How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education
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How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education

Sal Khan
Khan Academy, 2023
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Editorial Rating

10

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Visionary
  • Engaging

Recommendation

So far, modern educational practices haven’t been able to solve Bloom’s 2 Sigma Problem, which suggests that personalized one-on-one tutoring could shift the bell curve of student achievement two whole standard deviations to the right. Could AI tutors be the missing link that could transform Bloom’s 2 Sigma Problem into a 2 Sigma Solution? Sal Khan of Khan Academy thinks so. In this engaging TED talk, Khan makes an argument that the thoughtful implementation of AI tutors could revolutionize education.

Summary

One-on-one tutoring can have a substantial positive impact on student achievement, but practical and economic constraints limit access. AI could change that.

Back in the 1980s, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom found that students exposed to one-on-one tutoring tended to perform much better than students in the typical classroom setup with one teacher and 30 students. In other words, one-on-one tutoring “could take your average student and turn them into an exceptional student,” and “can take your below-average student and turn them into an above-average student.” But how do you provide a knowledgeable tutor for every single student?

Using the power of generative AI, Khan Academy has created Khanmigo, an AI tutor that doesn’t just spout information, but engages with students’ learning processes by asking questions, theorizing how students think and where they may have gone wrong...

About the Speaker

Sal Khan founded Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational organization with a mission to provide free education to students around the world. Khan holds degrees from MIT and Harvard Business School, and worked as a hedge fund analyst before founding Khan Academy.

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