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According to a current youth study by the Vodafone Foundation, German students want AI applications to be discussed in class and also to learn how to use them. Some of the young people's answers support the fact that this wish should be fulfilled quickly.
89 percent of them said that they would primarily use AI to help them search for information, and 58 percent are already using it for this purpose. In contrast, only 64 percent of young people point out that it is important to know that AI tools can make mistakes. Accordingly, they also say that the ability not to believe everything you read or see is particularly important when dealing with AI. And only 46 percent say that they want to learn more about the dangers associated with AI and how to deal with them in class.
However, far more young people should be made aware of the fact that artificial intelligence is not always reliable, hallucinates and can also gather information incorrectly – or in which situations they are already unknowingly using AI systems.
Crucial for the future
The Vodafone study entitled “Pioneers of Change. How students want to use AI in class” was carried out this January by Infratest dimap on behalf of Vodafone among 1,590 young people aged 14 to 20. She is representative. The majority of attitudes towards AI are positive. 73 percent of those surveyed see the use of AI as an opportunity rather than a threat. The majority of young people (86 percent) are also convinced that artificial intelligence will be an integral part of their everyday life in the future.
Over two thirds (69 percent) assume that knowledge of AI will play a greater role in determining professional success in the future. Only just under a third (31 percent) do not consider this to be crucial for their career prospects. The assessment varies depending on social class. Children from the upper middle and upper classes see AI as more relevant to their working lives than children from the lower and working classes. 58 percent of those surveyed would therefore like the use of AI applications to become an integral part of lessons – here too, relatively more young people from the middle and upper classes want this than adolescents from the lower classes.
Regulated use in lessons is still rare
38 percent of young people said that the use of AI is currently not an issue in their school or that there are no uniform regulations on it. Only 17 percent of those surveyed were able to say that the use of AI is allowed in school and that there are rules about it.
It is quite clear to those surveyed when AI should become a topic in school. The majority are in favor of AI only being integrated into lessons from secondary level I or II onwards. Only 9 percent are in favor of learning how to interact in primary school, daycare and preschool. 24 percent can imagine lessons on and with AI from the fifth grade onwards, 33 percent from the seventh grade onwards, 19 percent demand that this should only take place from secondary level II onwards. 9 percent are in favor of the fact that the use of AI should not be taught at educational institutions at all.
ChatGPT Leader; Most used: information search
The study also makes it clear that young people have long been using AI in their everyday lives. 74 percent are already using AI tools. Only 26 percent have not knowingly tried AI in class or at home. The use of AI systems is more often done on one's own initiative for private or school purposes, but without the prompting of teachers (71 percent). The most used AI tool is ChatGPT (46 percent) from Open AI, followed by Google Lens (25 percent), Apple's Siri (24 percent), Snapchat's “My AI” (19 percent), DeepL (14 percent), Google Bard ( 7 percent) and Grammarl (4 percent). Far behind with only 2 percent each are Midjourney, Dalle and Grok (from X/Twitter).
The AI tools are used primarily for research or information searches (58 percent). 50 percent of those surveyed let AI explain terms and 45 percent entire topics. 32 percent are hoping for solutions to be shown, 27 percent are hoping for complete solutions or texts. So far, only 13 percent have received feedback on their own work using AI applications.
Do you only research chatbots?
When asked which tasks adolescents would most likely be supported by AI, 89 percent said that AI was suitable for searching for information. 84 percent would use them for translations from foreign languages. For 72 percent, AI tools could be used to solve mathematical tasks. 68 percent would also use them to create summaries, 67 percent to have texts written.
57 percent of adolescents each want AI to be used in foreign language lessons and mathematics lessons, and 51 percent in natural sciences and technology. 36 percent would like to work in social sciences and history, 35 percent in German.
Negative consequences of using AI in schools
Some young people are aware that the use of AI in schools can also have negative effects. For example, 57 percent of respondents agreed that it could be very difficult to distinguish between their own performance and the performance of the AI in the future. 49 percent also believe that learning could be unlearned. 34 percent are of the opinion that cheating can no longer be detected and 32 percent believe in a loss of competence: certain tasks can no longer be solved without AI if it is used and allowed to be used in schools. 30 percent see the risk that an AI is biased due to its training data, 28 percent assume that personal learning progress could be saved and possibly viewed by strangers. 27 percent complain that in the end it is no longer a teacher but an AI that decides grades.
Young people are very unanimous in their assessment that the use of AI will significantly change teaching in the coming years – almost 80 percent believe this. From their point of view, this will also change the examination system. For example, 59 percent expect that exams in the future will test practical applications and problem-solving skills rather than the results of pure memorization; 46 percent also see testing critical thinking as a priority. For 52 percent, the individual level of learning will be more relevant, and for 39 percent, continuous assessment of learning progress would be a replacement for class work. 39 percent also expect more oral exams.
Hopes and uncertainties
The uncertainties that exist regarding opportunities in class are also shown by some of the other answers from young people who do not jump over the 50 percent hurdle. When asked “What do you hope to achieve from the use of AI in learning or teaching?” Almost half (49 percent) answered: “Explanations on topics that I did not understand.” This is followed by 47 percent hoping for support in finding information. 39 percent of those surveyed would like work to be made easier in unpopular subjects and 38 percent would like the opportunity to process tasks more quickly.
According to some of the adolescents, the following advantages could arise from using AI in lessons: 42 percent expect that there could be targeted analyzes of errors and suggestions for improvement with explanations throughout the entire learning process and also that learning can take place at their own pace would be more possible at your own level. 38 percent still expect that digital content will make teaching more clear, and 36 percent expect that the focus could be on developing skills instead of learning factual knowledge. 35 percent believe that teachers will save time. They could then take more care of students. And 34 percent assume that they could also get more time for their own projects by outsourcing tasks to AI.
From the perspective of 47 percent of young people, the topic of AI in lessons should be about its sensible use for learning, and 46 percent would like to know more about the dangers associated with AI and how to deal with it. 30 percent of those surveyed are interested in how AI actually works. Meanwhile, only 18 percent consider programming knowledge to be important in order to be able to properly use AI.
Matthias Graf von Kielmansegg, Managing Director of the Vodafone Foundation, explains the study: “Students in Germany see the integration of AI as an opportunity to significantly change teaching and thus improve learning and teaching methods. It makes me confident that the Young people already have ideas about which aspects of AI should be included in the curriculum and which skills need to be promoted in dealing with AI. However, it is also clear that the definition of the basic learning content and the didactic integration into school learning is still a major construction site are.”
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