Does Artificial Intelligence pose a new challenge to quality of education in Tanzania?

AI’s capacity to offer additional support to students has prompted a reimagining of traditional learning paradigms.

AI, in its essence, encapsulates systems and machines that simulate human intelligence to execute a diverse array of tasks.

A prime example is the emergence of AI-driven chat applications, adept at responding to a spectrum of inquiries on various subjects.

This technology has found its niche in aiding students, illuminating the path for them to navigate academic assignments, research projects, and more.

However, the proliferation of AI within the educational landscape has triggered an extensive and impassioned debate among stakeholders in Tanzania.

The fundamental question at the heart of this discourse revolves around the impact of AI on the prospects of education, particularly in a digital era that is shaping the graduates emerging from higher learning institutions.

Mr Richard Ngaiza, an assistant lecturer at Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (TUDARCo), underscores the transformative potential of AI.

He contends that AI has unfurled previously unattainable learning vistas for students, propelling education beyond the confines of traditional classrooms.

Ngaiza asserts that the judicious and well-structured application of AI can serve as a game-changer capable of revolutionising the educational landscape.

He cautions that, while not inherently toxic, AI’s untamed use may yield undesirable consequences.

Ngaiza advocates for a shift in focus, directing efforts towards guiding students to employ AI for their academic advancement.

“We should focus on telling students how to use it for their academic success instead of using it to tackle assignments,” he explains.

Mr Ngaiza highlights the inherent capacity of technology to simplify tasks that were once dauntingly complex.

Mr Ngaiza says technology is always there to simplify things that were not simple in the past.

Now students can do their projects, assignments, and research with the help of AI, which sheds light on how they could be done correctly.

AI’s transformative potential extends to revolutionising teaching and learning methodologies in Tanzania, asserts Mr Ngaiza.

Describing AI as a “mobile class for students” and “portable training centres and seminars for lecturers,” he envisions a landscape where students harness AI to prepare assignments, accessing tutorials and samples to enhance their learning experience.

Ms Neema Rugemarila, an assistant lecturer at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), says it is an indisputable fact that most students have been using AI in the wrong ways.

She elucidates that instead of engaging with content, many students opt for a facile approach of copying and pasting materials from software applications.

This lack of authentic engagement is exacerbated by the ease with which AI can be utilised to complete assignments, resulting in a dearth of critical thinking and originality.

“They copy and paste materials from software applications instead of reading, following guidance, and preparing their original documents,” she reveals.

“Some students fail even to edit texts, showing that these applications have assisted them in the preparation of assignments,” she added.

Ms Rugemamarila reiterates the fact that most students have been plagiarising other people’s works through AI and pretending to be their original works.

“Most students get marks without putting in any effort; they just complete other people’s work and submit it to their respective lecturers,” she explains.

She notes that it is the reason why the grades of most graduates are higher than their actual performance in carrying out different professional tasks.

While acknowledging AI’s potential benefits, Rugemarila sounds a cautionary note, warning that its persistent misuse could undermine the quality of education in the country.

Prof Hosea Rwegoshora, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (DVCAA) at SAUT, underscores the pivotal role of AI and related software applications in the realm of learning and teaching.

Prof Rwegoshora stresses the importance of responsible application, contending that AI can augment education quality when harnessed for learning purposes.

Conversely, he cautions that if used for dishonest purposes, AI’s impact could be detrimental, compromising the integrity of education.

“It is a matter of how we use it; if we use it for learning purposes, then it will help learners and the country’s education quality,” he says.

He reveals that SAUT lecturers have been using different software applications to gauge the prevalence of plagiarism in student submissions.

Prof Rwegoshora highlights the significance of maintaining academic integrity by establishing the originality of submitted assignments and research.

Prof Sotco Komba, Deputy Rector-Academic, Research and Consultancy at the Institute of Social Work in Dar es Salaam, acknowledges AI’s potential as a useful tool in education, but he argues that the challenge remains on how to use it and make sure it increases quality instead of lowering it.

“It is a matter of accountability. Lecturers should cross-check and carefully assess students’ works in order to be sure they are the ones who prepared the work instead of producing the same from AI,” he says.

Deputy Minister for Education and Vocation Training, Omary Kipanga, says technology is useful in ensuring quality education in the country as it helps students, teachers, and lecturers in the learning and teaching process.

He says AI is one of the best technologies that simplifies the learning and teaching process among students and teachers in the country right now.

“It is a good technology; all we need to do is use it in a good way so that it gives us positive outcomes,” he says.

However, he says, not only AI but even other technologies can be used by students to cheat, but teachers should be more careful in this digital era to make sure no student gets marks that he/she doesn’t deserve.

“Teachers should cultivate the habit of asking some questions of students during the submission of their academic papers in order to be certain of the document’s ownership.

“If someone did an assignment on his/her own, then he/she will be confident and able to respond to questions from lecturers concerning submitted assignments because they are the ones who prepared them,” he adds.

Mr Kipanga, who doubles as Mafia Constituency Member of Parliament (MP), says his docket has been organising training sessions to ensure teachers are updated with technology innovations and ongoing changes in the sector.

“Technology is advancing every day; therefore, we should make better use of it by ensuring students don’t use it for cheating, but for simplifying the learning process,” he says.

As Tanzania’s educational sector grapples with the profound impact of AI, the debate underscores the imperative of responsible technology integration.

AI stands as a double-edged sword, capable of either elevating education quality or eroding academic integrity.

The path forward hinges on a balanced approach, one that leverages AI’s potential while upholding the foundational principles of learning and scholarship.

In this digital era, education stands at the crossroads of technological advancement and ethical responsibility, poised to chart a course that optimises the benefits of AI without compromising the integrity of education.