AI and the future of hybrid schooling
Professor Rose Luckin leads Educate Ventures Research (EVR) at University College London (UCL). She is a member of the Cambridge University Press & Assessment Partnership for Education Advisory Board. Here, she shares her thoughts on AI and the future of schooling as we approach the UN Summit of the Future.
As we navigate a world transformed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is becoming increasingly clear that the future of education will be hybrid - a blend of face-to-face and online learning. To prepare students for this AI-driven future, we must cultivate a rich tapestry of human intelligences beyond just academic knowledge.
This is particularly crucial as AI systems become increasingly adept at delivering personalised instruction in traditional subject areas.
In a hybrid learning environment, AI can be a powerful tool for providing customised academic content, assessing student progress, and freeing up educators to focus on the uniquely human aspects of intelligence. These include social intelligence - the ability to collaborate and solve problems collectively; metacognitive intelligence - the capacity to plan, monitor, regulate and reflect on one's own thinking; and perceived self-efficacy - the ability to accurately judge one's own abilities. Cultivating these intelligences will be essential for students to thrive alongside AI.
However, harnessing the potential of AI in hybrid education will require careful planning and investment. Policymakers and school leaders must ensure that educators have the training and resources to effectively integrate AI tools safely and effectively, while also prioritising the development of vital human intelligences. Curriculum and assessment will need to evolve to value skills like creative problem-solving, emotional regulation, and contextual awareness.
As we shape the future of hybrid schooling, it is imperative that we keep the richness of human intelligence at the centre of our efforts. By designing educational experiences that cultivate both learning mastery and meta-level intelligences, we can equip students to work alongside AI as critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and adaptive learners. The decisions we make now will determine whether the rise of hybrid learning propels us towards a more innovative, equitable, and human-centred future - or simply automates the educational status quo.
Read more about Professor Luckin's work to leverage AI in education on the Educate Ventures Research website.
