The "School of the Future" Teaches and Learns with AI

"Properly implemented, AI can contribute effectively to enhancing the quality of teaching," say Prof. Dr. Dana Mah and Prof. Dr. Marcus Pietsch.

The new school year has begun in Germany, yet many schools are once again facing the same uncertainty: How should they handle artificial intelligence (AI)? How can this challenge be addressed? The need for schools to find solutions has become glaringly obvious. AI holds significant potential to support both students and teachers—provided it is used thoughtfully, skillfully, and critically.

Following the media hype around the release of the AI language model ChatGPT in November 2022, the questions that arose for daily school life remain largely unanswered: Are students now using AI to do all their homework? What are the legal frameworks for AI use in classrooms—for example, in terms of data privacy? What ethical considerations must be addressed? Is the necessary technical infrastructure in place? Will AI replace teachers? And most importantly, will students truly learn better and more effectively in the end?

The uncertainty and concerns are understandable, as AI is very complex and abstract. In broad terms, AI refers to software that can achieve human-defined goals with a certain level of autonomy and learning capability. AI technologies are already integrated into our everyday lives—real-time navigation systems, personalised online shopping recommendations, voice assistants, and smart home systems are just a few examples. However, in the field of education—at least in Germany—AI is still relatively new and, for many, unexpected. As recently as the end of 2022, the Schulleitungsmonitor Deutschland, commissioned by the Wübben Foundation, revealed that school leaders did not regard AI as a relevant topic. Instead, the pressing future concern was teacher shortages, not AI.

The potential uses of AI in schools are diverse. Teachers can use text-generating AI to create new teaching materials tailored to different learning and language levels, enabling more personalised support for students. Learning progress can be tracked using data-driven Learning Analytics, and AI systems can adaptively recommend suitable learning content. This gives teachers more time for individual support and feedback.

From a student perspective, digital learning platforms can offer personalised learning materials, making immediate feedback on their progress possible. AI-assistive systems can read digital exercises aloud for visually impaired students, while videos can be subtitled for those with hearing impairments. In group work, students can experiment with prompts—formulated tasks given to the AI—conduct fact checks on AI-generated results, and discuss ethical considerations. AI is treated both as a tool and as a subject to be learned about in schools. When used correctly, AI can significantly enhance the quality of education.

However, to fully exhaust AI's benefits in teaching and learning, several prerequisites must be met. In particular, developing AI competencies among all participants is crucial. This includes a fundamental understanding of AI systems, including their limitations, such as data biases and potential "hallucinations"—false or misleading results generated by AI models.

Personal data should not be shared with AI systems, and only privacy-friendly AI applications should be used. Furthermore, it must be ensured that AI supports learning and is not used for surveillance or selective purposes.

What is still lacking, however, are binding and reliable frameworks to enable and safeguard the use of AI in schools. Therefore, nationwide legal, structural, and policy resolutions must be established swiftly to ensure safe and goal-oriented AI integration in education. Above all, this requires a political vision for the "school of the future."

And it also demands a shift in mindset within schools: a culture that embraces constructive handling of mistakes, fosters courage and space for experimentation, promotes professional knowledge management, and encourages close collaboration with various stakeholders such as businesses and civil society organisations. Only then will schools in Germany avoid falling behind in technological advancement.

This article was first published in the Handelsblatt on 16 September 2024. Please access the digital edition here.

Dana-Kristin Mah is junior professor of digital teaching and learning. Marcus Pietsch is a DFG Heisenberg professor of education management.