I’m passionate about driving digital transformation and innovation at the intersection of education, technology, and social equity. I believe education is the greatest equalizer in society. Today, in Kenya and globally, it stands at a crossroads: undergoing a much-needed transformation, yet grappling with mounting challenges that threaten its impact.
First, thanks to the proliferation of artificial intelligence, the education sector is transforming. Institutions of higher learning, in attempts to curb unethical AI use in assignments by students, are tinkering with new ideas, understanding that returning to physical exams is not the best solution.
The current education system is out of touch with the realities of the 21st century. (The current education system was designed with the realities of the Industrial Revolution boom in the 18th and 19th centuries.) A new model that reflects the realities of modern knowledge workers is urgently needed.
Secondly, due to the transformation and other factors, the education sector is facing numerous challenges, such as insufficient funding and asymmetrical development, with the Global South greatly behind.
Although we (Sub-Saharan Africans) have joined the party in celebrating the record progress and development of AI, we are often disillusioned to think that these novel tools are designed with our realities in mind.
The majority of the data sets used to train the large language models (LLMs) are from the Global North. The solutions, knowingly or inadvertently, are therefore, first and foremost, tailored for the Global North. This will create digital colonialism if blindly adopted in Africa.
It is because of these reasons that I’m passionate about working in the edtech sector in Africa. I’m keen on the conscious integration of AI in the education systems. I believe that such integrations should be free of inequalities, subjugation, and dependency.
Additionally, technology is a means to assist users in achieving their dreams, not an end in itself. Therefore, it should foster critical thinking and deeper inquiry among users. This cannot be truer with the current domination of generative AI in academia. Our pedagogies must be aligned with these realities.
Africa is on the verge of a socio-economic, cultural, and political revolution. Education is – and will continue – to be a vital driver of this revolution. However, we must take deliberate steps to ensure the education system is designed to support and realize the revolution and give it the necessary impetus to blossom thereafter.
1 comment
Comments are closed.