Artificial Intelligence Success in K-12 Education

Of all the areas of life where artificial intelligence (AI) will impact, the biggest might well be education. This is because learning is so important, and because current educational systems leave a lot to be desired. AI has the power to change the way teachers teach and students learn, helping to maximize student success and better prepare them for the future.

While AI-powered solutions have been in the educational space for some time, schools around the country have mainly relied on traditional teaching approaches. However, the landscape is changing. Elements of AI have edged into both school classrooms and after-school learning programs. The trend is growing due partly to the pandemic, to school administrators and teachers seeking better alternatives, and to proven results from a number of AI-driven solutions in the education industry.

Among those tech-driven solutions is Afficient Academy, a Silicon Valley-based company I founded to provide AI-based K-12 learning programs to help children “Achieve ‘A’ Efficiently.” As a father of three supporting my children through their formative years, I noticed serious deficiencies in many educational programs. Drawing from my professional experiences and research, I realized that modern technology could vastly enhance current learning systems. After several years of developing and refining our AI-based Math and English programs, the results of these programs show that the integration of AI into the learning process has dramatically improved students’ learning effectiveness.

How AI Transforms the Learning Experience

Here are some of the ways AI will transform the learning experience:

• Personalized Learning: One of the greatest challenges regarding education is that people learn differently and at different rates. In the classroom, students learn the same material at the same time regardless of their levels of learning ability and aptitude. AI-based solutions can adapt to students’ level of education, speed of learning, and current educational goals.
• Filling in Skill Gaps: It is common for students of a given class to have different learning foundations, which are carried over from their previous years in school. Without solid foundations, students struggle to learn more advanced material, which adversely affects the progress of the whole class. An AI-powered system can systematically and efficiently fill in students’ skill gaps and strengthen weak areas to build solid foundations.
• Self-Paced, Accelerated Learning: Once a solid foundation has been built, the AI-powered system knows what skills students are ready to learn next. It adaptively guides students to learn, practice, and master new skills. Students can learn at their own pace, and most of them can progress much faster than the pace of a traditional classroom approach.
• Ensuring Excellent Results: Traditional classroom learning can hardly ensure everyone in the class learns well. Students complete the class with A, B, C, or D grades and move to the next grade level, many of them still with weak areas and skill gaps that affect their future learning. Afficient’s AI-powered learning system uses a rigorous and intelligent process to guide students to master all the skills of a grade and Achieve ‘A’ Efficiently.

Afficient Gives Joy of Learning, Enhances Learning Effectiveness

Since its founding in 2014, Afficient has helped over 15,000 children excel in school. Our adaptive, self-paced AI-based programs gift each child the joy of learning by allowing them to learn according to their foundation and ability. This is liberating as students start with where they are comfortable with and advance to the best they can be. The personal and highly efficient learning approach means less pressure, less stress, heightened engagement, and more enthusiasm to study. Of note:

• Afficient is making breakthrough advances in K-12 education—90% of students ace one grade level of content in just two to four months.
• Students learn 2-5 times faster with Afficient than traditional school programs. Statistical data verifies the learning efficiency.
• The patented Afficient Methodology is unique—it is designed to help students “Achieve ‘A’ Efficiently.”
• The curricula are accredited by The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), and are aligned to Common Core State Standards.

While some educators fear that in the future, AI technology might replace the role of the teacher altogether, I don’t see it that way. As students encounter difficulties that they cannot overcome by themselves, they need teachers’ help. Moreover, the more complex impartation of social and emotional skills as well as persistence, perseverance, and good study habits will remain in the domain of you and me. We cannot afford to ignore the possibilities that AI offers to dramatically improve the student learning experience!