After six decades of dreaming and experimenting, we may be on the cusp of a technology-enabled revolution in education. The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools recently approved the Applications by Unbound Academy for a new online school that will replace traditional teachers with AI teaching assistants, promising to provide 2.4 times academic growth for students compared to results from in regular schools.

This development is not the result of another incremental tech experiment – rather, it represents the latest chapter in the 60-year quest of computer assisted instruction (CAI) to transform education through technology. This time, the evidence suggests a a real breakthrough maybe it’s close. If this Academy and similar initiatives succeed, it will mark the realization of a long-held dream.

The idea of ​​using computers to help students learn dates to the 1950s, with first application —Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations (PLATO) — which appeared in 1961. PLATO offered interactive lessons and real-time feedback using terminals connected by telephone lines to a time-share computer system . Like other time-share systems, PLATO ultimately failed due to the high costs required.

Other attempts at immersive, experiential learning popularly include Second Life – a virtual world accessible via the Internet where people participate as avatars – in the early 2000s. Although not clearly a CAI tool, Second Life shows the potential for immersive virtual learning environments. To a point at least 300 universities worldwide including Stanford and Harvard teaches courses or conducts research on the platform. Ultimately, Second Life struggled due to a poor user interface (UI), strong technical requirements, a steep learning curve and an inability to scale.

The arrival of generative AI in 2017 marked a change in CAI, with tools such as Can be written and Photomath enhancing teaching and learning. Writable, for example, uses AI to provide feedback on student writing, helping teachers manage large workloads. as reported by Axios, Writable uses ChatGPT to create comments and observations that are sent to the teacher, who is expected to review and tweak them before providing feedback to students.

Such tools highlight the growing role of AI in solving long-standing resource constraints in traditional education. In some US school districts, elementary class size exceeds 40 students. If a teacher spends 10 minutes reading and critiquing a writing assignment from each student, that would be 400 minutes, or more than 6.6 hours outside of class time, to provide feedback. for a task. That seems unlikely, especially in combination with assessing other student tasks. Advances from technology can help solve this challenge.

AI-powered teaching at scale

More comprehensively, the Khan Academyled by founder Sal Khan, has been offering free online educational tutorials since 2008. In 2023, the company launched Khanmigoan interactive AI tutor for students that includes ChatGPT.

In a 2023 TED TalkKhan talked about the potential of Khanmigo for improving student performance. In the speech, he mentioned a 1984 ROLE titled “The 2 Sigma Problem” by Professor of education Benjamin Bloom, then at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

The oft-cited paper argues that students who receive individualized instruction perform two standard deviations better than those who receive only traditional classroom instruction. However, Bloom found that this level of teaching was impractical due to resource constraints including the costs of hiring human teachers. Bloom believes that the solution is to create more economical interventions that can approach the benefits of teaching.

Khan argues that even with the application of AI-infused technology, Khanmigo has effectively overcome resource constraints. as notted in a Harvard Business School case study, Khan said Khanmigo could be “that holy grail we’ve all read about in science fiction for years, about an AI that can imitate a human teacher.”

Others have pointed out the flaws in Bloom’s paper, questioning the evidence supporting his conclusion and dismissing the claims as far-fetched. In an effort to “separate science fiction from science fact,” Paul von Hippel, a professor and associate dean for research at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, I thought that the two standard deviation claim is both “inflated and exaggerated.” However, there is little question that the use of technology tools can improve educational outcomes.

Balancing efficiency and human connection

while AI tools show great promise in addressing resource limitations, their adoption raises broader questions about the role of human connection in learning. Which brings us back to Unbound Academy. Students spend two hours online each school morning working through AI-driven lessons in math, reading, and science. Tools like Khanmigo and XL personalize instruction and analyze progress, adjust difficulty and content in real time to optimize learning outcomes. The Charter application states that “this ensures that each student is constantly challenged to their best level, preventing boredom or frustration.”

The Unbound Academy model greatly reduces the role of human teachers. Instead, human “guides” provide emotional support and encouragement while also leading the way workshops of life skills. What do students lose by spending most of their learning time with AI instead of human teachers, and how might this model change the teaching profession?

The Unbound Academy model has been used by many private schools and the results they have obtained are used to prove the advantages it claims. However, it is unclear how a computer-based model would impact a student’s ability to develop human connections outside of a traditional school setting. These issues and questions highlight the complex trade-offs schools like Unbound Academy must navigate as they redefine the educational landscape.

Is the revolution here?

The Academy is not the only example of AI being used in schools. Khanmigo is being piloted in 266 US school districts in grades three through 12. As reported through CBS, the software is used by teachers as well as students. This pilot program offers a glimpse of how AI can be integrated into existing education systems, supporting teachers and students by improving lesson planning, saving time and providing real-time insights into student progress.

CAI has come a long way since PLATO, although it took more than 60 years. If AI-driven models succeed, they could democratize access to high-quality instruction. While AI has the potential to widen existing disparities, it also offers unprecedented opportunities to bring quality education to underserved communities.

As schools like Unbound Academy and those piloting Khanmigo are pioneering AI-driven teaching models, they’re not just trying out a new approach to education – they’re challenging our fundamental assumptions. about how learning happens and what role human teachers play in that process. The results could change education for generations to come.

Gary Grossman is the EVP of the technology practice at Edelman and global leader of the Edelman AI Center of Excellence.