AI in Education: Will Technology Replace Teachers or Enhance Learning in the Classroom?

Recent years have seen a remarkable evolution in education across the United States and Canada. While this transformation has brought about some advancements, it has also sparked serious concerns regarding educational standards. Traditional schooling, previously a benchmark of reliability, is now under scrutiny as educators, parents, and policymakers explore the implications of these changes. This article aims to analyze established learning standards, student performance metrics, and the ongoing debates surrounding distance learning that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic forced schools to rapidly switch to online learning, changing how lessons were delivered and exposing significant disparities in technology access among students. As educational institutions transitioned to virtual platforms, they faced various challenges, revealing not only infrastructural inadequacies but also substantial gaps in student engagement. In fact, a report by the Learning Policy Institute highlighted that approximately 25% of students lacked reliable internet access, severely impacting their ability to participate in online education.

The Shift to Distance Learning