‘How tall will this kid be?’

With AI and Big-Data we can answer this question; AI can predict the child’s height with 99.2% accuracy based on the child’s own growth data. Could AI even tell about my test scores? Riiid Tutor(Santa TOEIC) predicts TOEIC's score in just three minutes (which originally takes 75 minutes), identifies learners' weaknesses, and finds the best learning path. As such, AI and Big-Data are also being used in the field of education.

This combination of Education and Technology is called Edu-Tech. Edu-Tech differs from E-Learning, which creates an online learning environment. For example, the so-called "internet lecture" is a kind of E-Learning. On the other hand, Edu-Tech aims to improve learning outcomes by using ICT (Information & Communication Technology) such as AI and big data.

Although students sit alongside in the same classroom, each of their abilities is different. It would be ideal to teach each student at each suitable level, but there is only one teacher with limited class time. In order to solve this problem, we can take an exam to evaluate each student's level and educate them individually but such 'customized education' costs a lot of money. Thanks to the birth of AI; it remedied these restraints. AI can easily solve this time-consuming and expensive task of creating and printing the papers, gathering students in the same place, and grading them - even more accurately. Moreover, AI may present class content suitable for each student's level.

There are schools that have already introduced education methods using AI. It is Haneul Dream Middle and High School, where students from North Korean defector families attend. Students study every day through a program that AI measures student levels and provides learning materials. Song Eun-joo, a teacher at this school, said, "Our students show a big difference in their learning ability depending on the time of defection and the school they attended in North Korea. In some cases, high school students have to study at the elementary

school level. However, it is difficult for a teacher to handle individual classes one by one. To solve this problem, we use a program developed by a private education company. It definitely works. Students like it." she explained.

There is more to know about the merits from Edu-tech. Lee Jong-heun, the developer of the app ‘QANDA’, tells us why Edu-Tech is significant. Edu-Tech allows students to solve problems selectively (like a music streaming service) instead of consuming the whole workbook. which makes it much easier to grasp the student's learning status when collected with data. Through this, it is said that one-on-one customized education (which has been almost impossible or expensive service so far) can be realized. In addition, if you attach digital devices to AI, you can also take individual classes available anytime, anywhere.

Edu-Tech offers good opportunities not only for students but also for teachers. Kim Seo-joon (CEO of Hashed) says that digital space and environment can prevent students from being alienated. “Not all students participate in offline classes actively. When you think back about your school days, there were quite a few friends in class who don't have much presence; Friends who don't talk much with their friends, never raise their hands or ask questions.” “While teacher's personal skills are the only way to induce students to participate in offline settings, in digital space, I think a teacher can create a device to help each, every student talk about their thoughts. Since all the elements about class participation remain as data, I think it is easier to systematically develop ways to help and identify students who are alienated or have low participation rates.”

The Edu-Tech industry has grown even faster with the COVID-19 - the size of the domestic Edu-Tech market has grown rapidly by 163% in the recent two years. Along with the growth trend, the Edu-Tech market is expected to become more active with the promotion of the ‘digital new deal’ policy. With the promotion of "Digitalization of Education Infrastructure," digital-based education infrastructure is expected to be created in all elementary, middle and high schools, by arranging the institutional foundation and expanding digital facilities such as building: Wi-Fi or replacing old PCs and (tentative name) enacting the Framework Act on Remote Education.

Teacher Song Ra-kyung talks about the changes that occurred after Wi-Fi entered all classrooms of Cheongna Elementary School. “I think the place of communication has expanded further as students can search for their own questions, upload them to our class’s ‘We-do-rang’, and share them with other students. In our class, we are currently having international exchanges with Colombia, by meeting in real-time through ‘Zoom’. I think it can lead to more expanded education.”

As the range of technologies used in Edu-Tech gradually expands, the transition of education platforms using metaverses is accelerating. Metaverse is a compound word of ‘meta’, which means virtual, and ‘universe’, which means the world, which is a system that expands reality into the digital world. Currently, activities such as entrance ceremonies, festivals, and job fairs, as well as university lectures, are being carried out through metaverses, and signs of reorganization of the education paradigm are emerging very quickly.

POSTECH conducted a VR(virtual reality) lecture "Physics Laboratory Practice", and spent about 140 million won to provide VR devices to 320 freshmen this year. Students responded that it greatly increased realism on topics that aredifficult to access and have many restrictions on field activities, such as reactor facilities. As such, education using the metaverse platform also has the advantage of greatly improving immersion by improving concentration, the biggest weakness of online classes.

In order to vitalize education using metaverses, So Dae-seop, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and ICT, talks about what should be equipped. He said “Related educational infrastructure should be expanded. Teachers, professors, and students should be educated on the latest learning activities such as metaverse services, and a rapid shift in perception of paradigm changes should be made. In addition, one thing that should not be overlooked is the inequality inthe monopoly or benefits of educational services that may occur in the process of reorganizing educational services through metaverses or virtual spaces.”

“To overcome this inequality public alternatives and specific strategies should be prepared as soon as possible. One of the alternatives would be to establish a state-led virtual reality (metaverse) education platform as a public good to secure infrastructure as a public good at the national level, and to distribute essential devices such as head displays and basic development software at low prices or free of charge.”

Due to Edu-Tech, there have been education platforms that brought and will bring changes in education - including the teacher’s role. What role will the teacher play in three to five years?

Kim Seo-jun, CEO of Hashed said “In extreme terms, I think the teacher's role will change from an instructor to a coach.” “More communication is needed. Since the knowledge itself will be acquired in various ways by students, I think it is the teacher's role in the future to connect the knowledge and instill vision and motivation in children based on the accumulated data.”

Edu-Tech goes beyond the bounds of the education being held in conventional classrooms. Edu-Tech suits itself to each student’s learning ability, interests and taste at an affordable price (which makes it accessible). By processing student performance into data, it notifies the status, navigates the best learning path for each individual, and gives space for teachers to give delicate care. Moreover, it provides a place to learn beyond the limits of time and space, and therefore creates abundant cultural sources for education.