Dr Edith Lim Ai Ling
ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) has gradually transformed the education sector by altering the way educators teach and students learn.
The term encapsulates not only technological progress but also signifies a transformation in how educators engage with curriculum delivery and how students engage with the learning process, departing from conventional methodologies.
Moreover, AI plays a powerful role in enabling personalised learning and providing tools for adaptive assessment.
One of the most significant contributions of AI is its ability to provide learners with diverse styles of learning experiences.
AI-driven systems analyse students’ learning styles, preferences and performance data to create prime example educational content that addresses their specific requirements.
For example, Knewton, a platform that employs AI is able to adjust the delivery of materials according to the level of learning pace.
This adjustment will personalise the students’ learning and engagement to improve their learning abilities.
Furthermore, AI also enhances personalisation in higher education.
Coursera, a leading online course provider, integrates AI to tailor courses by factoring in personal goals and previous learning experiences, ensuring that each course aligns with a learner’s career trajectory, thus increasing satisfaction with academic progress.
These personalised learning pathways engage students and significantly improve retention by addressing individual educational needs.
Furthermore, AI-powered adaptive learning platforms are revolutionising how students interact with educational content by making real-time adjustments to lesson difficulty and sequencing.
A key example is Smart Sparrow, which offers personalised, adaptive lessons that align with each student’s progress.
The platform delivers tailored feedback, promotes active learning and boosts engagement, helping students grasp complex concepts through interactive, hands-on experiences.
Additionally, Smart Sparrow encourages student collaboration, deepening their understanding.
For instance, its virtual labs for medical students create immersive simulations where learners can safely practise procedures, receive immediate feedback, and refine their comprehension of intricate medical concepts.
Artificial intelligence has brought significant educational advancements by introducing AI-powered virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.
These AI technologies can provide immersive and interactive experiences for hands-on training opportunities that would be difficult to replicate in the traditional classroom.
For example, Stanford University launched a pioneering VR-based course, allowing students to attend lectures and interact with virtual environments.
Likewise, AI-powered tools in education offer tailored assistance to address each student’s unique needs and challenges.
By analysing extensive data sets from many sources, AI identifies valuable insights, anticipates trends and proposes feasible recommendations.
This data-driven approach allows students and educators to make well-informed decisions by providing real-time insights, reducing potential risks, and enhancing academic and personal development opportunities.
The objective of AI tutors in higher education is to create personalised, adaptive learning experiences by analysing students’ performance and adjusting lessons per the findings.
A significant advantage of these AI systems is their capacity to provide immediate feedback and support learners in problem-solving, enabling them to address challenging subjects at their own pace.
Furthermore, AI tutors facilitate learning beyond conventional hours, providing assistance on a 24/7 basis and effectively bridging the gap between students and educators.
Furthermore, they can maintain a record of students’ learning development, thereby providing data-driven insights to teachers.
This allows teachers to implement more targeted teaching interventions.
AI’s influence on education is profound and diverse, offering valuable insights for various professional sectors.
Likewise, educational institutions use AI to personalise learning.
At the same time, businesses can adopt similar technologies to elevate customer interactions and enhance satisfaction.
For instance, companies like Amazon and Netflix deploy AI algorithms to deliver personalised recommendations that not only boost customer satisfaction but also foster long-term loyalty.
These data-driven strategies enhance operational decision-making, providing businesses with a competitive advantage in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
By bridging the gap between education and industry, AI showcases its immense potential to drive innovation, streamline processes, and optimise outcomes across diverse fields.
Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the educational sector represents a significant transformation, far beyond improvements in teaching methodologies or student involvement.
This signifies a transition towards a more adaptable, innovative, and inclusive educational system.
As the line between education and business begins to blur, the insights gained from the influence of AI on educational settings offer a compelling model for success across diverse domains.
The integration of AI-driven methodologies and the fostering of inter-industrial collaboration will facilitate the continued prosperity of both educators and businesses in an environment characterised by rapid change.
This will pave the way for a future where technology drives positive change and benefits all stakeholders.
► Dr Edith Lim Ai Ling, School of Business, Faculty of Business, Design and Arts, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Sarawak Tribune.
