The Future of Education for the 21st Century
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Intelligence is at the heart of what makes us human, but the methods we use for identifying, talking about and valuing human intelligence are impoverished. We invest artificial intelligence (AI) with qualities it does not have and, in so doing, risk losing the capacity for education to pass on the emotional, collaborative, sensory and self-effective aspects of human intelligence that define us. To address this, Rosemary Luckin--leading expert in the application of AI in education - proposes a framework for understanding the complexity of human intelligence. She identifies the comparative limitation of AI when analyzed using the same framework, and offers clear-sighted recommendations for how educators can draw on what AI does best to nurture and expand our human capabilities.
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Introduction
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What is intelligence and why does it matter?
For the purposes of this book, I am going to narrow down the area of
human enterprise that we need to value effectively. I am going to focus
on the way that we try to make decisions about people’s abilities, their
intellectual capacity, their intelligence. We do this from a young age and we continue to do it throughout our lives. We don’t limit ourselves to comparing individual people against each other; we also compare country to country to see whose students are performing the best in their schools, colleges and universities, for example through the OECD PISA assessments (OECD, 2018). I will focus on intelligence, because intelligence is at the heart of what makes us human.
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In particular, I will explore the way in which we make decisions
about whether or not somebody or something is intelligent, and how
we constantly try and quantify this intelligence into a reassuringly large
number. I will examine the implications for our education systems of the way that we perceive intelligence, talk about intelligence and evaluate intelligence. This examination will be conducted within the context of a world that is increasingly augmented by artificial intelligence (AI). Writing this book is a pragmatic enterprise in which I unpack the elements of human intelligence that we need to value. I use what I unpack to make one central argument, and then consider what our response should be. I argue that the methods we use for identifying, talking about and valuing human intelligence are impoverished. As a consequence of these impoverished tools we are dumbing down, not smarting up, the most valuable resource in the world: ourselves.
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(Excerpt from the book's introduction by Author Professor Rosemary Luckin)
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Keywords
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Machine learning, human intelligence, AI, AI Readiness, artificial intelligence, recommendations, capabilities, skills, education, self-efficacy
About the Author:
Professor Rose Luckin
Rosemary (Rose) Luckin is a Professor at University College London renowned for her research into the design and evaluation of educational technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI). She was named one of the 20 most influential people in education in the Seldon List in 2017, the only non-US winner of the ISTE Impact Award, and one of Computer Weekly’s top 50 most influential women in technology for 2023. Rose regularly provides expert evidence to policymakers like the UK Parliament's House of Lords and House of Commons select committees and the European Commission.
Rose has published widely in academic journals, at international conferences, through books, and in news media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines). Her 2018 book, Machine Learning and Human Intelligence: The Future of Education for the 21st Century, has been translated into Mandarin and influenced many of China's leading AI companies. Her most recent book, AI for School Teachers (2022), is an essential and accessible guide to AI for anyone in education.
Rose also founded EDUCATE Ventures Research Ltd., a London hub for educational technology startups, researchers, and educators engaged in evidence-based edtech and leveraging data and AI to benefit education.
Rose has taught in secondary, further, and higher education. She has led many large interdisciplinary international research projects and held senior leadership roles in higher education, including as Pro Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the University of Sussex before joining UCL in 2006. She is President of the Self-Managed Learning College in Brighton and host of the EdTech podcast.
