from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – HONORIS United Universities, rated the first and largest network of private higher education institutions in Africa, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for online learning modules and certificates.
This is aimed at expanding access to quality education in the continent.
Honoris has announced the launch of its first programme created using Generative AI and delivered on an Adaptive Learning System (ALS).
This is dubbed the Honoris Certificate on Sustainability, Work Ethics and Gender Equity.
For the programme, Honoris has partnered with Area9 Lyceum, a firm specialising in personalized and adaptive learning platforms, to create a 40-hour online certificate that leverages the opportunities of AI.
Developed using Area9’s latest proprietary innovation, Area9 Mindflo, and leveraging human expertise to add robustness to AI-generated content, the course includes two AI applications.
“We are thrilled to partner with Area9 on this groundbreaking advancement in AI-driven education,” said Jonathan Louw, Group Chief Executive Officer of Honoris.
He said as the organisation continued to expand access to quality education at scale, leveraging AI for online learning modules and certificates provides the company with greater opportunities for development.
“This collaboration has reaffirmed that combining human expertise with AI is crucial for maintaining high-quality standards, allowing educators to focus on personalized teaching and fostering active knowledge acquisition, problem-solving, and critical thinking.”
In June, Honoris presented a research paper at the global CDIO Annual Conference at ESPRIT, Tunisia, on AI-generated learning materials for course content and ALS.
A study of 1 161 students and 58 faculty members revealed positive attitudes toward adaptive learning systems, despite limited knowledge of their uses.
Ulrik Juul Christensen, Chairman and CEO of Area9 Lyceum, said Honoris was one of the first Higher Education institutions to harness Mindflow technology to scale adaptive learning.
The official said serving students with high-quality courseware across Africa in a short time was unimaginable a year ago.
“This first project serves as a model for how to combine human subject matter expertise with advanced technology and we look forward to serving other important areas where quality education is needed,” Christensen said.
Honoris comprises a community of 85 000 students on 75 campuses in ten African countries and 33 cities. The network is formed of 16 institutions.
– CAJ News