Quality education is now costlier than it used to be. But this expense isn't about price; it's about access. In 2019, the World Bank recorded that 53% of children who suffer from learning poverty, with 55% in lower-middle-income countries and 90% in low-income countries. They can’t read proficiently. A 2024 press release from UNESCO estimates the yearly cost of this on the global economy to be $10,000 billion. 53% of children 53% of children $10,000 billion $10,000 billion Several reasons prevent universal access to quality education, and technology has tried to bridge the gap to a large extent. For instance, lack of funding and distance, which are major barriers to quality tertiary education, have been met with cost-effective remote learning opportunities. And now that AI is here, the ride is about to get smoother — only if it is maximized properly. We'll look at some ways to achieve this, but first, let's explore the other critical barriers to quality education. Barriers Preventing Access to Quality Education Several factors hinder quality education globally, but I like to categorize them into three. When these problems get addressed, other problems will become easier to tackle. These three are distance, funding, and the availability of professional educators. Distance Distance Distance’s geographical barrier is predominantly significant in rural and developing areas where transportation means are not diversified. In many areas of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia, schools offering quality education are usually few and far from each other. Eventually, guardians are forced to settle for less or nothing. Funding Funding Apart from tuition, many families cannot afford other necessities to facilitate their child's education. While some areas have government support, it is inadequate or unavailable in others. In addition, the cost of transportation might as well be overbearing. This financial disparity limits educational opportunities, leading to cycles of poverty and inequality. Lack of qualified educators Lack of qualified educators The unavailability of qualified educators significantly affects student performance and learning outcomes. In well-developed countries, teachers and educators undergo training that certifies them as professionals. However, many institutions cannot afford the cost of hiring a professional. Hence, they hire underqualified people who cannot implement effective teaching methods. How Can AI Democratize Access to Quality Education? With advancements in artificial intelligence, it has become much easier to tackle these challenges, because apart from being versatile, AI is accessible anywhere there's an internet. Take a look at these five ways AI removes most of the friction in democratizing education. Personalized Learning Personalized Learning When I think of personalized learning, I think of the adage, "All fingers aren't equal." Traditional educational methods make it seem like the opposite. They use the same materials, educators, and teaching styles, forgetting that students learn at different paces. AI, on the other hand, can effectively tailor exercises, lessons, and approaches to each student. It can track a student's progress, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and then use that information to provide feedback or improve the learning process. For instance, a student struggling with a topic can use AI to double down with more lessons, examples, and exercises. At the same time, it increases the learning pace for such student to make quick progress with the curriculum. Language Translation and Localization Language Translation and Localization The fastest solution to language barriers is translation. Most of the materials and educational content today are available in dominant languages, creating a barricade for people who speak minority languages. As natural language processing (NLP) advances, tools like Google Translate can translate written and spoken resources into multiple languages. Apart from translation, there's also localization. NLP tools can potentially translate information in a culturally relevant way to the student's background. With this, students in rural or underdeveloped areas can benefit from AI-powered translation tools that bring them closer to the same resources available in more developed countries. Access to Educational Content Access to Educational Content Before AI, technology had made resources more accessible than it used to be. Webs one and two have made it possible for people to read information on blogs and websites and even download PDFs. AI takes this a step further by making the information on the internet more accessible. For instance, a quick Google search no longer only brings you results. It summarizes the information it can get regarding your search through its search lab. AI-powered algorithms like Chatgpt, Google search labs, copilot, perplexity AI, etc. can sift through vast amounts of educational materials, such as textbooks, online courses, videos, and research papers, and recommend the most relevant and effective resources for students. This increases access and flexibility, which encourages learning. Automating Administrative Tasks Automating Administrative Tasks Educational quality is not only measured by the student's learning process alone. It also has to deal with how learning is managed in institutions at various levels. For learning to be managed effectively, administration must go on without a hick. Tasks like grading assignments, enrollment, record keeping, etc., are all important to keep the learning environment healthy. Some advanced e-learning institutions already use AI to automate most of these tasks. AI can track the student's performance over time and recommend where to improve. That way, educators can focus on teaching and giving personalized advice to students, while administrators can focus on decision-making. Support for Special Education Support for Special Education Students with disabilities have trouble hearing, seeing, or doing other things that aid the process. Some may not be able to travel long distances or afford assistive learning. AI assistive learning tools can provide support that removes these extra barriers. Speech recognition, captioning, text-to-speech, and sign language translation are all AI-powered solutions that students with special needs can benefit from. Visually impaired students can use the text-to-speech function on their devices to access what's on their screen. Students with hearing impairments can read AI-powered captions, and dyslexic students can benefit from tools that improve reading comprehension. Conclusion Artificial intelligence has the potential to democratize access to quality education globally. More than just potential, many learning platforms already use it to expand access to educational content and improve their learning system. Through AI, students, regardless of location or ability, can benefit from tailored, personalized learning using the best resources. Learning can become more inclusive, efficient, and effective as long as it is used ethically and responsibly.
