Director of Education, Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation | Public History
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Every company in the EdTech space is announcing new AI features in new or existing products. But how many have read the U.S. Department of Education's guidance to get it right? Back in May, the Office of Education Technology released, "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning," explaining what DOE wants to see in effective #AI tools, where it sees this technology going, and how districts can spend money wisely by separating useful tools from fad products. It's essential reading for anyone in this space. But if you're building products, implementing them in classrooms, or vetting them for school and district use, you may want to skip ahead to the list of recommendation the DOE advises: 🔺 Emphasize humans in the loop This is a central tenet, and first for a reason. Teachers will always be the drivers of instruction in the classroom, and the best tools make them better. 🔺 Align AI models to a shared vision for education Place the educational needs of students ahead of the excitement about emerging AI capabilities. The report calls on leaders to avoid 'romancing the magic of AI' or only focusing on promising applications or outcomes. Instead, interrogate with a critical eye how AI-enabled systems and tools function in the educational environment. We want machine learning, not Rube-Goldberg machine learning. 🔺 Design using modern learning principles Ensure product designs are based on best principles of teaching and learning. AI tools are still tools, not results. They are only as good as their utility and how they empower the user. 🔺 Prioritize strengthening trust Constituents want AI that supports teachers and rejects AI visions that replace teachers. This is a North Star for Litmus Learn. We help teachers do their job, we don't find use in replacing them (or trying). 🔺 Inform and Involve Educators Now is the time to show the respect and value for educators by informing and involving them in every step of the process of designing, developing, testing, improving, adopting, and managing AI-enabled #EdTech. I can't help but here the echo of Assistant Secretary of Education Roberto Rodriguez, with whom I had the privilege to work during my time with Teach Plus as part of his National Advisory Cabinet. 🔺 Focus R&D on addressing context and enhancing trust and safety Advance AI on the long tail of learning variability, where large populations of students would benefit from customization of learning. Personalized learning is one of the most powerful potentials of AI. 🔺 Develop Education-Specific Guidelines and Guardrails Leaders at every level need awareness of how this work reaches beyond implications for privacy and security, potential bias and unfairness, and they need preparation to effectively confront the next level of issues. The entire document isn't just nice to read for EdTech developers - it's a must read if you want to get it right, match the market, and maximize efficacy.