AI in Education A Double Edged Sword for Black Students

Back to Basics in the Age of AI

As the new school year begins, some educators are taking a decidedly low-tech approach to combat a high-tech problem. Jordan Clayton-Taylor, a high school English teacher in Chicago, is having her students put away their Chromebooks and pick up pens and paper for essay writing. This move is a direct response to students using ChatGPT to generate entire essays, a trend she fears is undermining their ability to think for themselves.

“It definitely does impact students’ critical thinking skills,” Clayton-Taylor explains. “They’re not able to think on their own. The purpose of English is for you to be able to formulate your own idea.”

The Promise and Peril of AI in Schools

Artificial intelligence has been presented as a potential game-changer for education, especially for Black students. Proponents argue it could offer personalized tutoring, help address learning loss, and level the playing field for underfunded schools. However, a growing number of teachers and experts are raising concerns. Beyond the risk of built-in biases, they worry that over-reliance on AI could hinder knowledge retention and the development of original thought.

As AI tools become more accessible, spitting out answers in seconds, educators are faced with the challenge of how to adapt their teaching methods.

AI's Impact on Creativity and Learning

A recent MIT study highlighted these concerns, finding that individuals who used ChatGPT to write an SAT essay showed lower brain engagement. The study also noted that their work, much like AI-generated text, was often bland and lacked originality.

Devery Rodgers, an educational technology professor at California State University, offers a different perspective. She points out that new technologies, from the calculator to Google, have always been met with fears of eroding critical thinking. The key, she argues, is not to ban the technology but to guide its application.

“There is a way to learn and do good with it, just like there’s a way to learn and do evil with it,” Rodgers says. She urges teachers to engage with AI themselves to better guide their students toward becoming responsible digital citizens.

Navigating Bias and Building Confidence

The issue of inherent bias in AI is another significant hurdle. With the federal government issuing warnings about “woke AI,” the conversation around equitable technology is more critical than ever. Rodgers encourages educators to understand and account for these biases when using AI for personalized learning.

For teachers like Clayton-Taylor, the goal is to teach students how to use AI as a tool, not a crutch. She has observed that students who rely on AI often lack confidence in their own writing abilities. This can be particularly detrimental to Black students.

“The idea of perfection does not look like us,” Clayton-Taylor says. “It does not sound like us. It limits us. I’m very strong on instilling in our kids like you are perfect the way you are. You just have to believe in yourself.”

In other classrooms, teachers are using technology to monitor technology. Shannon Singleton, a high school teacher in Indiana, uses software like GoGuardian to prevent students from taking improper AI shortcuts during assignments. For her, the ultimate lesson is to shift the focus from grades to the genuine desire to learn.

This article was originally published by Word in Black.