The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, is already part of Brazilian students’ daily routines. However, the rapid pace of this adoption has not been accompanied by the necessary guidance within schools.

The 15th edition of the ICT in Education survey, released by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), found that seven out of ten high school students who use the internet rely on AI to conduct school research, but only 32% have received any kind of guidance on how to use these technologies safely and responsibly.

For Guilherme Cintra, director of Innovation and Technology at the Lemann Foundation and advisor to Bett Brasil, the results highlight a systemic challenge that extends beyond the classroom.

“It is important to emphasize that schools are one of the key players in this process, but they are not the only ones. There is a shared responsibility among governments, families, and educational institutions,” he says.

Regarding the role of schools, he emphasizes that educational institutions need to be increasingly prepared to guide students on everything from the technical aspects of how to use the tool effectively to the ethical implications of using AI.

In Cintra’s view, this situation underscores the urgency of rethinking teacher training. “Current teacher training is not sufficient—in fact, no training program is, because this is a very new field. We need new training programs that prepare educators to keep pace with and adapt to change. Being comfortable with uncertainty is essential in the world we live in,” he notes.

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And how can we ensure that the use of generative AI isn’t just a shortcut for completing school assignments, but rather an ally in learning? In other words, how can we prevent it from becoming a gateway to an old practice—the infamous “cheating”?

According to the Bett Brasil board member, AI simplifies the process of cheating, which makes it even more necessary to rethink the format of activities. “Cheating has always existed; what’s different now is that technology makes it easier. That’s why tasks need to be designed to assess the reasoning process, not just the final answer,” he explains.

Cintra cites the example of Australian professor Ian Furze, who proposed a five-level scale for the use of AI in the classroom—ranging from activities where its use is prohibited to those where it is mandatory—to foster critical thinking and mastery of the tool.

“The important thing is that each task has clear educational objectives. If the goal is to memorize content, using AI might not make sense. But if the intention is to develop critical thinking skills for decision-making, using this technology can be extremely productive,” he points out.

Continuing Education for Teachers

The ICT in Education survey is considered one of the leading sources of information on the use of technology in schools. The 2024 edition shows that, while students are increasingly using cutting-edge technologies, teacher training is still struggling to keep pace with these changes in the classroom.

According to the survey, 54% of teachers participated in continuing education activities focused on the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning processes during the 12 months prior to the survey.

Among the most popular courses, those focused on creating instructional materials (82%) and on using digital platforms to adapt activities to different learning paces (79%) stand out.

According to Cintra, the integration of artificial intelligence into continuing education for teachers must go beyond technical instruction on tools. The focus should be on understanding why and how to use them.

“When we look at the most popular courses, we see that many teachers are looking to reduce administrative tasks and personalize their teaching. That’s great, but teacher training must also address the fundamentals of pedagogy. Teachers need to understand the value of each tool, how to apply it to their goals, and, above all, how it makes them even more effective professionals,” he argues.

In his view, AI should not be seen as a threat, but as an ally to educators. “Teachers remain central to the learning process. Technology should be integrated into their work, not replace them. What must not happen is using a tool to generate a ready-made lesson plan without considering the students’ context or the class’s pedagogical objectives. AI doesn’t understand that; the teacher does,” he emphasizes.

Source: Agência Brasil.

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