Professor Robot: Why AI Could Soon Teach In University Classrooms?

The number of robots around the world is increasing rapidly. And it is said that automation will threaten more than 800 million jobs worldwide by 2030. In the United Kingdom, it is said that robots will replace 3.6 million workers by this date, which means that one in five jobs In the United Kingdom it will be done by an intelligent machine.

Higher education jobs are no exception, as recent studies show a rapid advance in the use of these technologies in universities. The full potential of these disruptive technologies has not yet been discovered, but its impact on teaching and learning is expected to be enormous. This means that higher education could be affected by these technologies earlier than in other sectors.

Artificial intelligence is bound to have a significant impact. And not only in teaching and learning, but also in the whole experience of the student: innovation imbued with traditional academic processes. This will change the classroom experience and the way universities communicate with students, with conferences and grades possibly made by robots.

Robot masters

For academics, this increase in artificial intelligence, robotics and intelligent tutoring systems may mean that having the required experience and teaching skills is no longer enough. And the already evident lack of digital skills among some academics can make it easier for universities to look for robots as an alternative.

"Yuki", the first robot teacher, showed up in Germany in 2019 and has already started giving lectures to university students at the Philipps de Marburg University. The robot acts as a teaching assistant during lectures. You can have an idea of how students are doing academically and what kind of support they need. You can also have them take tests. Some students have found Yuki helpful, although it still requires some significant improvements to be fully functional.

Robots, combined with artificial intelligence, are expected to improve teaching by providing higher levels of individualized learning, objective and timely qualifications, as well as the ability to identify areas for improvement in degree programs. This may leave very little space for humans to do the work, and it will undoubtedly have a great impact on the job description of academics at universities.

It can also mean that when robots move, research and contribution to the creation of knowledge may be the only way that academics can maintain their work and increase the possibilities of employability, retention and professional development.

By: Preeti Narula

Content: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/04/what-robots-and-ai-may-mean-for-university-lecturers-and-students/