AI puts a lot of pressure on teachers, why?

According to experts, although the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools brings many benefits, it is undeniable that it also poses many challenges for teaching, especially when students are increasingly dependent on AI.

Dr. Vien Cao commented that the proliferation of AI, in addition to its benefits, also brings many new challenges to teachers - PHOTO: HUFLIT

On the morning of May 8, INTESOL Vietnam, VEDUCON, the Center for Education Development and Digital Technology (Hanoi National University of Education) in collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology organized the first international conference on English teaching in Ho Chi Minh City. The program lasted until May 9, gathering 65 presentations by domestic and foreign educators on the topic of teaching and learning English in the AI era.

Challenges before the AI trend

Speaking at the event, Professor Vien Cao, coordinator of the English program at the Graduate School of Economics and Business (ESEN) and co-founder of the Teachers Up initiative sponsored by the US Embassy in El Salvador, said that AI is not a passing trend, but is being widely used in the world. It is predicted that by the end of this year, the total number of ChatGPT users will reach 1 billion, equivalent to 1/8 of the global population, according to OpenAI.

"In the past, when students encountered difficulties, they would ask their 'best friend' Google, but now they have a new friend, ChatGPT," she said, adding that 77% of nearly 800 educators in the US believe that AI tools are useful in preparing lesson plans and handling administrative work, according to a survey conducted by the Carnegie Learning organization (USA).

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by Professor Vien Cao with 136 teachers in El Salvador showed that 49% of teachers said they had used AI, but some only asked AI to plan trips and not to use it in the classroom. ChatGPT was the most used tool with 72 teachers choosing it, followed by Gemini (65), DeepSeek (46), Canva (33), Duolingo (25) and others.

Guests discuss with speakers about the use of AI in education - PHOTO: NGOC LONG

Although teachers themselves have a lot of exposure to AI, some teachers say they are unsure whether to let students use AI because they fear it will affect their critical thinking. Many teachers are also concerned that students will only use AI to do homework but not actually learn anything, and are afraid that students will become overly dependent on these tools, according to research by Professor Vien Cao.

Another notable finding, according to Professor Vien Cao, is that many Salvadoran teachers are reluctant to use AI due to fear that their colleagues and school leaders will judge them as lazy or incompetent, even though they say the tool offers many benefits, such as helping to give better feedback to students, providing more teaching materials, and reducing lesson preparation time.

"AI is here and it will be here for a long time. Therefore, we need to learn how to overcome it, not avoid it. Humans are the 'miracle' behind AI tools," Ms. Vien Cao advised.

Despite the geographical differences, the professor believes that teachers in Vietnam and El Salvador share a common challenge: how to effectively use AI in the classroom. "Society has high expectations for teachers, but we don't have enough guidance, resources, and time to adapt to AI," she said, but believes that AI will bring opportunities to change teaching and learning, similar to how Covid-19 has unintentionally helped the education sector to digitize strongly.

"Although people think that we teachers do not have power, money and fame, they all believe that we have the power to change other people's lives. Whether we use AI or not, they still believe that teachers can make a difference in students' lives. Now, with the support of AI, hopefully we can create a greater impact and bring more opportunities to our students," the female expert hopes.

Delegates attending the workshop - PHOTO: HUFLIT

How to check papers in the AI era

In Vietnam, a survey of 308 students at four universities in Ho Chi Minh City found that students today tend to rely too much on AI tools because of their convenience and efficiency. They use AI to complete assignments, generate ideas, or edit sentences. When under pressure, such as when deadlines are approaching or when they see their friends getting better grades, students also turn to AI as a lifesaver.

As the author of the above research, Dr. Tran Vu Diem Thuy, Head of the Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, added that there are many factors that affect students' awareness of AI ethics, such as frequency and level of AI use; critical thinking and digital skills; lecturers' attitudes, influence from friends and classroom culture...

"The important thing is that without clear punishments or specific warnings, students will have no standards to follow," said Ms. Thuy. "Lecturers themselves are sometimes confused, not knowing what is right and what is wrong, so how can they help students have the right direction when using AI?", Dr. Thuy expressed her opinion.

To prevent students from relying on AI, Dr. Thuy suggests implementing “AI-proof” testing methods, such as oral assignments, group projects, or reflective journals. In addition, lecturers need to teach students about AI and have open discussions in class about the use of AI. At the management level, organizations need to issue guidelines such as handbooks and manuals that specify how to use AI so that students can comply and follow them.

Dr. Tran Vu Diem Thuy commented that many students are increasingly dependent on AI, so the role of lecturers and schools in this context is extremely important - PHOTO: HUFLIT

Speaking to Thanh Nien on the sidelines of the event, Ms. Thuy commented that the regulatory framework for using AI in education is currently only at its initial stages. In fact, many teachers only pick up ways of doing things "a little here, a little there" to implement for their students. Therefore, having a clear policy on AI from the faculty leaders in particular and the university in general is urgent in the current context.

What do teachers expect?

In terms of teacher training, Dr. Nguyen Thuy Hong Van, Director of INTESOL Vietnam - a unit specializing in training and granting certificates for English teaching, commented that teachers' needs for AI are shifting. From wanting to learn how to use AI tools, teachers now expect to know how to think critically when using AI. "If we just give prompts (commands to AI - PV), receive feedback and apply it to teaching, we will become slaves of AI," said Ms. Van.

According to Dr. Van, similar to many countries in the world, Vietnam should also build legal frameworks and program frameworks on AI in education, clearly defining how teachers and learners use AI effectively, responsibly and ethically. At the same time, we also need to invest in technology to build tools to help identify content created by AI, in parallel with AI development.

However, the difficult reality is that the speed at which AI is blooming and developing is "like a whirlwind", making it not easy to train teachers to adapt to AI. In fact, the training programs currently being implemented at Ms. Van's unit are not yet linked to the AI story, so the female doctor herself has had to incorporate AI-related content into the practice section to meet the needs of teachers.

"In the coming time, we will definitely update the curriculum, especially in theory, such as how to use AI, ethical issues when using AI, and how to prevent learners from abusing this tool," Dr. Van told Thanh Nien .

After the period of getting acquainted and learning how to use AI, teachers now have a higher demand for this tool, according to Dr. Nguyen Thuy Hong Van - PHOTO: HUFLIT

Mihaela Dascalu, an international teacher trainer and senior lecturer at UK-based INTESOL Worldwide, added at the event that AI can provide a private space for teachers to reflect honestly and without fear of criticism. AI can also provide analysis of “blind spots” that teachers overlook, such as student engagement and the amount of time teachers spend teaching, helping to improve pedagogy.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ai-tao-ra-nhieu-ap-luc-cho-giao-vien-vi-sao-185250805212703031.htm