Can an algorithm replace the teacher ?” by Gulshan Teeluck

Can an Algorithm Replace the Teacher?

Can a set of “Ifs”, “then”, “goto”, “return” , “<>=” be complex enough to be able to identify voice tone, understand emotions, imitate laughter and fear, instil passion, all that make us human being. Can a machine replace the teacher?

Mr Gulshan R.A. Teeluck coordinates the Tourism Department at Hotel

School Sir Gaetan

Duval-MITD. He also actively teaches tour guiding techniques and

Communications and Customer care among others. He has been working with the Mauritian youths for 20 years now under the MITD and has helped to build and uphold the reputation of the school locally, regionally and internationally. His best characteristic is that of being able to adapt to people and to adjust to their needs. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational

Leadership and another in International Tourism Management.

Machines have been made to learn from our actions and to suggest solutions from a set of solutions already predefined in its memory, help us find shortest routes based on information available from the net, draw cyclone trajectories, pilot a plane, perform complex mathematical calculations that have made man walk on the moon etc… All very true and outstanding but when the human kind produced the calculator, the human brain regressed mathematically; produced the coffee machine and from that day we lost the real taste of traditionally cooked coffee; the car made us drive to the shop to get bread every morning less than 500mts away, that made us fat! The effect on our kids: no more playing hide and seek or street football; they play Nintendo, play station or Xbox; worse when the parents decide to give the child a smart phone as companion. Machines have made us silly, unhealthy, anti-social with poor parenting skills, etc… How can these machines teach us? Gathering from my personal experience and observations, it is a matter of obvious fact that the teacher remains the only person responsible for the success or failure of the student. Although some researchers have concluded the contrary: that parents, society, lifestyle, political and cultural environment, all contribute to the growth of the child; the fact is that different cultures have different ways of upbringing. Hence, different environmental, social, technological and economic situations have to be understood and managed differently. In Mauritius and way back in the 1980’s, I can only recall that it was my teachers and school rector that organised seminars, initiated health clubs and gardening clubs, took us out for environmental campaigns or organised programs to help the elders in homes or physically and mentally afflicted children. Our rector also initiated a body of prefects and empowered the students to ensure discipline at school. Was that being done just to keep us busy or was there an agenda behind all these extracurricular activities? Can we do the same now? Can an IR4 in education ever be able to dispense such teaching and learning apart from the academics? 20 years now that I have been teaching, analysing and observing the Mauritian youth and teachers especially those who teach by the new methods of DIY or by the old methods which are too boring for the new Generation. Coupled with the technological advancements from the 3310 to 5G, the cocktail is really explosive! Why write proper English or French when Google will correct it for you; why learn anything when a

simple Google search will get you the precise definition, quantity, latest evolution etc…Why write “You” with all these alphabets when it can be written with only 1 “U”. Why do maths in your head when your mobile phone has the app to even calculate your blood pressure. Why know the way back home when google map will do that for you? Now Tesla has even the autopilot car!So, why learn anything when the machine can do it all for you? After all these machines are being invented to ease our lives isn’t it? The answer to this dilemma is pretty simple: love, care, empathy, emotions, spontaneity, improvisation, soft skills cannot be availed from a machine. For those who want to live in the present society, these desirable qualities cannot be understood from a laptop, they have to be lived and experienced. Unless we are having a new society where people eating dinner in family prefer to chat on Messenger or WhatsApp. On the other hand, what can we do with that load of information technology? Teachers write up their modules in a relevant format and form for e-learning; the Learning Management System Administrator ensures that the uploads and downloads within the boundaries of the academic program are carried out. Students get registered, log in, perform the required assignments and research, submit their works and get certified if they are successful. This can be blended with practical internship where a particular program of learning is followed with emphasis on aesthetics, work ethics, soft skills to complete the picture of the desired output. On the other side, the overwhelming advantage of this Revolution is the speed at which information can be compiled, assessed and decision be made and amended. The school can use a Learning Management Software to take advantage of this speed of execution to manage students, lecture notes and assignments but more importantly, greater business and tapping into new market segments. Moreover, Lecturers can make use of various applications like Padlet, Quizzy, Mentimeter, Canvas, Quizlet, Zappar, Prezi, MindMeister, Powtoon, edpuzzle, Polleverywhere, and many more, to increase learner engagement. Since all youth today have been gifted with a smart phone and with the spread of internet, one can learn everywhere and at any time. Education can hence reach a greater mass once forgotten because of certain disadvantages. Has this tremendous power been harnessed yet by our stake holders or not? And why not? Is it a matter of investment, infrastructure, equipment, human resources or vision? Teachers have to go back to school to learn how to prepare these engaging presentations and how to develop New Teaching and Learning aids and strategies to make the maximum of the tools available. Teachers have to be given the necessary incentives to embrace the new technologies. Teachers must shift their paradigm to accept the new breed of learners and adopt new methods of teaching instead of banning the smart phone from the class room. And the harness still remains on the Teacher/Lecturer who will be preparing the learning materials. Finally, going online is good for one level of teaching but the basics will have to be done manually.

From the Desk of Gulshan R.A. Teeluck Ag. Coordinator Tourism Dept. MITD-EHSGD Msc Educational Leadership - UK Msc International Tourism Management - UK BA Vocational Studies - India