has stalled since its introduction, leaving the federal approach to media literacy uncertain.

Despite variations in implementation, students across states are embracing media literacy education positively. For educators like Lisa Manganello in New Jersey, the focus is on fostering critical thinking and information literacy, irrespective of political affiliations. As misinformation continues to increase online, the need for media literacy education at the state and federal levels remains paramount to empower students as responsible digital citizens.

Airtel and UNICEF collaborate to connect Nigerian students to digital learning

In early 2023, as part of the Reimagine Education Initiative, Airtel will connect 620 primary schools in Nigeria to digital learning through its partnership with UNICEF. The implementation of the project will take five years. In the first year, Airtel and UNICEF will deliver digital learning resources to the 620 identified schools: to twenty schools this December and the remaining 600 before the end of February 2023. The project will provide a reliable telecommunications network and free access to a curriculum through the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP), an e-learning platform developed by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, and Microsoft. In addition, Airtel will provide free access to the Youth Agency Market Place (YOMA) digital platform to any Airtel subscriber.

Bridging the digital divide with Public ICT Access Centres for access to free ICT literacy training and online education

In September 2022, the Ministry of Digital Transformation committed itself to the unveiling of up to 50 ICT Access Centres across the country by the year’s end. The commitment came on the heel of the release of the UNDP’s Digital Readiness Assessment Report in March 2022, which highlighted key problem areas for the country in its quest for whole-of-government, whole-of-society digital transformation as including:

1. The lack of access to broadband internet in public spaces and schools, regardless of area within the country.
2. Older residents and those outside of urban centres receive reduced digital benefits.
3. The effects of COVID-19 exacerbated digital divides on education level.

The Access Centres allow visitors to Connect and Create, Educate and Innovate, while the government has partnered with key organisations such as the Adult Literacy Tutors Association (ALTA) Online Programme, YTEPP, and the Microsoft Philanthropic Group to bring these goals to fruition.

To this date, twelve centres have been installed, while five are open and ready to serve.