Anthology, a leading education solutions provider, hosted the Anthology Together Middle East 2023 conference in Riyadh. This two-day event gathered more than 150 leaders, experts, educational technology innovators, and educators from 56 institutions across the Kingdom and the Middle East. The conference centered on various viewpoints and obstacles in higher education, emphasizing topics such as the ethical application of artificial intelligence.
Anthology CEO Bruce Dahlgren stated, "Saudi Arabia hosts some of the world's leading higher education institutions. We perceive these institutions, driven by their dedication to academic excellence, as pioneers shaping the future". Dahlgren emphasized, "Our decision to hold this conference in Riyadh demonstrates our commitment to our clientele in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. It underscores our dedication to co-creating solutions alongside our clients and the learners they cater to".
During the conference, Anthology introduced Authentic Assessments, an AI-powered feature within Blackboard Learn Ultra set to launch in December. This functionality leverages learning objectives and course materials to generate prompts aligned with Bloom's Taxonomy, fostering critical thinking. The feature addresses the evolving challenges surrounding academic integrity in the era of artificial intelligence.
The event spotlighted Anthology's global survey on AI utilization in higher education, engaging over 5,000 participants from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, Brazil, Singapore, and the UK. Survey findings revealed positive acceptance of AI within Saudi universities, with 49 percent of students believing in AI's potential to revolutionize education. The report highlighted that Saudi Arabian students exhibit frequent usage of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, with 32 percent utilizing them weekly. Additionally, the report predicts a substantial surge in the use of generative AI tools among these students over the next six months.
