Learning and Training in the age of AI - going Micro, Macro and Meta
Poh-Sun Goh
Sunday, 2 July 2023, 0242am, Singapore Time
Having access to the world's knowledge (i.e. with access to the Internet), or an intelligent algorithm (i.e. AI or Artificial Intelligence), does not mean we have become more learned, become trained, more capable or skilled. Being able to look up an answer to how to do something online, or have an AI tool 'tell you' is only the starting point.
Going Micro and Macro requires human assessment of both the answer(s), as well as its relevance to the question or task at hand, and its broader context. Going Meta includes human evaluation of underlying logic, and overarching principles and theory that might be relevant. Human input is particularly useful to do beyond surface answers to deeper considerations - from What and How, to Why and If.
There is value in figuring out the answer or how to do something compared to being given the answer or shown how. Discovery and exploratory learning activities opens the door to creative and new approaches to doing things. Not to mention deeper understanding and insight into why certain ideas and solutions were chosen, and implemented in a specific context.
Imagine the task of finding and fitting all the pieces to complete a picture puzzle. Whilst software and AI can accelerate the process of completing this task, there is value in examining and assessing each piece of the puzzle, fitting these together by trial and error, and progressively assembling the whole construct. When we are given an answer, and shown a solution, we lose the opportunity to explore and examine alternative and other avenues and ideas, and taking full advantage of questioning to learn. Fast and quick does not necessarily mean better or best - answer, idea, solution or path.
Further Reading
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/student-learning-canceled-because-ai-chatbots-can-write-adam-geller
https://becominghuman.ai/how-to-write-an-essay-on-any-topic-using-ai-b840a541aaa8
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/science-inquiry-claim-evidence-reasoning-eric-brunsell
https://www.wired.com/2013/10/telling-you-the-answer-isnt-the-answer/
Weinstein, Y., Madan, C.R. & Sumeracki, M.A. Teaching the science of learning. Cogn. Research 3, 2 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-017-0087-y
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