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<p><strong>How can AI be applied in education? And where do we stand when it comes to the pedagogical and technical aspects? A conversation between Inge Molenaar of Radboud University and Kees Mastenbroek of Topicus.</strong></p><p><img src="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/Ex_J3or1x_N9r3m4lnk_Z_Vyhprj_Ri2_H_An_YI_8wtj_Clfg_26a9116628.jpeg" alt="ExJ3or1xN9r3m4lnkZVyhprjRi2HAnYI8wtjClfg.jpeg" srcset="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/thumbnail_Ex_J3or1x_N9r3m4lnk_Z_Vyhprj_Ri2_H_An_YI_8wtj_Clfg_26a9116628.jpeg 245w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/small_Ex_J3or1x_N9r3m4lnk_Z_Vyhprj_Ri2_H_An_YI_8wtj_Clfg_26a9116628.jpeg 500w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/medium_Ex_J3or1x_N9r3m4lnk_Z_Vyhprj_Ri2_H_An_YI_8wtj_Clfg_26a9116628.jpeg 750w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/large_Ex_J3or1x_N9r3m4lnk_Z_Vyhprj_Ri2_H_An_YI_8wtj_Clfg_26a9116628.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="2300" height="1104"></p><h2>Five Categories</h2><p>Inge Molenaar, associate professor at Radboud University’s Behavioral Science Institute (BSI) and head of the Adaptive Learning Lab, presents a model she developed. In this model, technology in education is divided into five categories. “It starts with supplementary information derived from data and with partial automation, where small tasks are outsourced to AI. This is already happening extensively in Dutch education. Think, for example, of immediate feedback—such as when an assignment is automatically graded right away—or selecting an appropriate assignment for a student. Next comes the execution of multiple tasks by AI, such as the system providing detailed feedback and optimizing the curriculum on a personalized level. Finally, this will gradually shift toward full automation. A key question here is what we want to use AI for in education and what that means for the roles of the teacher, the student, and the AI.”</p><h2>Technical Aspect</h2><p>“We focus on the technical side of this model,” responds Kees Mastenbroek, director at the Deventer-based software company Topicus. “In this context, we distinguish between two types of systems within schools. The secondary systems support the process—for example, in terms of schedules, grades, and tracking attendance and absences. Data from those systems can be put to better use thanks to AI. For example: monitoring which student is at risk of dropping out—based on a combination of grades, absences, and how often someone has been sent out of class. These are essentially common-sense indicators that you feed into an algorithm. As a teacher, you’ll then know which students to keep a closer eye on.”</p><blockquote><p>With the help of AI, you can monitor which students are at risk of dropping out.</p></blockquote><p>The primary systems are the ones students use themselves while learning. “For elementary education, we’ve developed Gynzy; for secondary education, Learnbeat. Both systems provide students with immediate feedback as they practice. And they’re adaptive: they tailor the assignments to the student’s level. This is an example of partial automation in the model described above.”</p><h2>Pedagogical and Didactic Aspects</h2><p>Radboud University focuses on the pedagogical and didactic aspects of digitization in education. Molenaar: “We’re exploring which new adaptive components we can design and develop to help students learn more effectively. There’s already a great deal of expertise in this area at universities in the region. Here in Nijmegen, the focus is on the student side, while in Twente it’s more on the teacher side. The Dutch market is one of the most digitized education markets in Europe, and we’re truly at the forefront, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”</p><blockquote><p>We’re seeking a symbiotic collaboration between students, teachers, and AI.</p></blockquote><p>Among other things, research is being conducted on hybrid human-AI relationships: not how AI can take over tasks, but how humans and AI can reinforce each other. “We’re seeking a symbiotic collaboration between students, teachers, and AI. A new system we’re developing trains human self-regulation skills with the help of artificial intelligence.” Last year, Molenaar received an ERC Starting Grant for this project—a grant for researchers that allows them to establish their own research group.</p><h2>Research and the Business World</h2><p>In her view, there is still room for improvement in ensuring these developments flow into the business world. “In the U.S., various parties are often all located together on the university campus, and projects are much more frequently collaborative, rather than purely public or private. In the Netherlands, we can shorten the gap between prototype and scaling up by bringing research closer to the business community. AI is intrinsically a technical innovation, and it finds its way to companies like Topicus.”</p><p>Mastenbroek: “Everyone is needed to make the transition. And we need to leverage what’s already there: know what’s going on and what’s already been done. You have to have been following the AI world for a while, as Inge has. That way, you avoid going down all sorts of paths that others already know are dead ends. We provide the systems and the technical expertise. The universities hold the AI knowledge. The two need each other.”</p><h2>Privacy Rules</h2><p>Privacy is a challenge in this regard, Mastenbroek concludes. “But the advantage is: the rules have become much clearer in recent years. Namely: everything starts and ends at the school. They collect the data, and they’re responsible for obtaining consent for its use. That means you have to clearly explain to the school what you’re doing and what the added value is. Of course, it would be easier if none of that were necessary; in that respect, privacy is an obstacle. But it’s a desirable obstacle.”</p><p><br><strong>Watch, read, and listen to more about AI in education:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19ixRIuscuA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Personalization of learning | Digital education for a strong recovery</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQquhwpNAxM&amp;t=12613s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">International Forum on Artificial Intelligence and the Futures of Education 2020</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nporadio1.nl/fragmenten/de-nieuws-bv/aee40464-45ea-4c86-8f4c-88ee4f0d13c0/2021-01-29-de-voor-en-nadelen-van-onderwijsapps" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Pros and Cons of Educational Apps</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38ZjfpFArWM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Intelligence of Adaptive Software - OnderwijsInzicht 2021</a></li><li><a href="https://soundcloud.com/surfnl/ai-innovators-podcast-een-robot-voor-de-klas" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">AI Innovators: A robot for the classroom?</a></li></ul><p><br>Would you like to learn more about AI applications in education, or about developments at Radboud University or Topicus? Please contact us via our contact form.</p>

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<p>How can AI be applied in education? And where do we stand when it comes to the pedagogical and technical aspects? A conversation between Inge Molenaar of Radboud University and Kees Mastenbroek of Topicus.</p>