Paper 2: Writing
Section A: Directed Writing
Read both texts and answer Question 1.
Text A: Tomorrow’s teachers Text B: Eight reasons to welcome AI in the classroom
Robots will replace teachers by 2027, according to some 1. Intelligent tutoring systems are not a far-off vision of
leading education experts. Robots already clean nuclear the future – they already exist in a practical capacity.
sites and work in construction jobs but machines are also They can function without a teacher present and can
replacing finance experts and outperforming doctors. challenge and support the learner using different
Teachers, however, must deliver lessons which engage algorithms.
every child in the classroom. Some students may have 2. Virtual reality assisted learning extends the boundaries
problems that complicate that process. Others have of the classroom. Realistic virtual environments can
parents who are too involved, or not involved enough. provide learners with a richer understanding of their
Teachers must navigate these hurdles while meeting learning material and prepare them for a working
frequently changing curriculum requirements. In short, the world where AI will soon dominate.
job demands that teachers have superhuman levels of 3. Software that can instantly grade student essays is a
empathy, resilience and organisation. significant benefit. Every graded essay adds to a
central database to which future essays can be
We must recruit 20 million teachers worldwide if every compared.
child is to have access to quality education; it’s easy to see 4. AI can alert teachers to patterns where students
the appeal of robotic teachers to fill these gaps. After the submit answers which are often wrong and can help
initial costs of developing digital teachers, they wouldn’t make teachers more effective.
need to be paid, wouldn’t need days off and would never 5. AI can learn students’ habits and propose the most
be late for work. Changes to the syllabus can be simply efficient study schedule for them. Should the machine
uploaded across an entire fleet of AI instructors, and the encounter a problem or question that is out of its
systems would never make mistakes. programming a human will be contacted to step in.
6. AI will be able to import a syllabus and generate a
However, we still have some way to go before such textbook filled with useful content. This makes for an
instructors enter our classrooms. Teachers rely on social incredible amount of customisation of learning catered
interaction to figure out what their students need and so to the needs of the students.
far no digital system can compete with a human in this 7. Virtual humans, another form of AI, can work 24
realm. Maybe no robot will ever be good enough to hours, 7 days a week on repetitive and time-
replace teachers completely. ‘I do not believe that any consuming tasks that no human enjoys doing.
robot will develop the vast repertoire of skills and abilities 8. AI programs that augment the educational experience
that a human teacher possesses,’ says Rose Luckin, a for learners with disabilities are already in
leading researcher in AI. AI could have a collaborative role development. These can give learners with special
in the education system, however. What if AI could act as needs a greater sense of autonomy
an extra pair of hands in the classroom? This AI assistant
could manage routine tasks and even help teachers to find
online lesson plans most likely to work, based on the
details of the students and the school’s specific curriculum.
AI could give teachers a greater insight into their students’
needs by analyzing information about each student.
Teachers would know which students weren’t getting
enough sleep, if they had inadequate diets, if they were
suffering from stress — information that can affect a
student’s performance. If a student needed extra
attention, they could work with an AI-powered intelligent
tutoring system that adjusts to the student’s learning style.
Convincing parents, teachers, and students to embrace AI
in education will be the real challenge and teachers may
resent having their skill set devalued.
Question 1
Imagine you are a pupil in a school which is considering introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom.
Write a letter to your head teacher explaining why you would or would not want to see Artificial Intelligence used in
your school.
In your letter you should:
evaluate the ideas and opinions in both texts
give your own views, based on what you have read and the extent that you feel Artificial Intelligence could affect
school life.
Base your letter on what you have read in both texts but be careful to use your own words.
Address both of the bullet points.
Begin your letter with ‘Dear __________,’.
Write about 250 to 350 words.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing.
Mark Scheme:
Ref: 0500 March 2021 - 22
Responses might use the following ideas from Passage A & B:
Possible evaluation of the points given:
