AI Appreciation Day 2025: As Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and gamified learning tools, are gradually making their way to classroom, education experts say the real transformation hinges on equipping teachers-not just classrooms-with the knowledge and pedagogy needed to use these tools effectively.
On AI Appreciation Day, which celebrates the positive contributions of AI to humanity, educators and technologists underlined the urgent need for teacher training to ensure technology enhances, rather than disrupts, the learning process.
"Training teachers in both the technology tools and the pedagogy behind AI and immersive learning is crucial to ensure meaningful integration in classrooms. While tools provide access to innovation, it's pedagogy that empowers educators to use them effectively for deeper student engagement and understanding," said Anurag Gupta, CEO and Co-founder of STEMROBO Technologies.
Gupta stressed that without understanding how to design lessons around technology, tools like smartboards or AI-based learning apps remain underutilised. Educators must be able to foster critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and decision-making skills in students using these innovations.
"AI and immersive technologies can transform learning only when guided by teachers who understand how and why to use them. Well-trained educators can demystify AI, foster ethical thinking, and promote critical problem-solving among students," he added.
This dual focus on technical skills and teaching methodology is particularly crucial in India's diverse education system. Teachers must learn to adapt AI tools for classrooms with limited connectivity or design AR experiences in regional languages to bridge digital and linguistic divides.
Another pressing challenge is the pace at which students, especially in urban areas, are adopting new technologies-sometimes outpacing their teachers.
"The education sector has always been a laggard in embracing change. From the early days of resistance to calculators and the Internet, the classroom is often the last place to embrace new technology," said Akshal Agarwal, Co-Founder of NatureNurture.
He noted that today's learners-from Gen Z to Gen Alpha-are interacting with advanced technologies from an early age, bringing them into the classroom and upending traditional teaching models. "They have brought the latest technologies to the classroom with lightning speed in real time, disrupting traditional teaching-learning practices," he said.
In such a scenario, Agarwal warns, educators must not merely catch up-they must lead. "For teachers to remain a driving force to meaningfully build the dispositions and skills of learners, they need to learn how to ensure that children make technology work for them. If not, we face the grim reality where our children work for or at the mercy of technology," he added.
To address this, training programmes across India are offering educators both short- and long-term courses in AI ethics, immersive learning design, and digital pedagogy. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also advocates for integrating digital tools into classrooms and prioritises teacher training in emerging technologies.
However, experts stress that one-off workshops are not enough. Ongoing support, peer learning networks, mentoring, and regular upskilling are essential to keep educators updated-and confident. Many also need help overcoming the misconception that AI will replace teachers.
"This dual approach equips teachers not just to deliver content, but to build future-ready mindsets, making them the true enablers of 21st-century education," said Gupta.
Agarwal echoed this view, emphasizing that tools alone are not transformative. "It is the human connection, context, and judgement that makes learning meaningful. Without teacher involvement, even the most advanced tools will fail to produce results," he said.
Prashasti Rastogi, Director, Coursera for Campus, and Government - India, said: "India is leading the world in GenAI learning with over 2.6 million enrollments and 2 million learning hours on Coursera. This momentum reflects the country's potential to power the global AI talent pipeline but realising that promise hinges on the right skilling at scale."
"As momentum builds across India - especially with more women and first-generation learners embracing AI tools like Coursera Coach - we're focused on delivering accessible, localised, and job-aligned training to help every learner thrive in the digital economy," she added.
As India ramps up investments in digital classrooms and smart education platforms, the message is clear: the success of AI in education depends not just on the tools deployed, but on how well teachers are prepared to use them.
