School leaders have been told that banning the use of technology in schools could “widen the digital divide” in a new report exploring the advancing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education.
It also warns that the idea of banning AI in schools is based on a misunderstanding of what it is.
The Teacher Development Trust (TDT) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) have produced the guidance to help school leaders plan for the “risks and possibilities” posed by AI and “support staff carefully with the right discussion, development and conditions to begin to use it”.
It has been co-published with the school leaders’ union NAHT, the Association of School and College Leaders and the Confederation of School Trusts.
The guidance comes amid concern about the role of AI in schools. A recent survey carried out by RM Technology revealed that 67 per cent of UK secondary students have reportedly used chatbots, such as ChatGPT, for their homework and 66 per cent of teachers believe they are now regularly receiving AI-completed assignments.
The new guidance, Understanding AI for School, has been seen by Tes ahead of its publication tomorrow.
In a “frequently asked questions” section it says that “blanket bans on technology tools are rarely a good idea”.
It adds that schools should remember that not all students have equal access to technology at home.
“By banning technology in school, we might widen the digital divide. In addition, the notion that we can ‘ban AI’ reveals a fundamental misconception of what AI is. It isn’t a single website but an underlying technology that is already built into millions of websites.
“AI has become an integral part of our everyday lives and is becoming more prevalent in the workplace. By denying students access to these tools, we may inadvertently be limiting their future options,” the document claims.
Last year, the exams regulator chief Dr Jo Saxton said that headteachers should consider having students complete all work that contributes to exam grades in schools under exam conditions to safeguard against the rise in the use of AI to complete coursework.
And it advises leaders to raise awareness among students “about the consequences of cheating and the importance of academic integrity”.
No ‘knee jerk’ changes to curriculum
The guidance also warns leaders against making “any knee-jerk moves” to “significantly change curriculums just yet”.
However, TDT and ISTE tell leaders that it “could be helpful to consider how you’re embedding digital citizenship and computational thinking to help your students navigate current and future technologies”.
TDT’s co-chief executive officer, David Weston, said: “AI is not something that schools can plan for later, it’s something that is being used by many of their pupils, parents and staff right now.
“This new guidance takes a balanced approach - learn the basics of what AI, and particularly generative AI, is all about, plan for its risks and possibilities, and support staff carefully with the right discussion, development and conditions to begin to use it in ways that will support pupil success and teacher expertise.”
James Bowen, assistant general secretary of the NAHT, said: “While AI has huge potential for schools and learners, it also poses some real challenges and leaders will need to think about the pitfalls as well as the opportunities.”
