Teaching Theory

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is committed to supporting the use of technology to improve teaching and learning and to support innovation throughout educational systems. This report addresses the clear need for sharing knowledge and developing policies for “Artificial Intelligence,” a rapidly advancing class of foundational capabilities which are increasingly embedded in all types of educational technology systems and are also available to the public.

Moved by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, Ferial Pearson wondered if a simple act of kindness could change a life. She thought of the school where she taught and the students she guided every day and wondered what would happen if we started secretly carrying out small acts of kindness in school. Could a modest act of compassion really change the course of a life? She posed the question to her students. They didn’t have the answers, but they were willing to find out. So they became the Secret Kindness Agents.

This book aims to explore the characteristics, scope, and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot use in educational settings. It considers ChatGPT as an assistive tool in pedagogy and provides educator guides and exemplars showing how AI chatbots can be used for specific subjects/topics/projects. In such a fast-changing technological field it reviews a few AI chatbots available for educational use at this point. At best it provides some insights on the challenges and limitations of the use of AI chatbots in educational settings.