While artificial intelligence (AI) tools are gaining ground in schools, national survey results released in May from The Learning Agency show that they’re not reaching rural communities at the same pace as urban communities, and many teachers say the tools often don’t meet their needs.
Among the key findings:
- Compared to 50 percent of respondents in urban settings and 40 percent in suburban communities, 37 percent or rural teachers reported frequent use of AI-powered tools in their classroom
- Of those, only 46 percent of teachers in rural settings said they feel that AI-powered tools are relevant to their classroom needs — significantly lower than their peers in suburban schools (57 percent) and urban schools (66 percent)
Teachers across the board reported that they’d like increased support from AI tools in engaging and motivating their students, adjusting their teaching practices based on research and managing their time and administrative tasks.
However, of the more than 650 educators surveyed, common concerns emerged, including:
- More than 30 percent worry that tools to collect data on learning and engagement may not be accurate enough
- Nearly 40 percent say that speech recognition tools in particular may not provide accurate assessments
- Many also expressed concern over whether education technology effectively challenges students’ higher-order and critical-thinking skills, and shared other issues related to cost, bias in algorithms and ease of classroom implementation
Given these and other findings outlined in the report, researchers noted that without targeted action, the tools designed to close opportunity gaps could have the opposite effect.
“As an Appalachian native who grew up in a rural community, I’m especially concerned that rural children are in danger of being left out,” Lizzie Jones, director of Strategic Initiatives at The Learning Agency, said in a statement. “Given that one out of every five students in the U.S. attends a rural school, we still have a long way to go to ensure AI tools are meaningful, usable, and accessible in all communities.”
When asked which tech interventions would be most helpful in the classroom, common themes emerged among teachers with the same focus areas. For example:
- Forty percent of English or language arts teachers feel that they do not have the time to provide effective writing feedback to their students, and many expressed “strong enthusiasm for edtech that can help”
- While most math teachers surveyed said they understand their students’ math abilities, 70 percent agreed that their school would benefit from an automated tool to identify students with advanced math skills
- Among high school teachers, 70 percent said they would benefit from more support in integrating career-connected skills into instruction
Recommendations detailed in the report call on policymakers and developers to improve accuracy and efforts to tackle AI bias in education technology; ensure AI tools for teachers are aligned to real classroom needs; and engage more deeply with educators on what they need edtech to do to better serve students.
“The field must continue asking teachers about specific use cases and iterating alongside schools to ensure that tools are well-designed for classroom implementation and impact,” the report states. “This is especially crucial for ensuring tools are developed with more attention to areas with low uptake, such as rural communities.”
