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The Importance of Teacher Collaboration When Developing AI Partners for Education

by Rachel Lieber - former teacher and research professional for iSAT for the Insitute's first 3 years.

Teachers are the ones in the classroom. They have a deep and lived understanding of their students, community, and school culture. Not only do they know what it takes for students to thrive, they know the challenges and obstacles of introducing novel ideas, whether it’s a new book or a piece of technology. Teachers also have an immediate understanding of their students’ diverse aspirations, interests, and needs. In other words, when it comes to questions of usability and accessibility of our AI partners, a teacher’s critical feedback is essential. 

Over the course of our extensive collaborations with teachers, we have learned a great many things about the responsible integration of AI partners in classrooms. For example, we have come to learn that teachers are not concerned about technology taking their jobs. Educators understand that the complexities of their jobs cannot and should not be transposed into an algorithm. Their work is so much more than relaying information: they create community and develop confident learners and critical thinkers. 

Teachers themselves are lifelong learners and eager to try technology that can make their lives easier or that enhances learning for their students. However, they can sometimes be bombarded by new technologies and new ways of doing things that are often not helpful. This has added a healthy level of skepticism when it comes to incorporating new technologies into their pedagogies, and if teachers are not enthused about technology coming into their classrooms, they are less likely to use it. Therefore, it is essential to include teachers early in the development process so that we get to hear their hopes, dreams, and concerns from the very beginning and develop technology that can provide meaningful solutions to these very real challenges. 

One of the most effective things we have done at iSAT is to actively seek out criticism and look at all the potential outcomes, both positive and negative, of any given technology’s purpose in the classroom. Our technologies are not developed in a bubble; instead, our technologies are developed iteratively for use in classrooms and with teachers (and students) being integral parts of the co-design and evaluation process from the very beginning. When teachers share their ideas and knowledge surrounding how to make AI-enabled technologies fun and engaging and really help us think about how this technology is going to enhance their work and not just become one more thing they have to manage in the classroom, it keeps us focused on the question “How can our AI partners support teachers and students in a way beyond what the teacher is already doing?” For example, a teacher wants to know when a group is struggling and when they might need some additional support, or when a student is not actively collaborating and participating with others in the group. Teachers know they cannot be everywhere all at once so getting this type of information is something they simply cannot do on their own.   

Our technologies need to be nimble enough so that teachers can adapt them to different circumstances. For example, teachers know the second a lesson starts tanking, but seasoned teachers also know how to pivot and course-correct. Their toolbox is filled with tools for engaging and motivating students to learn and work together. Humans are dynamic and K-12 students can be particularly unpredictable. These teachers work every day to reach and teach every student who walks into their classrooms; they know the value of collaboration in the classroom and how it can lead to higher-level thinking, increased self esteem, responsibility, and leadership skills. That knowledge, combined with their experience in engaging and motivating students daily, is invaluable for institutes such as iSAT that are engaged in developing educational support technologies specifically for the classroom.