Online education: an uncompleted song of ice and fire
- By Wu Jin
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 22, 2017
The frenetic growth of online education during the past few years in China is creating a song of ice and fire with its own unique features.
However, this time, human society is not challenged by the White Walkers, the antagonists created by George R. R. Martin in his superb bestselling series "A song of ice and fire" - known as "Game of Thrones" when brought to screen with huge success - but rather man's own creation of smart technologies.
The prevalent adoption of internet technologies, peculiarly, the inception of artificial intelligence (AI) in China's educational market, is attempting to replace the manual and time-consuming endeavor of conventional education.
What sort of picture will unfold if the rulers are handed over by human teachers to emotionless gargets?
Some business people insist there's no need to panic.
Wang Yi, a founder of liulishuo.com, an online oral English teaching platform recently introducing AI technology, said AI had become a tool leading to efficient learning and less repetitious manual toil.
According to him, following day schools and online education, the epoch of AI teaching, seen as a new driver of the educational industry, is definitely coming. Compared to traditional educational models, cutting-edge technology can help save on faculty salaries and cut down on venues, as well as streamlining the enrollment process.
However, is the substitution of smart machines for real persons in the educational sector a dangerous step?
Chen Yuan, a co-founder of VIPKID, an online English teaching program for children, holds a different view.
"AI can enhance interaction during the learning process, such as, demonstrating with pictures of aircraft when teachers are giving lessons on the word 'plane'. But no matter how advanced the technology is, it will not replace the fundamental care and creativity shown by educators," Chen insisted.
"The core values of educators comprise teachers' abilities to foster critical thinking, fluent expression and develop the creative minds of their students," she added.
According to iresearch.cn, an online data consultancy, online education had attracted 7.5 billion yuan (US$1.15 billion) through 147 deals within the first nine months of this year, already 27 more than last year's tally.
Despite increasing capital flows, the profitable business model remains a conundrum that has hampered the industry from being able to thrive, the Beijing Morning Post reported recently.
