In this episode of IT SPARC Cast Deep Dive, John and Lou continue with the second of three parts of the discussion on AI in K-12 and primary education. They dive into how schools address AI-assisted cheating, privacy challenges, and the role of IT departments in crafting responsible AI policies. Learn about real-life strategies from school IT leaders and the importance of collaboration in using AI effectively in education.

Show Notes:

Intro:

John and Lou kick off by recapping the first episode, where they compared two school districts’ approaches to AI in education.

Deep Dive:

AI and Cheating Detection

•Concerns around plagiarism: Districts are exploring AI detection tools but worry about false positives.

•Some schools now require all assignments to be written in Google Docs to track typing patterns and prevent AI-assisted submissions.

•Discussion on the evolving tactics students might use to bypass these measures.

Collaborative Policy Development

•Districts are conducting “AI tours” and working with digital learning specialists to educate teachers on safe AI tools and data privacy.

•Schools emphasize collaboration between IT, teachers, and administrators to ensure that AI policies align with classroom needs.

Managing Student Devices

•IT departments are limiting AI tools on student Chromebooks, while allowing teachers access to approved educational AI applications.

•Google’s admin console gives schools control over Chromebooks, enabling restrictions that align with educational goals and privacy requirements.

Experimenting with Prompt “Poisoning” to Detect AI Usage

•John and Lou test a strategy where obscure references are added to prompts to detect AI-generated work, revealing mixed results in effectiveness.

•They discuss the importance of educating teachers to recognize AI-generated assignments and use critical questioning to assess student knowledge.

Wrap Up:

John and Lou encourage feedback from educators and IT professionals on AI’s role in schools, inviting emails at feedback@itsparccast.com and comments on X @ITSPARCCast.

Listeners are urged to subscribe, share, and stay tuned for next week’s episode on AI’s future in education.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.