Zelexio, reinventing learning

Four experts in technology and education took part in this panel at the Centrexpo Cogeco Drummondville, moderated by Jean-Daniel Doucet, science popularizer, and Marie-Paule Jeansonne, President and CEO of Forum IA Québec. The panelists were gathered to discuss the usefulness of AI in education, as part of the AESTQ conference, Pour des citoyens éthiques à l'ère de l'AI, on Thursday, October 20.

From the outset, the pulse of the room was almost unanimous: explaining artificial intelligence in the classroom is a concern for several hundred teachers, who struggle to paint a clear picture of this notion. By way of introduction, Marie-Paule Jeansonne summarizes the two main categories of AI: statistical intelligence and symbolic intelligence.

How do you differentiate between statistical and symbolic intelligence?

• Symbolic AI relies instead on a series of predefined logical rules.
• Statistical AI searches large quantities of data for patterns and correlations that are difficult for humans to identify. This form of intelligence includes machine learning (machine learning) and deep learning.

To illustrate the difference between these two types of system, Marie-Paule Jeansonne gives the example of the choices a robot would make in a game of chess. "A symbolic AI system could choose which moves to make according to a set of rules [...]. [...] A statistical AI system might instead learn which moves are desirable by analyzing data from a very large number of previous games", illustrates the presenter.

_{IA TO THE RESCUE OF STUDENTS}

While AI may seem complex to many teachers, it can be very easy to use for students, thanks to online resources that are accessible and simple to use. Various initiatives, such as Alloprof, come to the direct assistance of students. "When a student asks a question in the self-help zone, algorithms perform language recognition to suggest avenues of help and answers [which are] written by teachers and peer helpers," explains Jean-François Pilon, Alloprof's Director of Technology. This tool provides students with immediate help, at any time of day, for the vast majority of school subjects.

AI can also help motivate students. Primary school teacher Manon Légaré used robot programming in connection with a writing assignment: "The students were very engaged, very motivated, even the students with difficulties were [...] As a teacher, you have to dare to learn and discover artificial intelligence. [...] As a teacher, you have to dare to learn and discover artificial intelligence," emphasizes Ms. Légaré, who is also a digital pedagogy advisor with the Plan d'action numérique (PAN) at the Ministère de l'Éducation.

^{IA AS A WAY TO SAVE TIME IN THE CLASSROOM}

"AI is first and foremost a tool," says Delphine Le Serre, a specialist in higher education and digital transformation. According to her, this form of intelligence can help teachers in two main ways. On the one hand, it can offer personalized recommendations for each teacher. In addition to offering recommendations for exercises suitable for all students, AI can also provide teachers with a set of data to track their students' progress, while predicting their behaviors, needs and dropout risks.

On the other hand, AI can also lighten certain tasks for teachers, saving them time that can be reinvested in the classroom. The Zelexio platform reduces teachers' workloads by optimizing assessment management. In the words of Stéphanie Loiseille, co-founder of the platform, this approach enables teachers to recover "70% of the time devoted to assessment processes". Zelexio draws up a complete pedagogical file for each student, covering pedagogy, academic results and well-being.

Despite the growing number of AI initiatives and tools being produced here, there is a significant lack of people working in the field in Quebec. "The school environment is often not ready [for AI adoption]. We need to train more young people, and we need to start now, because we're not ready for the future," concludes Marie-Paule Jeansonne.

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Featured Image: Léonie Poulin

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