Over the past several decades, educators have developed strategies to engage gifted and talented students through tools like individual learning plans, project-based learning and the flipped classroom model. All of these allow students to learn content at their own pace.
With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, teachers can take personalized learning to the next level with algorithms that respond to student needs in real time. Lamar University’s online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Teacher Leadership with a Specialization in Gifted and Talented program equips rising educational leaders to effectively deploy AI tools while acknowledging what the technology cannot replace — a human educator guiding students to success.
Why Is Personalized Learning Important?
Personalized learning has long been a crucial element of every student’s education, particularly for students who require instruction beyond standard curricula. According to APA PsycNet, gifted and talented students fall into this category since they are prone to boredom in class, while their peers continue to learn concepts that the gifted student has already mastered.
Left without new material or exercises to stimulate their interest in the subject matter, gifted students can quickly disengage or act out behaviorally. In contrast, personalized learning motivates students to pursue their educational goals, develops their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and leads to improved learning outcomes, according to technology company Evolwe.
Before the mass rollout of tools like ChatGPT and learning games infused with artificial intelligence tools, teachers often used traditional approaches to personalized learning like meeting with students in individual tutoring sessions or implementing differentiated instruction by delivering the same content in different ways. These could be through visual aids, music or activities involving movement. However, AI can make those techniques even more effective today.
AI Tools for Personalized Learning
Because AI systems rely on massive data sets, their algorithms instantly respond to a student’s performance on a quiz or learning module. Artificial intelligence can identify which concepts a student struggles with and suggest a targeted learning plan to keep the student on track. For gifted students, AI-powered technology can also speed up the course’s pace and challenge students with more advanced problems to solve.
Gifted students benefit from this structure because their educational needs will be met while their interactions with an in-person teacher and peers support healthy psychosocial development, according to the 2023 research paper “AI Applications in Education for Working with Gifted Children: Future Uses and Psychosocial Effects.”
According to an Education Sciences article exploring the consequences of AI in educational settings, researchers tested AI systems for individualized tutoring and guidance across a broad spectrum of subjects, including computer science and mathematics. They found that AI tools advance teaching and learning, and digital assistants also free up an educator’s classroom time to work with students who need the most in-person guidance.
As AI software rises in adoption across the U.S., there are still considerable risks and unknowns associated with its use in classrooms. Only human teachers can provide the interaction, empathy and emotional intelligence to help young people develop both academically and personally, according to the Education Sciences paper.
Educators are also dealing with a scourge of attempted plagiarism as students of all abilities attempt to use ChatGPT to complete assignments. Due to this misuse of AI tools, teachers have the difficult task of discerning who is cheating or who needs more individualized attention to master the material. This means that education professionals who are well versed in advanced technologies can better prepare for and resist some of its potential challenges.
Gain Understanding of Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom With Lamar University
As part of Lamar University’s online M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership – Gifted and Talented program, students learn how to interpret the latest educational research and make informed decisions about their own teaching methods through courses like Research/Current Issues in Education. The Using Assessment Data to Guide Instructional Decisions course gives teachers the tools to analyze data collected by AI to inform their instruction practices and develop plans to meet the needs of diverse learners.
An advanced degree in teacher leadership and gifted and talented students prepares educators to use modern tools for students’ diverse needs. Upon graduation, educators feel comfortable exploring and testing the possibilities and limitations of AI for gifted students.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online Master of Education in Teacher Leadership with a Specialization in Gifted and Talented program.
