Experts canvass AI integration to improve learning outcomes

Experts in education technology have urged the government, educators, and other stakeholders to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in curriculum development to improve learning outcomes for students and teachers.

This was the takeout at the September edition of Edtech Mondays, a Co-Creation Hub initiative (CCHUB) initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Centre for Innovative Teaching & Learning in ICT.

The engagement session “Evaluating the impact of AI in education”, was moderated by practice lead, education, CcHUB, Chinyelu Akpa.

Sadiq Elusoji, one of the panellists, and co-founder of Simbi Interactive, while acknowledging the growing acceptance and adoption of AI-aided apps such as Simbibot, said there was a need for government and non-governmental institutions to offer support to make learning products that leverage AI more accessible.

Elusoji said that AI-aided learning tools were designed to help and make learning personal. He allayed teachers’ fears over possible job losses from AI introduction, noting rather that the app was designed to upskill them.

He said AI potential was so immense that “We are currently just scratching the surface, and there is still more to be explored in education.”

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Also, Olumide Okubadejo, a technology expert in AI image processing, stated that AI remains a tool with the potential to automate learning and grading schemes, optimise personalised learning, and scale tech businesses.

Okubadejo urged the government, relevant institutions, and other stakeholders to leverage Al to scale tech business and overcome market adoption and connectivity challenges. He stressed the need for public-private partnerships to make data accessible for research and startup use.

Oluwatobi Babatunde, a mathematics teacher at Holy Child College, while analysing the impact of AI on education from a teacher’s perspective, said that AI should be seen as a tool to complement the role of teachers, not as a replacement.

Babatunde, who shared her motivation for teaching which is rooted in her love for mathematics and a desire to help the unlearned, stated that teachers need to adapt and use AI creatively.

She further addressed concerns about AI-generated homework, stressing the need for teachers to understand their students’ capabilities and set age limits for AI use to prevent misuse.

Chika Yinka-Banjo, another expert in AI and robotics, stated that effort should be channelled towards ensuring equitable access to Al technologies in education.

Highlighting the role of her laboratory in training students and teachers, Yinka-Banjo restated that AI would not take teaching jobs but rather enhance creativity and efficiency in teaching.

“Learning outcomes were bound to improve with the adoption of AI tools and better teacher training in schools,” she said.