A teacher should be a "guide on the side," not a "sage on the stage," educators have been saying for the last 30-ish years. Now AI is making it possible and . . . Is this really a good idea?
Unbound Academic Institute has received the OK to open a Tucson charter school without human teachers: AI will provide two hours of day of interactive, individualized lessons in literature, math and science to fourth- to eighth-graders, reports Radhika Rajkumar on ZDNet. Human "guides" will provide emotional support and, presumably, keep students from goofing off.
In the afternoon, students will attend virtual "life skills workshops" on topics such as "financial literacy, public speaking, resilience, and critical thinking led by what Unbound calls 'community mentors,' who range 'from local entrepreneurs to civic leaders'," she writes.
"The AI system will analyze their responses, time spent on tasks, and even emotional cues [via webcam] to optimize the difficulty and presentation of content," Unbound's charter application states. "This ensures that each student is consistently challenged at their optimal level, preventing boredom or frustration."
Unbound uses the "2hr Learning model" in Alpha, a network of private schools in Texas and Florida. It claims students learn academics much faster when lessons are personalized.
Unlike Alpha schools, which charge tuition, Unbound charters will be free and will provide laptops.
Most educators are "skeptical of online learning," writes Rajkumar.
Pre-AI online classes work best with mature, motivated, capable students -- and not well with all of those either. AI can be much more interactive, but don't elementary- and middle-school students need to discuss ideas with classmates and work on science labs?