Reimagining Discussion Pedagogy during Online Teaching with AI: Insights from School Teachers

This shift in the education system, caused by the pandemic, is something unexpected; the online and offline teaching modes were integrated into the schools in Delhi, and it is being adjusted according to the needs of society and the environmental conditions. AI is the transformative force emerging in this transitional education system and shaping pedagogical tools and methodologies to improve teaching and learning outcomes. Discussion based pedagogy as a strategy which have long been a popular in teaching learning process, have now become pertinent again in offline as well as online classrooms. The tools like Google Discussion Board, Padlet, Mentimeter etc. are indeed helping to increase the interactions in such classrooms. This paper examines the teachers' views regarding the use of AI tools in pedagogy based on discussion during online teaching-learning process. The research questions focus on: (1) How AI tools enhanced discussion pedagogy influences students' critical thinking and subject understanding, and (2) What factors influences the effective use of such tools during the online teaching-learning process. Data was collected from teacher questionnaires that were submitted in the form of online google forms. From the findings, it was found that AI tools for discussion-based pedagogy bring about deeper levels of student engagement, which creates personalized learning experiences, real-time feedback, and collaborative knowledge building. However, unequal access to technology, loss of internet at times, and training of the teachers on using AI tools stood out as very critical factors which influence their efficiency.