In May 2023, Grand Haven Area Public Schools (GHAPS) invested in several virtual and computer-based resources in hopes of improving test scores. Many of these resources place significant emphasis on data collection and incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI). Two such resources are FEV Tutoring and Air Tutors. Students who qualified were identified by the school district and provided with virtual tutoring services where they log into an account to receive tutoring. A third resource is the personal instruction component of I-Ready, implemented in second, third, fourth and eighth grades. According to the I-Ready website, I-Ready is “a collection of high-quality instructional resources that help students learn and grow by accessing grade-level materials. Grounding in best-practice instructional design, these tools provide rigorous and motivating reading and mathematics instruction that engages students, and motivates students.” Now that these tools have been implemented, we are beginning to see how they are working.
According to one parent of an eighth-grade student, the kids are supposed to be engaged in I-Ready lessons for 30 minutes per week, but anecdotal reports say kids are logging onto the program for 30 minutes per week and letting it sit idle. The parent stated, “I think the problem is they [the administration] don't want them doing more than 30 minutes a week but they don't know how much they can get done in that time. So instead of having them complete a lesson and see how long that takes, they are setting these arbitrary times and the kids are taking advantage of it.”
This suspicion was confirmed by a teacher in the following email.
Looking at this student’s data, it was obvious to the teacher that the student was not engaging with the program. Even though I-Ready is tracking student progress and guiding them to more challenging lessons, teachers seem to be unaware of what the students are actually doing on I-Ready. They cannot see the questions, and every kid is doing something different because it is “personalized” by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Teachers cannot see which questions students are getting wrong. Teachers can only see a limited subset of the data. The teachers are literally being replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
According to the article, AI’s Big Deal: AI in the Classroom Continues to Evolve, “AI-powered tutoring systems can provide personalized instruction to students, and AI can also be used to create adaptive learning platforms that adjust to each student's individual needs.” Incorporating AI into student learning tools is not all that unique. The article references many familiar tools that use AI including Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, and the Aleks math teaching tool which has been used by Grand Haven Area Public Schools (GHAPS) in the past.
According to the Article, Artificial Intelligence, What Makes Aleks Unique, Aleks math “uses artificial intelligence (AI) to map the details of each student’s knowledge.” “ALEKS continuously collects and analyzes an immense amount and variety of statistical data during student assessment and learning. Over the last 20 years, this massive database has been used to continually improve and upgrade the ALEKS AI and subject-specific content.” A large component of I-Ready is data collection. A small portion of the data collected is referenced in the email above.
Another article discusses the pros and cons of using AI for teaching. Educators on Artificial Intelligence: Here’s the One Thing It Can’t Do Well, quotes an elementary school learning coach, “there’s one thing that artificially-intelligent technologies can’t do—and that’s “building and foster[ing] meaningful relationships with students." The article also raises concerns that AI deprofessionalizes teaching.
As for the virtual tutoring services, according to GHAPS district leadership, FEV Tutoring was offered to one hundred eighth grade students struggling academically. Fifteen families signed up.
One former GHAPS student, who spent a lot of time learning virtually through Zoom lectures and tutored fellow college students virtually, had this to say:
As a current college student who has had a job supporting learning over Zoom, I have been on both sides of the virtual learning isle. And let me tell you: it sucks.
As a student, you feel disconnected. Zoom breakout rooms DO NOT count as social interaction. You are alone in your room and looking at a screen. You can’t turn to your neighbor if you missed something. Finding people to befriend and work on assignments with is next to impossible. If the lecture is boring, it’s all too easy to be distracted. Everyone is just a box on a screen. Camaraderie is practically non-existent. You are living in isolation. In fact, I recently had a conversation with one of my professors about student learning over the past few years, and was told that the vast majority of students surveyed (myself included) commented on how horrible the online learning experience was.
As a teacher, engaging students is difficult. If cameras are off, you cannot gauge student’s understanding based on facial expressions. If cameras are on, you typically can only see a couple students at a time. Showing your work to students through a document camera is straightforward, but good luck trying to see theirs. Students who struggle more and might have approached you for extra help in-person are more likely to just give up. Creating a collaborative learning environment is next to impossible.
Should remote learning be encouraged? Given how so much is online, a single online blowoff class or two for a high school student might not be a bad idea. But for elementary students? Forget it. They are still kids, and are still figuring out how to learn. They need the support of teachers and peers in person to learn their multiplication tables and grammar. They need to be around other kids and learn how to interact with real people. Online school sucks, and the solution to students struggling as a direct result of being in online school is NOT more online school. Elementary school students are kids, and need to be around real living breathing people.
It appears these students who logon but fail to engage with I-Ready are not finding it as motivating as the I-Ready website claims. Although educating in the virtual environment can be useful, there are definite drawbacks and it appears perhaps GHAPS and many other school districts would be better served by focusing on the traditional face-to-face, pencil and paper based interactive lessons. This might just increase motivation for both students and teachers.