CORAL SPRING, Trelawny — An educator, pointing to the migration of teachers which leaves those that remain being overworked, has suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) may be the solution.

“We are in a new paradigm and I am saying to achieve the gold standards in education let us use this new tool that we have to our advantage. Through the use of AI in our classrooms, every student can have a tutor and every teacher has an assistant. We want to use this experiential learning to help students because, guess what, our society mash up if the students done. If the students are done, we are in a problem. So, let us use this tool,” urged senior lecturer in the School of Computing & Information Technology at the University of Technology, Dr Nadine Barrett Maitland.

She was addressing a plenary session of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association Education Conference 2024 being held at the Ocean Coral Spring Hotel in Trelawny on Tuesday.

Barrett Maitland, who was speaking on the topic of ‘Using AI to support experiential learning’, argued that while the remuneration is inadequate, educators are in the profession because of their love of teaching. She said any support that can be given to teachers is welcome.

“If it was pay, all teachers leave the work,” added Barrett Maitland to a round of applause from those in attendance.

She pointed to ways in which AI can assist in lightening teachers’ loads, such as assisting with tracking students’ progress.

“Sometimes with all the good intentions and good effort, one teacher cannot pay attention to every student the way how a computer can do it. It can also send that information to your teacher,” explained Barrett-Maitland.

The senior educator also said AI can also assist with guidance counselling. She said this approach may help shy students to become more confident in their efforts.

“AI can support students in ways that we couldn’t. For example, you have some introverts and they don’t want to talk in class but they will do their exercises on the computers, AI can track it,” argued Barrett Maitland, who noted that this is AI utilising data analytics.

She noted that tools such as
ChatGPT can be used for brainstorming activities, generating lesson plans, assist in setting exercises and grading them. However, she warned educators to be careful as some of the answers and information generated are based on the American system. Jamaica currently uses the United Kingdom English system.