A teacher's touch or Artificial Intelligence
When undergraduate or postgraduate students face difficulties with certain texts, concepts, tests projects and many other academic issues. AI helps or guides like a teacher. There is no doubt about its efficacy. But it's mostly mechanical. So it has limitations. Machines cannot replace humans where the warmth of human relationship matter.
A student needs knowledge. The process of acquiring knowledge involves intellectual exercise. AI can stimulate a student's intellect which is a matter of the head or brain. Intellect is the instrument of knowledge.
But there is another aspect and effective domain to consider, i.e the heart. The heart is the instrument of inspiration. When both head and heart combine, great things happen. It is the actual teacher alone who can reach out to his students through his heart. He understands their strengths and weaknesses better than AI. His voice of wisdom and warmth of heart strengthen their minds to overcome the challenges of their academic life.
Swami Vivekananda said, "We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the Intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one's feet."
This highest aim of education no machine alone can fulfil. For this, a physical classroom with the instrument of inspiration, i.e an actual warm- hearted teacher is indispensable. He delivers Intellect coupled with emotion of heart.
Had I not got respected Keshab Chandra Nag, Birendra Krishna Chakraborty or Rajendra Kanti Chaudhury, all warm-hearted erudite teachers, as my philosophers and guides, it would not have been possible to embark on a job after completion of postgraduate engineering at most prestigious laboratories of National importance like Dept. of Atomic Energy, giving up so called prestigious corporate jobs at a crucial moment of my life. The fundamental concepts of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry were instilled in me by these great teachers. There was no AI at that time. Being an octogenarian, even today I'm quite capable of discussing science subjects with my grandson, a student of class X of a reputed school of Kolkata.
However, in the age of science and technology, teachers must be techno-savvy to serve their students more effectively.
2 comments:
Teachers connect with students both intellectually as well as emotionally. AI teachers, at least till date, miss the second aspect, which is crucial for supporting the students' emotional distresses which are very common.
Absolutely, you said it Saila. This is what I tried to tell in my narratives.
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