2023 May 31 Archive - EXEIdeas – Let's Your Mind Rock

Only a few years ago, the concept of Artificial Intelligence was something only IT professionals and tech enthusiasts were interested in. However, in 2023 it became an extremely valuable and multifunctional tool used by millions of people. Artificial intelligence helps us write texts, create images, make better decisions, and spend less time working on mundane tasks, so no wonder many entrepreneurs seek ways to incorporate AI/ML-powered software into their business practices. The educational industry is no exception in this regard. Schools, universities, language learning apps, and online course providers all use AI in online education to improve the quality of services, boost the audience’s engagement, and outshine the competition.After reading all this, some might wonder why every educational business in the world didn’t start using AI in online education the minute it became available. Are there hidden pitfalls no one talks about? To dispel the doubts and provide everyone interested with a comprehensive overview of the pros and cons, Artificial Intelligence offers business owners, Light IT Global has prepared the following editorial. In it, you will find some of the most tempting benefits as well as the most serious challenges an entrepreneur might face if they choose to opt for an AI-based educational solution. Why AI In Online Education Is A True Phenomenon For The Industry?Most online education services providers that keep up with the latest IT trends either have already incorporated AI algorithms into their software or plan to do so in the nearest future. The number of businesses that completely neglect Artificial Intelligence and do not plan on using it is extremely low. For example, a study by Microsoft shows that 99.4% of the higher education facilities in the United States that took part in the survey plan on using AI in the next 3 years to improve their competitiveness.But why such solidarity in an extremely competitive market niche is even a thing? In a nutshell, it’s because AI can be so beneficial to the business owner that not using it is like a self-imposed restriction that does nothing but harms your practices.When it comes to the advantages of incorporating AI in online education, each entity will have its own reasons to opt for technological advancements. The number of ways in which Artificial Intelligence may be helpful to an entrepreneur is nearly endless, and describing all of them would have taken forever and a day. So in this editorial, we will focus solely on the most important and most appreciated perks relevant to an educational business.Unmatched Personalization:Providing a student with a unique learning experience where every tiny detail is customized to meet their needs is something an educational facility should strive for. And that is exactly what the use of Artificial Intelligence can help you with.AI algorithms instantly analyze the user’s habits, preferences, learning patterns, and mistakes to adapt the content and make the learning experience as comfortable for the student as possible. And while AI is constantly improving by receiving new data to process, the personalization level will also be better the more the system is used.New Levels Of Operational Efficiency:While it is typical for an educational business to focus on the audience’s needs, it might not be the greatest idea to disregard the challenges the staff has to face. Teachers and managers, accountants, and HR professionals all have numerous tasks to complete during the day to keep the entity up and running. AI in online education can be used to streamline and automate most of those tasks giving people time to focus on issues that can’t ever be resolved by technology.What are the examples? Think automatical unbiased grading, 24/7 online support (studies show that AI-powered chatbots are highly accurate and can resolve up to 91% of requests made by the students), records management, enrollment and admissions, and more!Zero Discrimination:Prior to the introduction of AI/ML algorithms into educational business practices, the problem of low accessibility was one of the hardest to resolve. Entrepreneurs had to go the extra mile to make sure their digital solution could be useful to students with special needs. Nowadays, it’s much easier as AI-based software offers so many options to make the learning experience comfortable for anybody. Features like automated captioning, screen readers, audio descriptions, and text-to-speech really help students with disabilities get that high-quality education that was inaccessible to them before.Not to mention, AI is a great instrument for new online platform testing. Innovative technology is capable of automatically determining whether the system is user-friendly or not and which areas require improvement.A Motivation Boost:AI in online education goes hand in hand with other revolutionary tech trends. Paired up with AR/VR it can make the educational process very engaging and pleasant for the students. Gamification is one of the great examples as well. By turning some parts of the educational journey into a fun interactive game, AI helps the students to fully immerse themselves into learning, stay motivated, interested, and captured by the course for a long time.Teaching Methods Enhancement:One of the most popular use cases for AI/ML these days is instant access to valuable insights extracted from silos of diverse data analyzed by algorithms. Online education, means a better understanding of the student’s behavior, struggles, and performance, which can essentially lead to subtle changes in the teaching methods to achieve maximum efficiency.A myriad of data-driven insights are great for pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the students, but it is just as effective and relevant when it comes to identifying the areas of improvement for the teachers as well. So if you, as a business owner, are interested in working with a staff that is constantly looking for opportunities to grow and learn, AI in online education is a perfect choice.What Holds The Decision-Makers Back From Immediate AI Implementation?Just by familiarizing yourself with the advantages of AI in online education, some might think that this invention has no flaws. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence into Edtech software comes with a fair share of challenges. Let’s examine the most typical ones.It’s Expensive:With free versions of Chat GPT, StarryAI, and other AI-powered tools, it might seem that Artificial Intelligence is literally everywhere, and it shouldn’t be that expensive to develop custom AI-powered software. But while this technology gradually becoming an integral part of our lives, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence into a bespoke educational solution is still pretty costly and might be too expensive for some entities (especially smaller businesses and startups).It’s Not Perfect:Today people are so amazed by the capabilities of the existing AI-powered solutions that they tend to forget that AI/ML algorithms are perfect by no means. The value of the solution totally depends on the amount and quality of data that AI is given to train on. The system might perpetuate biases, give irrelevant answers, or even harmful advice. And all of that will most definitely have a negative impact on the student’s results and the satisfaction rate as well.To avoid problems and disappointment, always remember that AI in online education is nothing more than a helpful tool but not a silver bullet that can magically resolve all the issues your business faces.It’s Hard To Find A Decent Tech Crew:AI/ML-powered solutions development is one of the most sought-after types of IT services these days. Yet, the number of experts that can deliver a first-rate bespoke solution still is not that high. So finding the right IT services provider that has relevant experience and won’t cost you an arm and a leg might be challenging.One of the ways to resolve this issue is to try outsourcing, as when you’re not limiting yourself to a number of companies that operate only in your country, the selection becomes much wider. At the same time, be prepared that the screening and interviewing process might take a long time if you really want to find a trustworthy IT partner that will not only help you with the integration of AI in online education software but also resolve other technical issues that may appear in the future.