Use of AI in education ensures more engaging, smooth learning process - Academics

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of education opens up opportunities and space for teaching staff to ensure the learning and teaching process is more engaging and goes smoothly.

Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Faculty of Data Science and Computing senior lecturer Dr Fakhitah Ridzuan said the use of AI will facilitate lecturers in providing more interactive teaching materials as well as suggesting support activities that can be used in their delivery.

“AI will not only facilitate lecturers in terms of organising and delivering content but also will help students understand their learning (process) when the way content is delivered is adapted to their needs. Generally, a class consists of different types of students with different levels of understanding, making the use of AI even more important," she said in a statement.

She said with the help of this technology, learning will be more personalised thus providing a more relevant and effective learning experience for each student by taking into account their learning styles and level of understanding.

Additionally, Fakhitah said AI can also continuously analyse a student’s performance, give quick and accurate feedback, and suggest interventions to improve their academic achievements.

She said lecturers also need to ensure that the learning assessment techniques used are suitable to measure understanding and skills objectively and fairly, in addition to making use of the data obtained in making decisions to determine students' education and careers.

“We can now plan academics and research based on data, where it helps to avoid a wastage in costs and resources,” she said.

Additionally, she also advised university authorities to play an important role in ensuring students use AI correctly as well as ethically and responsibly.

“There are many freely accessible AI platforms that can make students completely dependent on AI without using their critical thinking. AI is a tool that can help us, not control us," she added.

Meanwhile, Dr Muhammad Akmal Remli, director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data (AIBIG), UMK, said AI in the research ecosystem at institutions of higher education can maximise the effectiveness of research through completing tasks such as finding previous studies, writing proposals and analysing data more quickly.

He said the boom in the use of AI has also been extended to the industry through various initiatives in maximising production, reducing operating costs and increasing efficiency.

"At the same time, there are also industries that are still 'old-school' and need time and expertise in making transformations in their industries," he said while emphasising the importance of close collaboration between universities and industries to fully utilise the potential of AI.

Muhammad Akmal also emphasised that rapid development in the AI ecosystem offers big opportunities for academic institutions to intensify their internationalisation agenda by providing competitive AI-focused academic programmes at the bachelor's, master's and doctorate levels.

"Institutions in Malaysia need to emphasise quality education and research in AI to attract international students and produce graduates who are not only skilled, but who also have good personalities," he said.

He also said the impact of the correct adaptation of AI in the long term will help boost development and the economy in the country as well as competing at the global level.

“If the use of AI technology can be utilised and has the right model at all levels in insitutions of higher learning, we will be able to compete at the global level in producing talents who are advanced in their thinking and have an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset.

“It will be a great disadvantage if our education is only able to produce AI users but not innovators who can compete globally," he added.

-- BERNAMA