Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1417412
OPINION 7.10.2021 Alexiei Dingli Prof Alexiei Dingli is a Professor of AI at the University of Malta and has been conducting research and working in the field of AI for more than two decades, assisting different companies to implement AI solutions. He forms part of the Malta.AI task-force, set up by the Maltese government, aimed at making Malta one of the top AI countries in the world O ne of the fastest-changing areas worldwide is, without a doubt, education. is is also a crucial area for every country since education prepares and moulds future generations. e events of the past years suddenly catapulted educators into new and novel learning modes. ey knew it was com- ing, but no one envisaged it would be so sudden. On the other hand, the children of today have unprecedented access to high-quali- ty information. Because of this, educators are finding it challenging to teach such classes. ey have to move away from the traditional classroom style and explore ways in which the teaching takes the form of a collaborative discussion whereby the student and the educator collaborate to explore new knowledge. e type of learning, too, is shifting because of this. One of the most popular approaches is self-directed learning. In this case, an instructor is not needed, and the student has the opportunity to experience self- paced education. is mode is extreme- ly popular with adults because they can learn at their own pace and convenience while juggling other life obligations. How- ever, this approach is also seeping into higher education, and most probably, it will permeate the lower levels as well. One must keep in mind that many educational chunks are pretty static; thus, they can be recorded and consumed by the students at their own leisure. However, the role of the teacher doesn't become superfluous. Different learning modes (generally referred to as blended learning) can be adopted and used simultaneously, thus providing the student with the digital content and the instructor's support. e role of the teacher will change to that of mediator of knowledge, assisting the stu- dent in the understanding and helping them internalise these concepts using rel- evant examples. To achieve even better results, we're seeing a drive towards adaptive learning systems. ese programs use the content mentioned earlier and personalise it fur- ther with the help of algorithms, assess- ments or competency mapping. is will ensure that the exercises given are not too challenging compared to the students' actual knowledge (also called the zone of proximal development). In so doing, the effort needed by the student to learn will be minimal and not overwhelming. Notwithstanding these shifts in modal- ity, we expect the coming years to bring forth some significant changes too! Microlearning will become a reality in mainstream education. Microlearning can be considered as an evolution of mo- bile learning whereby students are pro- vided with bite-sized educational chunks. e concept behind it is that our brains can handle only small pieces of informa- tion at one go. is idea is further rein- forced by the notion that we tend to for- get around 80% of what we learn within one month unless we refresh it. us in microlearning, the syllabus is divided into tiny chunks which are more digestible by the student. Large companies like Toyota and Shell have already subscribed to this model, and they actively use it to upskill their workforce. Gamification will be an integral part of our learning experiences. Research has shown that game-based learning tends to retain the learns' attention longer. When applied to the workplace, 83% of employ- ees show more motivation after gamified training. Furthermore, let's not forget that children are much more open to using games. us games and education form an explosive mix in the class. ey can manage to attract the learners' inter- ests for long periods whilst engagingly imparting knowledge. is is extremely important, especially during online learn- ing, whereby students have to spend long hours in front of a screen. If adding games is not possible, the addition of gaming elements will help make the experience better. Items such as coins, badges, or other forms of recognition can add a rush among students, resulting in higher en- gagement and personal productivity. Video learning will keep on growing. Our students entertain themselves us- ing streaming platforms like YouTube or Netflix. ey are used to seeing what they want, where and when they want it. So they find it strange when faced with an educational system that operates using a different model. Furthermore, apart from the benefits already mentioned, it is a fact that people can recall video-based con- tent 9% more than textual presentations. Video also lends itself more for micro or just-in-time learning aids. Lessons are morphing into shows. It is a fact that rather than long reads, students prefer visual content. is is not surpris- ing when one considers that the idols of these youngsters are TickTokers, You- Tubers and all sorts of online influencers. So to hook students, educators need to dirty their hands with content creation, try new approaches, learn new skills and create shows which provoke engagement. Essentially, they need to mimic trending online content, thus making their lessons appealing, flexible, affordable, and enter- taining. Combined with these approaches, re- al-time data is essential to gauge their effectiveness. is can be achieved either through final tests or via continuous as- sessment. In synthesis, if they want to get through to our kids, teachers need to ad- just themselves to the student's daily per- ception of reality. Education seems to be always in tran- sition. But this change accelerated in the past decade, and it will probably keep on progressing. Teachers must be prepared and equipped with adequate resources so that they can face the challenges of today. If we do so, we can mould a new generation of individuals capable of harnessing infor- mation, process it effectively and use it to build a better future for everyone. Why are teachers losing their students' attention?