Artificial Intelligence- A Must in Middle and High School Classes

Artificial Intelligence- doesn’t that word ring many bells in your mind? What do you think it is? Robots? Computers? Something based in imagination? Wake up! AI is no longer limited to movies. It has completely transformed the way we live and work too. AI is making a distinct mark in activities that we do every day. Think of it! From chatbots to virtual assistants, shopping recommendations on various e-commerce portals and Amazon Alexa among so many other examples; AI is in several parts of modern life. But this post isn’t about what you think; it is about what children; to be precise- what teenagers know about the concept. They surely recognize several applications and gadgets that use AI; but are they aware of what AI really is? Considering that AI is the future, it is essential that AI programs be made mandatory in the curriculum of middle and high school education. Specific reasons for this are-

Making students future ready

AI is already being implemented in several industries as well as sectors in India and rest of the world. This trend is assured to continue or even expand for many more years. Hence, basic knowledge of Al would be a primary qualification that children of today will need to have as employees in the future.  And this is not only for IT related sectors. A student may wish to become a doctor, or pursue a career in the education field. Anyway, specialization in AI would be necessary. Hence, sharing the knowledge on AI through teaching specialized courses right from a young age will make them ready to embrace the larger picture when it is time.

Project-based learning

This is a big advantage of AI. It removes the “rote-learning” approach widely followed in schools. That is, learn by memorizing what is in the book. Instead, Al course utilize a project-based learning approach. This means students learn and then use this learning along with concepts to develop AI systems that are capable of solving real-world challenges.  A simple project could involve creating an AI software or application that spots an error or identifies a mistake in a sentence while typing. These may sound about normal for you as parents or working professionals. But imagine if you kid in middle or high school does the same and outperforms you in the field?

Learn problem solving skills

At the base of learning AI, is finding patterns in complex data. This concept can help students learn or perhaps improve their problem solving skills which they can use to solve real-world problems and challenges. Learning AI at school-level helps young minds understand reason and interpret things better.

Understanding the real application of mathematics

Mathematics- that is a subject feared and sometimes disliked by several school students. That is because they consider topics such as sets, probability, squares, square roots, and divisibility as complex concepts that are only stated in a book. Through Al programs, students can actually know about the practical use of Math concepts in the real world.

Coding made fun and interesting

Many students in India find coding quite dull and boring.  That is because they do not see a purpose for coding and/or programming at their age. However AI gives them a purpose. That is, AI enables them to create something using codes which are directly visible in front of them. An example is creating an AI system that solves complex problems. This makes the subject of coding much more fun and interactive for the learners. And, the importance of knowledge in coding for the current world is well-known.

In summary, there is a lot of scope for AI growth among school-level students; especially in India. Also, the recent pandemic once again reminds us of the necessity to replace smaller tasks with automation and/or artificial intelligence. SchoolForAI can help in this regard. We are India’s first hybrid learning platform meant for AI and Data Science. We use a revolutionary teaching methodology that encapsulates experiential learning through mentor-led online classroom for 1-on-1 interaction along with video-based e-learning for reinforcement and to suit the learning style of every student. Contact us today for a good description and perhaps a demo of how we can help students for a better tomorrow.

SchoolforAI- Democratizing AI and sharing the message; AIforGood.

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