Why equipping educators with AI skills is key to preparing learners for digital workplace

The education industry is undergoing a rapid transformation, at the heart of which are emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Through these technologies, today, teachers are able to assess student performance more quickly and accurately than they would through traditional teaching methods.

As a result, the teachers can make data-driven instructional adjustments and tailor their training to the individual needs, pace and abilities of their learners.

Emerging technologies are also helping to automate routine tasks like lesson planning and grading in schools ‒ enabling teachers to focus on core functions such as directing student interaction and creative lesson design.

However, despite the numerous benefits that they offer, the adoption of emerging technology tools in Kenya remains low, due to a number of factors that are stifling adoption.

In many schools, teachers, already burdened with heavy workloads, often lack adequate technical training and the support needed to effectively adopt modern technologies.

Where training programs exist, they tend to focus mostly on how and not why or when the technology should be used, leaving teachers feeling unconfident, underprepared and thus resistant to the new technologies.

In order to boost the competitiveness of scholars in an increasingly digitized workspace, educators must be empowered digitally because they are the bridges to the future of work.

This empowerment can occur if the private sector, which knows best the kind of skills it would require from graduates, can work closely with schools for the purposes of exchanging knowledge, skills and ideas.

Such collaborative approaches are not new ideas; they are models that have worked before. Initiatives such as the Microsoft Showcase School program, for example, have helped educators to effectively leverage technology for training.

In Kenya, the program has transformed educators in institutions like Crawford International into Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts, a global recognition given to educators skilled in using technology to drive innovation and impact in teaching.

When the private sector collaborates with schools to deepen education transformation, student-centred, immersive and inclusive experiences that foster lifelong learning and develop essential future-ready skills are created.

Recognising and celebrating teachers who are effectively integrating new technology, as well as demonstrating the positive impact on their workload and student learning, could further boost the adoption of technology in classrooms.

Of importance also is for school leaders to create a culture where teachers feel safe to try new tools, fail publicly, and share not only what worked, but also what didn't.

The writer is an EdTech & AI Leader and the head of the Computer Science Department, Crawford International School