[0:17]We are in 2018 A.D. All industries have been transformed by the digital revolution. All industry? No. One industry is still resisting this revolution, education. Can robots replace human teachers? To talk about this issue, I decided to approach the problem through three questions. The first question is, what is the digital revolution? Because we have to put the topic back into some context. The second question is, what can this revolution bring to education? And finally, why is taking so long for this revolution to be implemented in our high schools? So, question one. What is the digital revolution? Before the 19th century, we had artisans who produced unique goods through intellectual and physical effort. After the 19th century, demographic exploded. People have to find a unique and standardized methods to produce these good and services. Quantity was increased at the expense of quality. It was the industrial paradigm. Quantity increased, quality decreased. Doesn't that remind you of anything? Education of course. You find yourself sitting at a desk and undergoing the same pedagogy as all the other students, while we are all different in the face of learning. Ken Robinson has already talked about it in his work, but it is impressive to see how deeply rooted the industrial paradigm is in education. For example, the school bell in a school, like in a factory. Another example, the grouping by class, by year of manufacturing, etc. In short, the choice of of the industrial paradigm in education. And then comes this new paradigm, the digital revolution and its hopes. We will be able to increase the quantity while increasing the quality indicators. We will be able to customize each user's experience. The question that arises is therefore, what does this revolution bring to education? And for this, I take two example that really happened to me as a teacher. I'm a math and economics teacher, and in my questions, I like to put 80% of simple questions. You know, you studied the basics, you understand the basics and you will succeed. I also put 10% of a slightly more difficult questions. You have to study and understand the material a little bit more. And finally, 10% of very hard questions. To know who have the best understandings of my material. And this is what I have observed after typing my results on my computer. In the first, second, and third class, who have the questions the same day, very few got the difficult question right. And then I discovered the anomaly. The exact moment where my students share the questions to the others. You can guess one of the first advantages of digital technologies. You can get information like who did his homework in class. Who cheated on his neighbor? When do your students share your questions? All of this is good information to know as a teacher. Now, I will tell you about a second experience. Suppose I give you an equation. The solution is X = 7. Out of 15 students, six found the correct answer. Two found nothing. It happens. And then, three found x = -3, four found X = 2. These last two groups have wrong answers, but several students have found the same thing. Why? They cheated? No. They have the same weaknesses. For example, the first group with X = -3, has some troubles with negative numbers. The second group is struggling to add up fractions. So if we know the students mistakes, we know what they shortcomings are and can offer them the best antidote. You see how a teacher can greatly be helped by his computer? He has some information about his students. For example, imagine he arrives or she arrives in a class and can focus only on the most difficult questions. The feedback will be better and faster. And the students can be directly redirected to the correct exercise that is that is adapted to his or her individual level. So, the question is then, why is this revolution taking so long? To be implemented in our high schools? One of the main reasons, I think, it's because teacher are afraid of bringing this intelligence into classroom. They are afraid to be replaced by this robot. But I think the problem is poorly posed, and I will show you that. Few months ago, I saw a conference with French engineers and American engineers who have to sell a car. French engineer would sell that like, you know, with this new technology, um, you can compress the gases. And with a spark, the pistons will move and blah, blah, blah, and blah, blah, blah. You know all this boring and technical stuff. Where where an American would say, this object allows you to go from A to B in 5 minutes. Amazing, isn't it? You see the difference? Now, ask a teacher, what is the teaching profession? You know, the teaching profession is to teach and to teach well is to find the best pedagogy for all my students. Wrong. Think back to the best teacher you ever met. The one who made you love math or literature. Was it really his pedagogy or her pedagogy that made such an impression on you? I don't think so. I think it was his or her ability to give you attention, emotional attention. It was his or her ability to give you with a joke, let's go, let's do another two extra exercises. It was his or her ability to tell you that, no, you did not suck at math.
[9:03]My initial question was, will robots ever replace human teachers? I don't think so.
[9:16]I think AI or robots is complementary to human teachers. When AI will take care of doing all mechanical, repetitive and boring tasks, teachers will take care of doing his real job more effectively. And what is the real job of a teacher? What is the teaching profession? The teaching profession is to give love.
