According to Professor of Higher Education Auli Toom, pupils and students must use AI more systematically. The University of Helsinki is launching a fundraising campaign to establish Finland's first professorship in pedagogical AI.
The gloomiest visions for AI depict the total annihilation of education and learning.
To prevent this, the idea of learning with AI must be introduced in everyday life at schools and other educational institutions. This is what , Professor of Higher Education and Vice-Dean for Research at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Educational Sciences believes.
"It's important that pupils and students learn to actively use AI for learning, while also learning to study with it and use it adaptably in their studies on their own and with others."
Putting your head in the sand does not help now that AI is part of our daily lives already in so many ways.
"This is why banning AI use in schools is a non-starter. On the contrary, pupils and students must be made to use it more appropriately," Toom emphasises.
Setting in motion teaching in AI skills
For the time being, the situation is different: it can depend on the municipality, educational institution and even the teacher whether children and adolescents use AI in learning.
The problem is precisely that today's schools do not necessarily teach them AI skills with sufficient goal orientation.
"This is exactly where change is needed," Toom says.
To achieve this goal, the University of Helsinki will launch a fundraising campaign in October to establish Finland's first professorship in pedagogical AI. The position would strengthen research on AI in teaching and learning, as well as generate knowledge on what future teachers must know about AI.
In addition to the professorship, the funds raised will be spent on national continuing education for teachers already serving in their profession. They will be taught the most important aspects of AI in education, teaching and learning.
AI and learning are closely linked, as many people learn new things even in their everyday lives with the help of various AI applications. However, the best ways for pupils and students to exploit AI in active learning are yet to be systematically investigated.
Critical thinking is an AI skill
Some people believe AI should be kept out of the school world entirely, as it makes assignments too easy. After all, pupils can ask language models everything about photosynthesis or any other topic and copy the answer directly in their notebooks.
"The key to teaching AI skills is how to use AI so that it challenges people to learn and develop in a balanced manner."
To effectively learn with AI, people have to possess many skills. including familiarity with the basics of topics they wish to learn more about using AI.
"You have to know something about the topic to be able to ask questions and request polished perspectives and details. Asking good questions is one of the essential skills associated with AI use."
Soon, schools and other educational institutions must consider the assessment of performance alongside the teaching of AI skills. According to Toom, central to this is the extent to which assessment focuses on familiarity with details, facts and subject-specific knowledge on the one hand, and on critical thinking and problem solving on the other.
"Our goal is for the University of Helsinki to produce specialists in various fields who are adept at using AI in their own learning."
Regardless of the age of the children or adolescents they will eventually work with, it is important that all teacher students learn AI pedagogy.
"It's necessary for all teachers from early childhood education to university education."
