MBZUAI appointed Ekaterina Kochmar as an assistant professor of NLP to advance AI-assisted learning. Kochmar co-founded Korbit AI, an AI-powered dialogue-based tutoring system for STEM subjects. Korbit AI aims to democratize education by providing personalized, high-quality education globally at minimal cost. Why it matters: This appointment highlights MBZUAI's commitment to AI in education and personalized learning, positioning the UAE as a hub for innovation in educational technology.
KAUST is developing AI-driven personalized learning and testing platforms to address STEM education resource gaps in Saudi Arabia. The project involves building an intelligent tutoring system in collaboration with Saudi high schools, the Ministry of Education, and SDAIA. The AI tutor, designed in a Socratic style, enhances learning through GenAI tutoring, including in Arabic, and supports teachers by generating test and homework problems. Why it matters: This initiative aims to prepare Saudi youth for future workforce demands and enhance educational outcomes, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030's goals for human capital development.
This paper discusses the integration of AI into education, emphasizing a transdisciplinary approach that connects AI instruction to the broader curriculum and community needs. It delves into the AI program developed for Neom Community School in Saudi Arabia, where AI is taught as a subject and used to learn other subjects through the International Baccalaureate (IB) approach. The proposed method aims to make AI relevant throughout the curriculum by integrating it into Units of Inquiry.
Ekaterina Kochmar from the University of Bath presented the Korbit Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), an AI-powered dialogue-based platform providing personalized learning experiences. A comparative study showed that students using Korbit achieved 2-2.5 times higher learning gains and higher completion rates compared to a traditional MOOC platform. Kochmar is also a co-founder and CSO of Korbit AI. Why it matters: The research highlights the potential of AI to deliver personalized education and significantly improve learning outcomes in online STEM education, an area of focus for many GCC universities.
This paper introduces an AI framework for autonomous assessment of student work, addressing policy gaps in academic practices. A survey of 117 academics from the UK, UAE, and Iraq reveals positive attitudes toward AI in education, particularly for autonomous assessment. The study also highlights a lack of awareness of modern AI tools among experienced academics, emphasizing the need for updated policies and training.