Education has been the beneficiary of recent leaps and bounds in technology, but the overall approach hasn’t really changed over the years. A prominent achievement gap still persists in education, and although teachers becoming more personable with their students may help, is that truly the answer we need?
Here we speak with Dr. Yong Zhao, Foundation Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas, about why there is a need for a stronger emphasis on personalized education, how AI can help, and how the sharing of ideas between educational leaders can help push education forward.
Zhao will be the keynote speaker at Deeper Learning New York 2025 this July.
The Benefits of Deeper, Personalized Learning
We all remember learning a certain number of subjects while in school, but how often were any of these topics set up to specifically cater to each individual student? As Zhao explains, there has been a stagnation in the educational space for years, one that sparks questions about the importance, and efficacy, of deeper learning.
“If you go to a school, it’s very much the same as 300 years ago,” says Zhao. “The first big problem in education is [that the] government, or state, has always controlled what matters in learning. Nobody is there to be responsible if what we force our students to learn will not matter in five or ten years. And so the first thing I think everybody has to be wise about is to say ‘What is worth deeper learning?’”
So what is the solution that would help advance education?
“What we need is true personalization of learning,” says Zhao. “You enable the students to study what they might be interested in and what they’re good at. I emphasize those two points: interest and strength. Every one of us, no matter where you are from, has strengths and weaknesses. We have a jagged profile of competencies, abilities and interests. Then, after you find your personalized path, [ask] where you want to go and what you want to do.”
Understanding the pathway forward can make all the difference when it comes to personalized learning. By focusing on the individual aspects that might help a student realize their full potential in their formative years, it can lead to long-term success.
What Role AI Can Play in Personalized Learning
With the introduction of artificial intelligence in the classroom, new opportunities have arisen for educators to better understand how to help students learn in more effective ways. As Zhao states, while AI is great for some tasks, there needs to be human interaction to steer student and teacher interaction.
“Teachers use AI to create lessons for students,” he says. “Students use AI to do the homework. Teachers use AI to score the homework. No human beings are involved. We really want teachers ready. Teacher roles have to shift a lot because students need teachers in the age of AI for social and emotional support, and for guidance.”
AI will still be there to do some of the heavy lifting, but if a teacher is not in the traditional role in a classroom, then what are they doing?
“[Teachers] can help the children find opportunities,” says Zhao. “What we need our teachers to do in this new age is not to teach, but to support, to coach, to facilitate, to manage. And that changes our thinking about schooling.”
In a more supportive role, teachers can help students to personalize their education path instead of simply following along with an existing curriculum that doesn’t feature the subjects in which they have interest.
The Benefits of Sharing Innovative Ideas
If it seems like education hasn’t moved forward in some time, it’s because many of the siloed practices that existed years ago still persist today. Zhao suggests it’s important to bring together innovative minds to discuss potential advancements in the educational space.
“The first thing is not only to get new ideas–I think the first thing is really to gain courage if you want to change,” says Zhao. “School leaders, like principals, superintendents, they are actually quite lonely. They cannot necessarily share. They may be meeting challenges. This is a private place for them to play with ideas, gain courage, and hopefully [bounce their ideas off one another].”
Collaborating with like-minded individuals can help advance the innovative spirit in education, normalize taking chances in a traditionally static space, and build courage and camaraderie among decision-makers. With more interactions such as these,more ideas to bring education into a brand new light can be forged.