NJIT STEM Forum Explores AI, Digital Transformation in Schools
With artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT rapidly gaining traction among students and teachers alike, it’s no surprise the topic took center focus at NJIT’s 8th Annual STEM Forum for School Leaders, “Leading the Digital Transformation in Our Schools.”
The event, hosted by NJIT’s Center for Pre-College Programs, attracted educators from across N.J. to hear from an expert panel of NJIT researchers, education law specialists and district leaders on an array of topics — from ethical concerns of AI in schools, to strategies for implementing such technologies as positive learning tools rather than “digital distractions.”
“Implicit in the role of educators is the responsibility to understand the implications of emerging technologies for teaching and learning in the school setting. AI is a powerful tool that, when used properly, opens up a panoply of strategies to advance student knowledge and critical thinking skills across subject areas," said CPCP Executive Director Jacqueline Cusack, who led the proceedings. “Given the rich variety of AI research being conducted at NJIT, the STEM Forum for School Leaders was the perfect opportunity for school leaders to hear from experts in the field, ask questions and share their success stories with AI implementation in their schools and districts."
The potential impact of AI on students topped the day’s discussion. Distinguished Professor of Informatics and Mathematics Fadi Deek delved into the expanding worlds of psychological and cognitive research exploring how AI's integration in education may affect learning.
“Technological tools we’ve infused in our classrooms in the past served as scaffolding that we could lean on … the word processor and spell checker were enablers for productivity, but AI tools are actually replacers that can do what we can do. Our approach [to integrating AI] in the classroom must be different.”
Deek shared results of his recent study at NJIT over the past year, which has surveyed 361 students across different majors, assessing how their use of AI tools for coursework may affect cognitive abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving and memory retention.
“The early findings suggest AI dependency positively correlates with [self-reported] cognitive skill erosion. ... We also see those who have reported lacking understanding of coursework material when using AI, are more likely to become demotivated,” explained Deek, who also noted AI’s positive educational potential, such as its promise for enhancing personalized learning. He also emphasized much more research needs to be done.
“Our early conclusion at this point is that AI usage in coursework can have both positive and negative consequences on the cognitive abilities of learners. …. AI is just getting started, so it’s up to us to decide what we do with it.”
NJ education leaders such as Closter Superintendent Vincent McHale and Ridgewood biology educator Crstina Gayed shared firsthand strategies for implementing technology in their schools — from creating clear and effective schoolwide policies for cell phones and AI use, to demonstrating how generative AI tools like Diffit and Canva can enrich student learning in class.
Meanwhile, NJIT Assistant Professor of Informatics Margarita Vinnikov showcased the potential of AR/VR applications to enhance STEM education.
Ethical and legal concerns of AI's growing presence in the classroom were big topics of conversation among panelists such as NJ education attorney Katherine A. Gilfillan and NJIT ethics professor Daniel Estrada, as well as educators in attendance, who engaged in an open discussion with the panel at the end of the event.
Estrada currently teaches his students critical AI literacy by having them perform multi-week “AI audits” to report cases of widespread misinformation generated by chatbots like ChatGPT. He emphasized the need to empower students as critical learners as classrooms evolve with AI.
“The point of these exercises is to return agency to students,” said Estrada. “Part of what good education requires is giving students a sense of their agency in the learning process, to understand their own role in helping themselves be better learners and researchers.”
