Artificial Intelligence as “Digital Education”

“AI will definitely come and it is important that we deal with it in schools,” says Norbert Lenz, Head of Department at HTL Dornbirn. He compares the discussion about the use of artificial intelligence in schools to an earlier discussion about the use of calculators in mathematics lessons. In this subject, the computer algebra system has become standard at Matura Central School, Lenz says.

Scan your texts using artificial intelligence

In the “Big Data” class, students at HTL Dornbirn learn how artificial intelligence programs work. One of the most popular is the script program “ChatGPT”, which can not only generate scripts but also verify them.

This would allow students, for example, to receive feedback in a German language class – i.e. “digital tutoring”. “This means you can insert text into ChatGPT and get suggestions on how to word it better,” Lenz explains.

Screens are monitored during exams

However, a fair number of people may view the use of AI critically and see the software as “cheating-enabled.” Lenz contradicts this. The department head explains: “In the case of exams, we block the Internet and monitor the screens.”

“There is no way to take advantage of that,” he asserts. In preparation, he says, students themselves need to know what they can gain from working with AI. “I think the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages,” Lenz is convinced.

It sparked controversy over mandatory VWA

Around the use of artificial intelligence in school lessons, a debate has arisen about the possible end of compulsory pre-scientific work (VWA) in secondary schools. As students increasingly work with software like ChatGPT, verifying their work has become increasingly difficult and time-consuming, according to critics.