rewrite this title The Potential of Digital Twins in Education Beyond Personalized Learning

The use of digital technology and AI in education goes back to the 1960s when the development of intelligent tutoring systems began. These systems were tailored to students’ needs and learning styles and designed to deliver personalized instruction. The development of large language models (LLMs) started in the 1950s and 1960s with the emergence of Natural Language Processing (NLP). In their early stages, these language models mainly used statistical methodologies to estimate the probability a given word or phrase would occur in a linguistic context.

An intelligent tutoring system (ITS) called PLATO was developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign around this time. It was the first computer system that allowed students to interact with learning materials via graphical user interfaces, and the materials were adapted to their needs using AI. A system that automatically graded programming classes is another example of an early attempt to use AI in education. With the advent of personal computers, ITS developments accelerated during the 1970s. TICCIT is an example of a system from that period.

ITSs underwent a major shift with the arrival of the internet, evolving to deliver adaptive, intelligent, and personalized education services running on machine learning models. Despite this progress, their capabilities were limited to individualized learning and instruction. The evolution of Web2 and the growing capabilities of social and collaboration-based interaction ushered in a new epoch in the development of ITSs.

The emergence of Transformer deep learning architecture in 2017 was a turning point in the history of intelligent software development. Intelligent models such as GPT (generative pre-trained transformers) began to appear thereafter, and ChatGPT was launched in November 2022.

Digital twin technology is making its way into education

Originally used in aerospace and manufacturing for design optimization and predictive maintenance, digital twin technology is now making its way into education. The technology developed by Antix is introducing teachers and learners to the concept of hyper-realistic digital humans. Antix utilizes a combination of advanced technologies such as AVAgen, a proprietary solution that enables the seamless creation and management of digital identities across metaverses. The technology leverages advanced machine learning and NLP to deliver hyper-realistic interactions, enabling users to engage with digital environments meaningfully. Antix also integrates blockchain technology to ensure the uniqueness and security of each digital human, allowing for personalized experiences that evolve alongside users.

Digital twins can provide personalized notifications on time management, real-time feedback regarding academic activities, suggested reading lists, reminders for lectures and assessments, etc. They can make learning more motivating and rewarding by incorporating game-like elements. The potential of AI-powered digital twins extends to delegating routine tasks, delivering lectures in multiple locations simultaneously, and answering frequently asked questions. They can alleviate the burden on overstretched educators while enhancing students’ learning experience. The AI behind the digital twin can interact separately with each student, providing a mass and individualized approach at the same time, which makes the technology ideal for large online courses.

Personalized interactions are far from the only potential benefit. Teachers will be able to design their digital twins to simulate their tone and teaching styles. They can deploy their twins in classrooms, corporate training sessions, and online platforms, making sure that their expertise is accessible around the clock.

Using facial motion capture and AI-powered text-to-speech, a twin can “speak” to students in a personable and engaging manner, ensuring consistent teaching even if the teacher is physically absent. Digital twins can track progress, monitor student interactions, and adjust lesson plans in real-time. If a student struggles with a certain concept, the AI assistant flags this dynamically and offers additional exercises or resources tailored to their needs.

Finally, teachers can create interactive and immersive lessons using a combination of text, images, audio, and video by combining multimodal learning approaches with digital twin technology. Such learning approaches have been shown to improve understanding and retention.

Digital twins will help address the growing teacher shortage

According to a recent report by the Economic Policy Institute, the real, large, and growing teacher shortage is even more acute than estimated when considering indicators of teacher quality such as training, certification, and experience. The teacher shortage harms students, educators, and the system as a whole. The lack of qualified teachers and aides reduces existing teachers’ effectiveness and threatens students’ learning capacity, while high teacher turnover depletes resources that could be better used elsewhere. 

Digital twins can automate routine tasks and ensure that teaching is scalable without compromising quality. Their 24/7 availability would be particularly useful for students in different time zones or needing additional support. Digital twins with real-time responsiveness and authentic expressions will capture students’ attention far more easily than prerecorded lectures or static slides and adapt their teaching style to fulfill individual learning requirements.

About The Author

Gregory, a digital nomad hailing from Poland, is not only a financial analyst but also a valuable contributor to various online magazines. With a wealth of experience in the financial industry, his insights and expertise have earned him recognition in numerous publications. Utilising his spare time effectively, Gregory is currently dedicated to writing a book about cryptocurrency and blockchain.

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