AI textbooks face hurdles

[Anchor]

When you enter an elementary school classroom, you may first notice tablet PCs instead of paper textbooks.

This is the AI digital textbook being implemented in some schools.

Are our children being taught well, as the government hopes for personalized learning?

Reporter Kim Seong-soo has looked into this.

[Report]

An elementary school has introduced AI digital textbooks.

Instead of paper textbooks, tablet PCs are placed on the desks.

During English class, AI checks pronunciation and spelling, and during math class, it automatically grades the work.

[Lee Ga-won/3rd Grade, Daegu Yonggye Elementary School: "AI digital textbooks tell me the wrong answers right away, so I can understand more easily."]

AI digital textbooks have been introduced this year only to selected grades and subjects in schools that wish to participate.

The government expects that using chatbot features will allow for personalized lessons for each student.

[Lee Ju-ho/Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education: "It is not just about digitizing textbooks; it is a tool that significantly transforms the class itself."]

However, there are voices in the field saying that the functionality is still lacking.

[Song Geun-sang/Elementary School Teacher/Leading Teacher of Classroom Innovation: "When you think of AI, you think of ChatGPT. But this is not at that level of chatbot. It only answers questions based on limited information within this system."]

The usage rate is still not high.

This site must be subscribed to in order to use AI textbooks.

Due to complicated registration procedures, even in schools that have adopted it, the percentage of students who have signed up is around 60%.

[OO Education Office Official/Voice Altered: "Even without AIDT, you know how overwhelming things are at the start of the semester. There's still a long list of steps, like One Pass registration and consent for data sharing with publishers."]

The Ministry of Education plans to push for full-scale implementation next year. However, regaining momentum after the president's impeachment poses a significant challenge.

KBS News, Kim Seong-soo.