Teaching AI and Robotics to Make Students Solve Real Problems is the Need of the Hour

 Teaching AI and Robotics to Make Students Solve Real Problems is the Need of the Hour

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not limited to just two letters. It has become an integral part of our lives. From the time we wake up in the morning until we go to bed at night, we are using AI in some way or the other. Thus, AI has become a necessity rather than a luxury in our lives.

As technology continues to advance, the learning process in the classroom has also changed a lot. Until a few years ago, the role of the teacher in the classroom was 80 percent and the role of the student was only 20 percent. Listening to and memorizing what the teacher said was the main basis of learning. However, today this ratio has completely reversed. Because now the student does not have to learn by just understanding what the teacher has taught.

Students are more active and knowledgeable about technology than the teacher. They can learn things that they do not understand in the classroom and that are different from the textbook in the way they find it easy by using YouTube, GitHub, and various AI tools. Now the role of the teacher has changed from being a peddler to a facilitator in the learning of students.

Nowadays, technology is no longer just an optional subject, it has become mandatory. Therefore, attention should be paid to things like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Edge Computing, Future Skills and Innovation in school education.

More than 18 billion IoT (Internet of Things) devices are currently in use around the world. These devices are generating a huge amount of data. Only students who have the ability to understand and use this data will be considered worthy of the future.

Students should be taught to solve real problems

We should teach students to find critical thinking and problem-solving methods. AI teaches students to solve real-life problems, not just books.

Every student may have different interests in different fields. Thousands of things are coming to the mind of students outside the school hours from nine to five. They should develop practical skills by using the creative techniques that come to their minds appropriately.

We should teach students to identify real problems around them and find practical solutions to them. Whether it is waste management or traffic problems, the need of the day is to build their own ability to think of creative solutions and develop the necessary technology to solve local challenges.

But we have yet to develop an educational system that teaches students how to solve problems in real time. And, these abilities do not come from any textbook. Students themselves must be provided with the opportunity to think critically and create an open environment for working.

Some students have done such work. In a municipality, undergraduate and plus-two students have created a dashboard based on ‘Natural Language Processing’ to reconcile petty quarrels and disputes in the village. The parties involved in the dispute submit their problems to this system. The system analyzes those problems and presents immediate solutions or mediation options. Initially, many laughed at them when they heard that they had created a dashboard to resolve disputes. But now this technology has proven to be successful.

A student started a project called ‘Hamro Niwas’ after seeing the real problem around Kathmandu University. This app provides information about which house has a vacant room, how much is the rent, what the room is like, and how many days the room will be vacant. It has connected both housewives and students looking for rooms on the same platform.

The student is now also earning money through this app. He has turned the pain of finding a room that students who come to study from outside into a business opportunity. In this way, making students able to identify problems and present solutions is the right teaching method in the era of AI.

Teaching today’s students AI and modern technology also means preparing them for global competition. Therefore, the traditional ‘teach, test, and forget’ style should be abandoned in the education system. Instead, the emphasis should be on the ‘explore, build, and solve’ style. Students should be involved in learning based on small robotics or software projects from a young age. Students need to be taught to use technology with confidence.

Students can be connected to technology by setting up robotics clubs in schools. Similarly, programs can be conducted to familiarize teachers with modern technology and AI awareness sessions can be conducted. Now we need to prepare students with the aim of preparing a workforce that will choose entrepreneurship rather than seeking employment.

On the other hand, teachers should consider AI as a helper, not a competitor. AI will not replace teachers. However, teachers who use AI can definitely outperform teachers who do not use AI. AI can be used to explain difficult subjects in a simple way. From complex mathematical formulas to scientific principles, it can be used to help students understand.

What would take an hour to explain to students, AI can be used to create a chart or video in a minute. Every student has a different learning ability. Using AI tools, teachers can prepare content according to the needs of each student and teach in the classroom in an understandable way.