Learning situation

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Víctor Guiu Aguilar

Artificial Intelligence has already accomplished what the most prominent pedagogical leaders could never have imagined. And it’s not for lack of effort (or the countless hours they made us waste), nor for the debates they sparked, even in regional parliaments, about reducing or completely eliminating homework from classrooms. You know, homework—those non-pedagogical rites of passage, beloved by “teachersaurs” and stubborn, reactionary educators who care only about imparting knowledge to their devoted students.

The arrival of AI in our lives has certainly not been gradual. As always, it has caught us off guard. Yet, what is likely to unfold now was entirely predictable. Now that it’s here, the pedagogical teachers will champion its correct use—as though one could rehabilitate an addict with carefully administered doses of the very substance they’re addicted to.
As for the “teachersaurs”, they are once again legally bound to wade through countless wasted hours marking assignments (we’ll refrain from using the word “homework”) that likely weren’t even written by their students; acting as detectives—or more fittingly, digital forensic analysts—amid yet another disaster that only adds to the ongoing erosion of culture and knowledge.

Assigning homework today has become an exercise in sheer absurdity, given that the vast majority of students will not complete it, instead resorting to plagiarism and evasions that the teacher may not even recognise. Admittedly, it’s easy enough to catch them—almost as easy as it is for frustrated families to respond with their time-honoured refrain: “Prove it”.

In light of this, we’re left with few tools as fair and equitable as the traditional examination, in its various forms—please, don’t come for my throat!

But what are we to do with those primary school children who have long been deprived of the very basics of literacy? How can we help them comprehend a text, produce a summary, or write a coherent paragraph? How can we ensure they can memorise even the most fundamental content, beyond the address of their own home?

AI may indeed prove useful for individuals who are already well-educated, helping them to carry out certain routine tasks. However, it is unlikely to be of any real use to those with limited knowledge or who struggle with the basic skills expected of a primary or secondary school pupil. Without meaningful reference points, it serves little or no purpose.

I am pessimistic. It will not matter in the end; everything has already been undone. I am reminded now of one of those Learning Situations so typical of LOMLOE-inspired curricula¹—brimming with “competencies” that no one truly understands, except perhaps for the naïve souls determined to do away with common sense. It took place at an “innovative” secondary school (beware of any school that describes itself with that label). History class. Learning Situation: “Complete a project simulating the work of a medieval scriptorium, as if we were monks”. The task: copy a charter by Alfonso I of Aragon granting privileges to Mozarabs freed from the Almoravids in Al-Andalus. An interdisciplinary project, more in line with Art and Design than anything else: super cool. Worth 40% of the term’s grade, mind you, because we are “innovative” and in compliance with the LOMLOE.

Upon completing the learning situation (?), the father asks his child who Alfonso I was, or the Almoravids, or the Mozarabs. No answer. Perhaps they’ll cover it in Art and Design—if that syllabus includes a Learning Situation that tackles the essential content of our history. Or perhaps, better yet, if everything is already in AI, we could simply hire youth workers, tell the teachers to take a hike, and hand out passes to everyone. Families and the government alike would no doubt be clapping with their feet.

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¹ The LOMLOE is Spain’s current national education law, focused on a competency-based curriculum and progressive pedagogy, replacing traditional content-driven approaches.

Source: educational EVIDENCE

Rights: Creative Commons