Artificial intelligence a presence in Central Okanagan classrooms

Both high school and college classrooms in the Okanagan are managing the rise in the use of artificial intelligence.

With the technology now being used widely in society, Central Okanagan Public Schools officials are developing a plan on how to use it.

Troy White, district principal of learning technology services, says they are asking the question of "how are we going to use this tool to support student learning."

White is in favour of using AI as a tool for learning. The school district is creating an AI guidance document, based on student feedback. Most students surveyed said they use AI as a tutor.

He’s optimistic it will benefit the system but said it's important to teach students how to use AI appropriately and safely.

Okanagan College is also embracing and teaching AI.

Among the topics David Williams, a professor and tech coordinator at Okanagan College, is teaching are large language models, what AI is, what it can do, how to interact with it and what to watch out for.

“If students are coming out of programs without those skills, I think we are not doing enough for those students and not doing enough for employers,” he said.

Students at Okanagan College are positive about AI. One student on campus said she believes it’s important to know how to use AI because it’s a good brainstorming tool. Another student told Castanet he’s been using AI since high school, and it’s helped him improve his work.