Let’s see if AI can work its magic to solve the shortcomings in education

I jumped on the artificial intelligence (AI) bandwagon long before ChatGPT launched. Two years later, after trying virtually every new application and implementation, I have yet to find one I can trust. I thought AI would do my research for me, write my articles, and generally help me understand the world.

Instead, I find myself double-checking everything it sends, and more often than not ignoring its suggestions and starting over. We need AI to solve real problems that humans can’t. If it can’t, it’s just a passing fad.

Just when I was about to give up completely, I came across an application of AI in education that just might restore my faith in its promise. But before I tell you all about it, I need to explain the complex process of learning to read.

Children naturally develop the ability to speak. They naturally learn how to associate the sounds they hear from adults around them with the objects and actions those words are meant to represent.

However, they do need to learn to read. In other words, they need active instruction in how to associate the sounds they already know with the squiggly symbols (alphabets) we use to construct written words and sentences.

Studies have shown that the ability of students to comprehend what they are taught is directly correlated with the speed and accuracy with which they can read. We call such students fluent readers.

Our entire education system is based on children learning to read in the 4th grade so that, if they are fluent, they can read to learn. In higher grades, they are expected to follow not only what is said in class, but also what is written on the board and in the textbooks.

To do this, their brains must be wired to quickly and correctly decode symbols into sounds to better understand advanced concepts. Those for whom this wiring is incomplete or deficient will lag behind their classmates in comprehension.

One of the main reasons why students are seen as poor learners in our education system is because they cannot read as quickly as the people around them.

They have difficulty understanding the material. This is not because they have a learning disability, but because their brains have difficulty understanding what they are reading.

If that’s the case, then all it takes to improve their learning outcomes is a new way to rewire their brains so they can make the missing connections and read faster.

That is easier said than done. Every child follows a different educational path. As a result, the way one child’s brain is programmed will differ from that of the students sitting next to her in the classroom.

So there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. Even the most dedicated teacher will simply not be able to provide this level of tailored education to every student in her class to ensure that those who are behind can catch up with those who are on track.

This is where AI comes into play. Today, AI is more than capable of understanding spoken conversation. It can therefore not only assess the written comprehension levels of different students, but also devise customized remedial pathways that address each child’s unique deficiencies.

That’s what the Tamil Nadu government wanted to achieve with the Mozhigal programme, a teacher-led reading initiative that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve language learning for children in that district.

Since its launch in March 2023, it has been offered to over 900,000 children in over 6,000 schools in a bid to improve their reading skills.

How does it work?

Children in the program are first placed in front of a computer and given a piece of text to read aloud. The AI ​​records this and, by comparing what they have said with the written text they have been given, can identify the syllables and phonemes that they have difficulty understanding.

Armed with this information, the AI ​​creates customized practice material: words and sentences specifically designed to meet the unique needs of each individual child. The child then practices by reading the sentence out loud, with the computer helping them with words they find difficult.

As she practices, the algorithm dynamically adjusts the sessions based on her progress, continually expanding her knowledge of words she doesn’t recognize.

As a result, children improve their reading skills in gradual steps, increasing their familiarity and speed with each round. This builds their confidence and motivates them to attempt more difficult and complex sentences.

In just a few months, children participating in the Mozhigal program showed significant improvements in their reading speed.

Students who have completed the learning modules are already more active in class and seem more confident in their coursework. Although it is still early days, it is likely that their academic results will improve as well.

The real promise of artificial intelligence lies in the practical applications of this technology. We need many more applications like this.