from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYAN university educators are advocating for the seamless integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms and research.
This is a key takeaway from a workshop organised by the Microsoft Africa Development Centre (ADC) in collaboration with the Kenya Education Network (KENET) to explore the potential of AI to improve teaching, learning and research in tertiary education.
Speaking at the just-concluded event, Microsoft ADC Managing Director, Catherine Muraga, emphasised the importance of AI in the evolving classroom landscape and presented private-private and public-private partnerships as a key way to bridge existing infrastructure gaps.
“It was a fruitful workshop with academics, policymakers, researchers, and partners such as KENET,” she said of the event held in Nairobi.
“One of the most important considerations for universities is the availability of infrastructure for collecting and storing local data, which can then be used to train AI models for use in education and research.”
Muraga believes the government can provide significant assistance in areas such as technology-related skilling.
The workshop’s discussions focused on major themes: including the need for AI skill development, improving pedagogy through research, the role of AI and research and the infrastructure requirements to accelerate AI adoption.
Prof. Meoli Kashorda, KENET Executive Director, lauded the developments made by universities in improving AI-related infrastructure.
The professor called for additional funding and innovation to improve capacity for AI adoption in academia.
“AI tools are already being used by some students and lecturers. At this point, we must consider how AI can be made available to everyone in higher education,” Kashorda said.
Additionally, discussions focused on the importance of responsible AI development that promotes inclusivity.
According to the experts, this will necessitate investment in collecting, sorting, storing and processing datasets derived from African settings.
Participants advocated for the development of policies and guidelines governing the use of AI in educational institutions.
The workshop will culminate with the publication of a whitepaper on AI and its applications in various aspects of higher education, addressing challenges and developing recommendations for widespread adoption in universities and colleges.
It is part of a series of initiatives launched by the Microsoft ADC to improve technical skills within and outside the technology ecosystem in one of East Africa’s largest economies.
– CAJ News