From article by Chrissa Loukas, Spectrum News
A new study from Battelle found a gap between what employers expect and how educators are teaching students to use artificial intelligence as they prepare for the workforce.
The research found more than half of employers and human resources decision-makers believe students are not ready for future jobs, while more than 80% of educators surveyed believe students are ready, said Wes Hall, senior vice president at Battelle.
In an AI-enabled economy, Hall said, employers are increasingly looking for both technical capabilities and human skills that can't be replaced by AI.
“We want to move toward developing a solution. Battelle’s been very innovative for a long time as part of our DNA, and if we can help close this gap and help with America’s future competitiveness, that’s what we’re here for,” Hall said.
In Erika Reeves’ classroom, Metro students learning about the human body are also learning how to use AI as a tool. Reeves has been a teacher for more than 23 years and said teaching has changed since she started, when students could not find answers online as easily. Now, AI gives students access to information quickly, which changes the role of the teacher.
“AI has brought in where I get to teach critical thinking, and I get to teach the students how to think for themselves,” Reeves said.
Some of her students noted that AI can be helpful, but also raised concerns.
“Schoolwork gets hard, so it makes me tempted to use it when I don’t know the answer to something,” Jana said.
Another student said relying on AI instead of asking a teacher can affect the relationship between students and educators.
“If you ask AI instead of the teacher, you can’t build a connection and get easier referrals for colleges,” Christiana said.
“Learning how to teach yourself things is a skill,” Liam said. “If you just tell AI to break something down, you won’t remember the way that you got to that conclusion.”
As Ms. Reeves explained, the goal of AI is to teach students how to use it as a tool, not to replace their thinking. Her goal is to help students become the best version of themselves so they can be competitive in the future workforce.