Apr 07, 2017 08:53 AM EDT By Anne Collins, UniversityHerald Reporter

Avatars basically give a computerized human form to advanced artificial intelligence. It may very well upend the roles of teachers and transform education in the future. AI covers everything. Technology has advanced that even virtual pharmacists aid workers in spotting potential adverse drug reactions based on past histories and current prescription regimes.

Avatars are General or Strong AI, which is an AI with a general purpose that can be used for more tasks and can literally "think" on its own. Technically we are not close to developing a Strong AI yet. But we can already educate children much better using today's technology compared to old traditional methods in the classroom, Market Watch reported.

Computers provide reliable feedback, don't get tired and can guide learning to emphasize areas where reinforcement is needed. Adaptive learning is already in many school systems and built into thousands of educational technology applications for different devices. Machines provide excellent educational intervention, creating structure and reliability and progression. 

Generalized AI could power avatars and make them convincing teachers, but therein lays the problem. In order to have these two abilities in an AI, continued progress in technology is needed.  

The ability to recognize how a human learns and then be able to test educational strategies and methods in order to find what best suites an individual is one key capability that needs development. The other is the ability to interact with humans on a more person-to-person interaction.

The last component to developing an efficient avatar is virtual reality. VR goggles will soon cost $25 or less and force-feedback devices will soon follow. Force-feedback devices let us feel textures or bend objects in virtual reality.

In the virtual reality world, the avatar can help students do everything. The general idea is to make the world become the classroom and the classroom becomes the world. That world isn't here yet but it might be 10 or 15 years away, which will be a better world for all students, teachers, parents and society.

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