Caution Needed When Using AI in Preschool Education

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ba Minh, Director of the Department of Preschool Education, Ministry of Education and Training, expressed this opinion at the workshop "Application of artificial intelligence technology in preschool education" organized by the Central Pedagogical College on the morning of August 16. The workshop had teachers and preschool education managers in 63 provinces and cities.

Mr. Minh believes that AI has a profound impact on all areas of life, including preschool education. It can provide knowledge and is a good tool, but the work of inspiring, building motivation, feelings, and emotions must be done by humans. Therefore, AI cannot replace teachers in the future.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh, Vice Principal of the Central Pedagogical College, preschool teachers can use AI as a virtual assistant to support the process of nurturing, caring for and educating children. For example, this tool can help teachers develop content and curriculum that is attractive and age-appropriate for children; report on children's progress over time, point out areas of improvement or make suggestions for adjustments.

Chatbots or other AI applications can interact with children, helping them develop language and social skills. It also adjusts teaching content and methods based on each child's needs and abilities. In addition, AI can help teachers manage the classroom.

Dr. Kim Manh Tuan, University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said that in the current era of technological development, introducing AI to children from a young age has become a trend. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has developed an AI competency framework for children aged 5 to 18.

For 5-year-olds, the goal is to build a foundation for understanding and interacting with AI in a natural and positive way. One of the most effective ways is through learning games and apps.

For example, ABCmouse or Khan Academy Kids use AI to personalize the learning experience, adjusting content and difficulty to each child's progress. Or with the Bee-Bot robot, children can learn programming simply by pressing buttons to control the direction of movement.

These apps not only help children develop basic skills like language and math, but also logical thinking, problem-solving abilities and creativity.

Mr. Manh Tuan said that in the world, many countries have deployed AI applications in preschool education such as the US, Finland, China, Singapore, Japan, Australia...

However, according to a representative of the Ministry of Education and Training, the use of this application must ensure the principle of network information confidentiality and be suitable for children's psychological development.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dinh Tuan, Principal of the Central Pedagogical College, said that preschool is the first level to form personality and if the orientation is wrong, it will be very dangerous. The formation of children's personality depends a lot on activities in the classroom. Therefore, the orientation of organizing activities and games must be careful and appropriate.

"AI only provides the most general information for reference, the rest needs to be filtered and considered to develop thinking, creativity, skills and personality from the age of 3," said Mr. Tuan.

Mr. Manh Tuan also noted that the use of AI in preschool education requires responsibility, ensuring a balance between the use of technology and direct interaction, compliance with ethical rules and the protection of children's information.

"With the right approach, AI can become a powerful tool to improve the quality of preschool education, creating a foundation for the comprehensive development of children in the future," he shared.

According to educators, for managers and preschool teachers, artificial intelligence is still a new field. They still face many difficulties in directing and applying it to preschools. Therefore, the State needs to have a legal corridor to create conditions for teachers and local educational institutions to access it effectively.