KAUST's first Arabic MOOC, Entrepreneurship Adventures, on edX.org saw 17,000 learners attend the 10-week course, with 81% from Saudi Arabia. The free online course, developed by KAUST's Entrepreneurship Center, aims to provide fundamentals of entrepreneurship in Arabic. A survey showed that 74% of participants felt confident to join a startup and 60% would pursue entrepreneurship. Why it matters: This initiative helps break down barriers to entry for young Saudi entrepreneurs, fostering local talent and contributing to the Kingdom's economic diversification goals.
KAUST has launched its first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled "Entrepreneurship Adventures" on edX, starting July 4, 2021. The gamified masterclass is the first entrepreneurship course in Arabic on the edX platform. It features industry experts like Amin Al-Nasser (Saudi Aramco) and Lubna Olayan (Saudi British Bank). Why it matters: The course aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, addressing the increasing demand for entrepreneurship education and supporting the Kingdom's startup ecosystem.
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.