I recently had the privilege of participating in a webinar hosted by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) on the topic of “How teachers can use AI effectively.” The session was described as follows

Supporters of AI argue it has the potential to supercharge education but do teachers know how to use it effectively? Today, few education systems provide guidelines on if and how teachers should use AI in their classrooms. This has contributed to a gap between teachers’ interest in using AI and the support and training they receive to effectively use AI tools and techniques. With predictions of an AI revolution across the education landscape, this webinar will explore ways teachers can use AI to improve learning outcomes.

The webinar was moderated by Duncan Crawford, Senior Content Manager at the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. Joining me on the panel were Madhumalti Sharma, PMP, the dynamic Founder and President of Workshop4Me, and Samo Varsik, Policy Analyst for the Education for Inclusive Societies project at OECD.

In our conversation, which was viewed live by over 400 people from across the world, we discussed the role of AI tools in education across a range of tasks and challenges. However, we also discussed important concerns such as potential biases in AI systems, privacy issues, and the need to balance AI use with developing students’ creativity and critical thinking skills.

The conversation highlighted the global nature of this challenge, with examples of AI integration in education from various countries. From Korea’s development of AI-enhanced digital textbooks to the Czech Republic’s use of AI in assessment, it’s clear that education systems worldwide are grappling with how best to harness AI’s potential.

One of the things I emphasized in my discussion was the importance of empowering teachers and the need for flexible guidelines rather than jumping to strict policies that may become outdated as the technology changes and evolves. I also stressed the importance of viewing AI as a creative cognitive partner rather than an oracle or a “truth machine.”

You can watch the full webinar below.