Disruptive Teaching: Technology for Teachers and Students | SEGS

It is indisputable that today, from a very young age, we interact with many people around us with the help of technology. In the same way that they are used for entertainment and leisure purposes, their use in the educational environment is increasingly becoming part of the reality of schools and universities, being an ally in the academic training of the student.

Driven by distance and hybrid learning, universities and schools are beginning to recognize the need to implement new resources, such as artificial intelligence assistance by teachers and assessments with virtual feedback by teachers, work preference, student learning, and the development of the institution itself. Technology has become a partner in the educational process, expanding positive outcomes when used correctly.

Contrary to what one might imagine, the idea is not to completely replace the old paradigm of teaching, but to make technological innovations aimed at education aid in the management of pedagogical teaching.

A survey conducted by the Semesp Institute (Consortium of Entities Holding Institutions of Higher Education) in May of this year indicated that after implementing remote classes, teachers made a significant improvement in their knowledge of technological tools compared to the previous year. With 91.8% and 89.2% of professors from private and public institutions, respectively, compared to only 59.4% of professors from the private network in 2020. According to the institute, professors positively evaluated their knowledge of new tools and software for remote teaching.

teacher and artificial intelligence

Technology alone does not bring innovation, but the way it can be used in every context is what makes it special and begins to deliver benefits to those who use it. In this sense, artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly introduced for technological advancement in the education sector. For example, machine learning, which is part of artificial intelligence and is a system that is able to analyze a large amount of data through specific statistical methods, and from there identify patterns and come to some conclusions.

Regarding this new dynamic, Cesar Barreto, CEO of Turnitin Accounting, Turnitin, a global education technology company, points out that although it is a very popular term, AI has a disruptive aspect as it integrates face-to-face distance learning, And bypass simple scanning. Pareto explains: “Artificial intelligence in education serves as a support in the learning process and contributes greatly to the development of technologies in this sector, and it can be used in multiple ways and in multiple activities.”

Technology must be used in a strategic and educational way, and not just in a prescriptive way, since its users can hardly understand the true reason for its existence. When applied effectively, AI becomes more effective and makes the investment worthwhile.

Technology challenges in distance and blended learning

Infrastructure, focus, assessment, and academic integrity are some of the challenges educators, students, and institutions face today. Therefore, technology must be structured according to the specific needs of education. Organizations often invest in different tools, without knowing how to use them in practice or understanding their true use. The idea is to understand how processes can be automated and free up space for what’s really important, such as new dynamics and methodologies in the classroom, improved teacher time and effective student feedback, Pareto comments.

Relying on tools designed and tailored to the realities of education can reduce many of the problems you face. Evaluation, for example, is an ongoing challenge for educators, who are always looking for ways to better and equitably evaluate in a remote educational context.

Another point that educators face is academic integrity. In a world where the largest source of information comes from the Internet, getting students to learn to refer to their work properly and receive appropriate feedback is a challenge. Artificial intelligence is emerging as a tool capable of finding similarities within a private Internet database and alerting the teacher who is making the correction. “In a study by Turnitin, we found that when using the software, 70% of students began producing original texts and using quotes in an appropriate manner,” Barreto says.

In the face of many changes and challenges, it is imperative that institutions create an open channel with their teachers so that there is a correct and effective direction of technology applications in schools and universities. Similarly, dialogue between teachers and students is necessary to make the use of technologies more responsible and to promote better interaction between students, making learning more solid.

About Turnitin

Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and significantly improving learning outcomes. For more than 20 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness in all subject areas and types of assessment. Our products are used by educational institutions, certification and licensing programs to maintain integrity and increase learning performance, and by students and professionals to do their best and original work.

Turnitin has offices in Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Over 16,000 academic institutions, publishers and companies use our services: Feedback Studio, Gradescope, iThenticate, Turnitin Originality, Similar Turnitin, ExamSoft, ProctorExam.