RC schools to enhance subject learning through AI

The Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM) is hoping to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at ten Catholic primary schools to enhance learning.

Registration for the project began this term and a pilot will be conducted in Term III – April 6 to July 5 for approximately 200 students of Standards One to Three classes.

The AI tutor will be used for Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies.

The introduction of the AI tutor was announced by CEBM Chief Executive Officer Sharon Mangroo at the WizdomCRM Virtual Stock Exchange Game Sixth Award ceremony held February 4 at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain.

She said AI should be viewed as a powerful tool to enhance learning because, “it has the capacity to tailor education to individual needs, providing personalised learning paths catering to diverse learning styles and cases”.

She added that educators have a responsibility to leverage AI to create a dynamic and engaging environment that empowers students to reach their full potential.

She cautioned that in pursuing excellence through AI parents, teachers, policymakers must be mindful of fostering inclusive and equitable practices as quality education is a right for all.

Embracing AI provides the opportunity to bridge gaps and ensure every student receives a fair and quality education. “As we do so, we must commit to respecting privacy and maintaining the security of sensitive information about our students and our staff. At the national and school level, we must establish and implement ethical guidelines and robust policies to safeguard the dignity and rights of every individual,” Mangroo said.

According to information from WizdomCRM, the AI Tutor platform features eight trained AI cartoon characters, each equipped with advanced neural responses.

“These animated characters play a pivotal role in educating students across a diverse spectrum of subjects, spanning from English, Spanish, and Mathematics to Sports, Arts, Music, Personal Finance, Anime, Business & Economics, and Investment.”

The platform can be used by students from seven years. It gives flexibility to learn at home or school “at their own pace” and teachers can use it easily in their teaching to augment classroom learning with the interactive content.

The Catholic News got additional information from CEBM Senior Operations Manager, Ayanna Nero. She said on-site demonstrations of the platforms will be done to train teachers.

“The WizdomCRM team has distributed a digital registration link along with pre- and post-assessment forms to facilitate a seamless virtual onboarding process for both teachers and students. Mr Rabbit, the AI tutor, will guide students through the registration process.”

On how the expected outcomes and how these will be measured, Nero said the initial focus is making AI accessible to primary school students to aid in teaching and learning through discovery process.

“The use of the platform will be monitored by WizdomCRM team and teachers can also access it to observe their student’s progress. The purpose of the pilot is also for the teachers to observe the effectiveness of the AI and make recommendations for any adjustment needed which can cater appropriately to the needs of the students at the appropriate level”.

The information from the pre- and post-assessment questionnaires will enable students’ grades from the previous term, Term II, and Term I to be compared. Nero said this would “allow us to measure or identify improvements based on student interactions over the next few months. With the goal-based learning module, teachers can customise the AI to personalise student learning.”

The qualitative data obtained can be crucial for monitoring students’ learning and well-being.

“Overall, qualitative data can offer rich insights into the complexities of teaching and learning, informing decisions at the classroom, school, and district levels,” Nero said.

AI can be used in education for many purposes including educational games, adaptive learning platforms, grading and feedback to students, feedback on course quality and school management. —LPG