Our commitment to staying ahead of industry trends and shaping the future of education has earned us recognition, including the prestigious PMR Award for the second consecutive year. It’s not just about accolades—it’s about pushing boundaries to deliver transformative learning experiences.
In a world where artificial intelligence is revolutionising every sphere, Eduvos is at the forefront of incorporating this game-changing technology into education. AI isn’t merely a tool; it’s a partner in progress, enabling personalised learning, fostering creativity, and preparing students for the future.
Terry Owen captured this beautifully in his article in the latest PMR.africa magazine, which highlights the insights of Dr de Klerk, Dean: Curricula and Research at Eduvos. Below, we’ve shared her piece in full to celebrate Eduvos’s leadership in navigating the exciting and complex terrain of AI.
AI is the phenomenon that has brought change to our world. In academia, it has become the game changer that has everyone on their toes. Dr de Klerk says that the institution has seized the opportunities and risks that have presented themselves with the game changer that is AI with relish.
As fast as it seems to have sprung on an unsuspecting world, it has been approached with excitement and some trepidation by Eduvos, renowned for being at the forefront of private higher education.
She says that such a disruptive intervention as AI must be managed carefully. There is risk involved. To tread with caution is the order of the day. Or for this time at least, a hybrid combination of mind and machine going forward is the way to go.
Dr de Klerk says at Eduvos, personalised learning has been a great advantage of AI. It can help in tailoring educational content to meet the individual needs of students, providing individual learning plans and resources, helping students to learn at their own pace and style, and improving engagement and outcomes.
“I have found that if AI can start a critical thinking process with students, they can pick up on where AI left off and generate their own development. It could be likened to writer’s block where the writer suddenly thinks of a path that could be followed and so progresses gainfully on.
Augmented and Disrupted
“With AI, however, there is the known and unknown. While mastery is thus far unattainable, it is possible. Our students, and lecturers, have fundamentally been augmented and disrupted by it.
“We are not going to be overly optimistic in a way that could be dangerous. We will be cautious and critical but proactive.”
She reiterates that one should always look critically at the limits of AI. “As humans, we can draw on personal experience, which is shaped by emotion and supposition. There are quadrants at the core. This is not so with AI. In an academic environment, human minds will seek out other human minds and begin a rapport that is an emotional endeavour. This is beyond the scope of AI.”
Also, she notes, imagine you’re being interviewed for a job and you’re sitting opposite someone physically or on a Zoom call. You must rely on your human mind for this and other person-to-person interventions.
This is all not to say that AI is ephemeral and should be tossed aside. On the contrary, she insists, we must eagerly grapple with its gifts.
“In education, we always apply our pedagogical methodologies. It’s how we’ve always taught, and it provides excellent outcomes for the students. Students are asking why we just can’t use AI for everything. It does the same, they argue, so what’s the problem?
“AI can be terrific and can output screeds and screeds of material in a couple of minutes. But study this carefully and you’ll note factual errors and phrases that are continually used, so much so it becomes trying. It’s slick and sophisticated – but sometimes incorrect. It also takes the human mind for granted, and you should never do that.
“Where it comes into its own is doing the research for students. That, without the use of AI, is very time-consuming. It can also be creative, but students should combine generative copy with their input.
“We have an exciting time when it comes to brainstorming using AI. It sparks many ideas that can be developed by the students. This is also an effective way of demystifying the experience at Eduvos.”
Dr De Klerk tells me that students at Eduvos use a hybrid way of working which can be done at home as well as on campus. Covid provided the groundwork for this phenomenon.
Huge Learning Interaction
“There are many modalities that we use to devise what we believe will provide the best outcome. There is no doubt things have changed in so many ways, but that’s what happens when a disrupter like AI comes along. It’s not only the students but also the lecturers who have to get with the programme so it’s a huge learning interaction for everyone.”
She says that it is going to create new careers and people from new-generation companies are already eyeing students at Eduvos.
“I tend to think in many ways that AI could be more disruptive than the invention of electricity. I know that sounds really over the top but think about it. It is already changing the way we do things, not just in academia but in healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, and aeronautics. It affects our way of working in almost every facet of our lives.”
The problem of plagiarism has been raised at many learning institutions and has also been aimed at the creators of AI itself. That it was going to happen is a no-brainer and will eventually get sorted out.
“Students must be ultimately responsible for their own work. While AI assists in the learning process, it should not replace their own effort and understanding.”
When it comes to writing examinations, students must sign a disclaimer regarding AI. I know of many institutions of higher learning that have had endless problems with students using AI for the entire exam. They are penalised to a degree, and not to the extent where I believe that they should be. However, it’s complicated.
“We don’t want to get to the point where we have to start policing students. The introduction of questions whose answers are impossible to generate by AI, like asking them to compare the satire in two Zapiro cartoons, is a prime example. Department heads must become more creative.”
She says that there is no point in trying to evade AI or pretend it does not exist.
“Oh, that would be incomprehensible. In many ways, I know we would all be lost without it. It has become part of our lives. And it’s exciting, no matter how exasperated I may become. AI has really got us on our toes!”
We are proud to embrace the challenges and opportunities AI brings, ensuring our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to thrive in an AI-driven world. With a future-focused approach, we continue to lead the way in private higher education.
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