Technology has enabled remote education, ensuring a relatively smooth experience for students during disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, global leaders aren’t resting on their laurels. They are committed to improving the education experience as AI evolves.
At the G20 summit earlier this month, the member nations in a joint declaration mentioned their decision to encourage mobility of students by supporting the promotion of open, equitable and secure scientific collaboration across higher education and research institutions.
The aim is to provide expanded access to high-quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) opportunities. The meeting also included a commitment to harness digital technologies like artificial intelligence to overcome digital divides for all students, while focusing on the importance of foundational learning as the primary building block for education and employment.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally redefining teaching and learning and consequently reshaping the demand for knowledge and skills. Therefore, we encourage coordination and systematic assessment of the evolution of AI, including generative AI, which is a challenge to educational systems, and which also has the potential to improve them. We support an equitable and inclusive use of AI in education and skilling that respects human rights,” the declaration mentioned.
Nations have geared up to not only embrace the AI revolution, but also upskill and reskill people. Leading IT organizations like HCLTech are committed to this transition, making things easy for governments, aspirants, employees and edtech companies.
Embracing tech in education
In today’s digital world, it’s imperative for schools, universities, educational institutions and governments to embrace technological advancements — especially the role and advantages of generative AI and the risks and cyberthreats associated with it — in their strategies to ensure they enrich and elevate the user experience for students, teachers and administrators.
For example, HCLTech launched a cybersecurity awareness program for schoolteachers that was aimed to strengthen the online safety of teachers and students in Tamil Nadu, India. In the first promotion, 100 government schoolteachers signed up to the program.
The program on cybersecurity awareness is executed on HCLTech Career Shaper advanced edtech platform. It enables schoolteachers and educators to learn and promote cybersecurity awareness and online safety among students.
“The certification program on cybersecurity awareness for schoolteachers and educators represents our commitment to nurturing a secure digital ecosystem from the ground up. By empowering teachers with advanced cybersecurity knowledge, we are ensuring that the next generation is well-prepared to navigate the challenges of the digital age,” said Srimathi Shivashankar, Corporate Vice President and Business Head – EdTech Services, HCLTech.
Upskilling and reskilling
By leveraging technology, public and private sectors were able to pivot, adapt and reskill at a much faster rate than anticipated, despite the initial challenges faced due to the pandemic.
Nicholas Ismail, Global Head of Brand Journalism at HCLTech, in an article earlier this year mentioned that reskilling will contribute around $2.5 trillion to the global economy.
“While digital engineering is being used to develop new educational technologies that can enhance learning techniques, provide better outcomes and make education more accessible and smarter, new-age skillsets are a must,” says Nicole Worthington, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing EMEA & APAC, Global Thought Leadership, HCLTech.
She adds: “For example, online learning platforms and adaptive learning software can provide personalized instruction to students. These days, children are not just restricted to books while learning a lesson on Physics. They can rely on 3D models that are better at explaining things and are more easily remembered and implemented when required.
“Some organizations [like HCLTech] even give students and trainees access to virtual reality glasses that are used to create immersive learning experiences.”
While AI and automation need to be adopted to prepare students for the future of work, the rise of technologies like GenAI has created new jobs that require significant reskilling as well as developing new skills for these roles. This is where HCLTech TechBee program is crucial in training students in new technologies and skills.
HCLTech has also been training its employees using HTC Vive headsets that reduces training costs by up to 50% and HCLTech XR solution that delivers up to 75% retention through XR training.
