AI in education: Embrace with caution, says college principal

The official overseeing teacher training in Barbados has weighed on the role of artificial intelligence in education, calling for the technology to be embraced despite widespread concerns. 

Speaking at a webinar on AI and self-directed learning, Dr Colin Cumberbatch, principal of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, emphasised the significant benefits AI could offer students while acknowledging the need for careful implementation and policy development. The webinar was organised by Erdiston in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning.

Dr Cumberbatch underscored AI’s growing role in education, noting that countries worldwide are investing billions in AI technologies, and as such, the campus is seeking to develop policies geared at leveraging the technology.

He said: “The new wave of AI technologies is a lot more sophisticated and a lot more accurate than pulling down information [from books]. Countries around the world are investing billions in AI technology and therefore we know it’s rapidly becoming an integral part of everybody’s day-to-day functioning. In teaching education, we too have taken note about what is happening in artificial intelligence obviously, because it can cut like a double-edged sword, and we need to be very careful.

“The college is in the process of developing policies; we are doing extensive research to look at what policies are being developed across the world, and also looking at developing policies of our own for the college. We need to have policies and regulations in place for the use of AI in the educational setting.”

While he acknowledged the ethical considerations surrounding AI, he stressed the importance of guidance rather than restriction: “I want to speak from the position of a struggling maths student; this thing was done in class, I just could not understand it, I go home and use the AI [and] it puts out this whole thing that I can follow. Yes, I understand all of the ethics and everything that would accompany [AI usage] but we need to look at how this can be beneficial to supporting the child’s understanding of and learning the concepts.

“I personally would not have a problem with children using it, but we have to explain to children how they should use it in all that we do.”

Dr Denise J. Charles, a Ministry of Education officer added that digital literacy will be a key factor in helping train students ethically in the use of AI systems.

“Digital literacy is not just about technical skills,” she said. “It is seeking to engage our thinking and cognition at the level of our social and emotional intelligence, with how the digital world should be navigated. When we are talking about digital literacy, we are not just talking about how to be able to use a computer; we are talking about being able to apply wisdom and ethics in digital spaces. This is with respect to how we engage with information.” (SB)