Toward the digital transformation in education

In the wave of digitization sweeping across the field of education, digital technology, particularly AI, is leading a leap in teaching quality by facilitating personalized instruction, enhancing accessibility and equity in education, and optimizing cost-effectiveness. However, this transformation is accompanied by numerous challenges that necessitate careful consideration.

The rapid advancement of AI technology is remarkable, transitioning from addressing only 20% of complex problems in the Survey of Adult Skills at Level 1 in 2016 to surpassing human performance in almost all domains by 2021. This suggests that by 2026, AI may be able to solve 80% of complex tasks, while human capabilities for handling such problems are projected to decline to 20%. This technological leap prompts us to deeply explore the unique value of human beings.

Simultaneously, the algorithms of social media exacerbate information cocoon, promoting the homogenization of ideas and social division, highlighting the need for future education to focus on cultivating students’ critical thinking and community engagement skills. The ability to solve problems creatively has become central, demanding responsibility in action, reflection on outcomes, and consideration of ethical implications. In the context of rapidly evolving technology, we must define and strengthen the unique characteristics of human beings to complement technological innovation rather than clash with it.

OECD proposes that educational transformation is not only a re-conceptualization of student learning needs in the AI era but also the creation of an efficient learning ecosystem. This necessitates a bold reshaping of physical learning spaces, teaching resources, technology applications, and interpersonal relationships to catalyze a substantial educational revolution. The traditional education model, rooted in the industrial era’s standardization and conformity, is difficult to adapt to the rapidly changing social reality.

Technology opens up vast possibilities for education. In the past, institutions often served as maintaining the current status, while students often led the way in technology adoption. Now, institutions should actively harness technology’s potential, building richer and more interactive learning experiences through innovative applications and interconnectedness. Technology can not only customize learning paths but also make learning process engaging and interactive through digital games and simulation experiments.

Despite the increasing prevalence of technology in classrooms, its association with learning outcomes is not always positive. This reflects more on the effectiveness of our technology application than on any inherent flaws of technology. Therefore, our focus should not only be on tools but also on learning activities, better integrating individual, team, and class activities with digital platform interactions.

Educational digital transformation brings immense possibilities as well as significant challenges. We must examine it from a more comprehensive perspective, integrating the strengths of technology with the unique characteristics of human beings, and jointly advancing the path of educational innovation. We can achieve a genuine transformation of education, enabling future students to thrive in a diverse and infinitely possible world.

The work titled “Toward the Digital Transformation in Education”, was published on Frontiers of Digital Education (published on July 2, 2024).