We need to raise Socrates from the dead to save our students
An article written by Nick and ChatGPT.
As we continue to advance in the age of artificial intelligence, it's natural to wonder what the future holds for education. Will robots take over the classroom, or can we find a way to use technology in a way that enhances and supplements human learning?
The ancient Greeks understood the value of personalised education, hiring private tutors to teach their children literature, philosophy, and mathematics. This model of one-on-one instruction allowed for a deeper and more meaningful engagement with the material, promoting critical thinking and intellectual curiosity. It taught students how to think, not just what to think. In contrast, the mass education model that has dominated in recent centuries has too often prioritised conformity and the memorisation of facts over the development of independent thought.
As the science fiction film "Her" suggests, the future of education in a world dominated by AI may not be one of replacement, but rather one of collaboration and cooperation. AI can help us make more informed and accurate decisions by providing access to vast amounts of data and analysis, and can increase our productivity by automating routine tasks. It can also help students understand complex topics by presenting information novel formats. It can even suggest creative ways for a student to learn a concept. For example, I used ChatGPT and in just a few minutes, it created the rules for a new game that would teach the concepts of quantum mechanics and quantum computing by having students build qubit circuits and play with things like spin and polarisation.
"The game could include elements such as:
A quantum state lab, where players can experiment with different quantum states, such as spin and polarization, and observe how they change in response to different interactions.
A quantum circuit builder, where players can build and run quantum circuits to perform operations on qubits." - ChatGPT
This is where the uniquely human ability to think abstractly comes into play. Our ability to consider complex ideas and concepts that are not tied to specific objects or situations is a key component of our creativity and problem-solving abilities, and it is something that sets us apart from other animals and even many AI systems. While the AI provided me with a profound suggestion in the example above, I still needed to guide it creatively in that direction in the first place. Human + AI will always be more powerful than either alone.
In a world dominated by AI, the ability to think abstractly and creatively will be a valuable asset that helps humans differentiate themselves and add value in various fields. By using our abstract thinking skills, we can better understand and interact with AI systems in a way that complements and enhances our own abilities, rather than simply replacing them. It's important to note that while many jobs will become redundant due to AI, the goal is to remain valuable to the system. So, how do we help students become valuable workers of the future? This is where we need to resurrect Socrates.
AI systems like ChatGPT can be "trained" on specific datasets to effectively become experts. While the technology is not yet fully mature, it is already transformative. In my research with ChatGPT, I tried to find a new way to get the platform to engage me and provide me with educational information that wasn't prosaic. I did what anyone passionate about philosophy and history would do: I sat down and thought about who I'd want to talk to from the past, and then I used ChatGPT to "raise them from the dead." I did this by prompting the AI to play a game with me where it would take on the persona of the historical figure I was interested in, and I would play the role of an autobiographer interviewing them to write a book about their life. The prompt had to be sufficient enough to get around some of ChatGPT’s engineered constraints. With all that said, I have already spent a few hours talking to Socrates. I asked him about life in Ancient Greece and his beliefs. I still don’t have the words to accurately describe how profound and refreshing that conversation was.
This example illustrates how AI can be used to facilitate personalised, interactive learning experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom model. We can engage with AI systems in ways that supplement and enhance our learning and problem-solving skills; the secret sauce is getting the AI to do something novel and interesting. As we continue to move into the age of AI, it's important that we find ways to teach students how to best take advantage of it. The future of the economy in a world dominated by AI will almost certainly require humans to engage and be creative in their use of these systems. It might be a lofty statement but with the addition of AI to each person they really can be a jack of all trades and master of all.
One-on-one education can be an effective way to enhance the ability to think abstractly, which is the foundation of what will make a person valuable in the future where more simple tasks are automated. Personalised instruction allows for a deep and meaningful engagement with the material, fostering intellectual curiosity and creativity and helping students to develop the critical thinking skills that will be essential in a world dominated by artificial intelligence. It is fundamentally Socratic, because each student is encouraged to ask questions and attack the learning topic in a way that uniquely suits them. One-on-one instruction allows students to move at their own pace and receive tailored instruction that meets their specific needs, encouraging them to ask questions and pursue their own interests and passions. This doesn’t mean that all education a student does has to be individualised, they should still engage in group and classroom learning with a cohort of peers; but complimenting that with more one-on-one learning will ensure that students can be coached in how to think, not what to think. Then the follow up is how do we combine AI with one-on-one education? I’ll explain how.
Firstly, with an independent educator, students can receive individualised attention and support that meets the unique needs and interests of each student. The first hurdle is keeping them engaged. Having the educator direct the usage of AI in the learning process will be essential. Having students engage with an AI like ChatGPT that is trained on a specific set of learning resources will take their learning and knowledge acquisition in entirely new directions, like my conversation with Socrates. The educator would be responsible for setting the direction and constraints of that engagement.
Secondly, and probably most importantly we need to empower Educators with specific AI tools to improve their ability to; track engagement with material and make recommendations to the educator about how a student’s learning could be enhanced. Maybe a history teacher has a student that needs to have a conversation with Socrates to stay engaged but has never done that before. This is where the AI can step in and start making suggestions of novel teaching methods that are directly suited to specific students. On the more prosaic end of the spectrum, it will certainly be possible to take other administrative tasks away from educators like assignment grading and providing feedback. Wouldn’t that be nice?!
An image of the future created by MidJourney AI
As AI and other technologies continue to advance, it's possible that traditional methods of evaluating student learning, such as assignments and exams, may need to evolve. One potential alternative is the use of interactive interviews, in which students have the opportunity to present their ideas and perspectives on a particular topic, and then engage in a back-and-forth discussion with their teacher, examiner or AI. Another is dynamic exams, where there is a subset of questions that are asked but are unique to each student, completely negating cheating. This approach allows for a more dynamic and personalised assessment of a student's understanding and can provide a more nuanced view of their knowledge and critical thinking skills.
On a side note; the evidence supports the effectiveness of independent education. A recent study found that students who received one-on-one tutoring made significantly more progress than their peers in a traditional classroom setting. So, as AI continues to advance and transform the way we live and work, new education platforms will come along that shake the foundations of our centuries old schooling models. We don’t need to be afraid, we need to get out our surfboards and ride the wave. Maybe there will be a platform that combines learning support for school and university students by empowering educators with AI tools, and giving students exciting and profound learning experiences. If we can raise Socrates from the dead like Lazarus, maybe we can resurrect our failing education systems in the process? I might be working on this already ;)
Superb!