The artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to transform various sectors, and the special education is not the exception. Manuel García NavamuelTelecommunications engineer, and Benjamin PittersEnglish teacher at Celia and Pepe’s Colea special education center, will address the impact of this technology on the creation of adapted materials to the needs of children with disability in his presentation next November 23. Under the framework of the days of Training of Want Foundation At CaixaFórum, both professionals will present the opportunities and challenges presented by the AI in this field, as well as the need for collaboration between engineers and teachers.
We spoke with them before the presentation, for which there are still places available, to find out the most important milestones of their research.
Potential of AI in Special Education
For Garcia Navamuelthe AI has “immense potential” to personalize teaching materials. Thanks to the possibility of adjusting the “prompts” or instructions given to the algorithms, it is possible to define the specific abilities and needs of each child. This means that the content created is more precisely adapted to each case. “Before AI, this exercise was already carried out by teachers, but Now they have a powerful tool that allows them to do it more effectively and efficiently.“he explains. In an upcoming workshop, García and his team plan to show practical examples, such as the creation of adapted stories and music videos, that illustrate how technology can remove barriers to learning and foster inclusion.
One of the great advantages of AI is its ability to personalize content according to the type of disability, says García Navamuel. “AI tools use models trained on billions of datawhich allows us to analyze a wide variety of cases similar to those we propose. In this way, by introducing a ‘prompt’ about a specific need, the AI searches for relevant patterns, adapting the content precisely.” This approach makes it easier for students with disabilities can follow the rhythm of the classroom, promoting inclusive learning. Additionally, by reducing the time and effort required to adapt materials, teachers can focus on supporting and guiding each student.
Innovation in teaching resources
The odds that AI offers in the creation of innovative resources are, according to García Navamuel, practically infinite. As part of their work in the workshop, they have developed a voice assistant that responds in real time to questions asked by attendees, a model that could be adapted for the classroom. “This wizard is not generic, but adapts the language and way of explaining concepts to a specific audience: teaching professionals“, he comments. A similar assistant in the classroom could consider the needs and interests of the students, generating a positive impact on their learning experience.
The role of engineers, points out García Navamuel, focuses on managing data to train the algorithms, as well as adjusting and validating the responses. However, he highlights that the real challenge is to democratize access to these tools, making them accessible to teachers without requiring advanced technical knowledge. “Many mobile phones no longer come with instructions, we want the AI to not need them either,” he emphasizes, making an analogy to highlight the ease of use that is intended to be achieved.
A key aspect that García emphasizes is the need to mitigate the biases present in AI models, which have been trained with data from large corporations. “We have to be very aware of the limitations of these models and how human nuance is fundamental to get appropriate responses. “AI will not take your job, but a person who knows how to use AI better than you will,” he warns.
Privacy and security in the use of AI in the classroom
Benjamin Pitters underscores the importance of ensuring that AI is safe and respects student privacy, especially in an area as sensitive as special education. “It is key to anonymize the data with which we train AI“, he assures. In the event that medical reports or other private documents are used, it is essential to avoid sharing information that compromises the privacy of students, families and multifunctional team. Pitters remembers that, as happens with social networks, Once data is entered into a system, its final destination cannot always be guaranteed.
Teacher training is essential so that they can use these tools in their classes. Pitters highlights the need for more spaces like the EducatIA workshop, where technicians and teachers meet to jointly explore the potential of AI and its application in the classroom. These types of initiatives, he explains, not only promote training, but also allow teachers to discover how to solve specific problems with technology.
The future of Education
For Pittersthe future of AI in special education is promising. Imagine a world where AI enables unprecedented personalization of learning, transforming interaction with the educational environment and redefining the role of many tasks. However, he points out that this does not imply a reduction in the teacher’s relevance, but rather an opportunity to focus on irreplaceable human skills, such as empathy and critical judgment.
“In the field of special education, teachers will be able to have tools that help them to create inclusive environments and focus on guiding and supporting each student,” concludes Pitters.
