The inaugural 'Innovation in Education: UAE Schools' Summit was convened by PowerSchool, a prominent provider of cloud-based educational software, at Dunecrest American School in Dubai. In partnership with Esol Education, a leading organization in K-12 international education across the Middle East, Mediterranean, and East Asia, the Summit was designed as a recurring event for fostering collaborative dialogue on AI and innovation. Its objective is to unite premier schools and educational authorities from throughout the Emirates to shape the trajectory of education in the region.
The unique summit delivered a vibrant and enriching encounter, furnishing participants with a day replete with invaluable perspectives, distinctive networking prospects, interactive workshops, and stimulating conversations. Concentrating on pivotal subjects such as security, data accessibility, ethical AI application, and preparing students for life and workforce demands, the one-day occasion centered on elevating educational methodologies and achievements.
Furthermore, a survey was undertaken to gauge attendees' viewpoints on technology integration within schools. The results unveiled student behavior management as the foremost educational obstacle for the present year, emphasized by 70% of respondents. Moreover, the deployment of new AI guidance and the utilization of student-centric AI resources emerged as notable technological hurdles. Looking ahead, key objectives included expanding top-tier instruction and executing efficient student interventions, with a specific focus on integrating novel AI educational resources.
"Empowering educators and students to reach their full potential through leveraging AI capabilities lies at the heart of our mission at PowerSchool", said Shivani Stumpf, Chief Product Officer, PowerSchool. Hosting the ‘Innovation in Education: UAE Schools’ Summit with Esol Education underscores our unwavering commitment to embracing innovation within the educational landscape.
The Summit provided a forum for participants to engage in interactive sessions exploring the advantages of tailored learning experiences enabled by the advanced PowerSchool Personalized Learning Cloud. Furthermore, valuable perspectives were exchanged on the benefits of data as a service, highlighting how PowerSchool's platforms simplify data consolidation to empower educators.
Attendees underscored their dedication to challenging conventional educational paradigms in favor of adopting personalized methodologies, as evidenced in the survey results. AI virtual assistants were acknowledged as pivotal in fostering personalized education, with more than 66% strongly concurring that technology enhances the individualized learning experience for each student, while 75% recognized the significance of generative AI.
The feedback from this survey highlights the significance of collaborating with technology providers who comprehend the distinct requirements of the education sector and are developing ethical AI solutions, such as PowerSchool, an exemplar in Responsible AI. PowerSchool also educates and empowers educational leaders with resources to assess AI technology providers and their readiness for AI adoption and implementation.
Dr. Joseph Nettikaden, Chief Information Officer, Esol Education, added: "As advocates for holistic data-driven approaches to teaching and learning, we are thrilled to be a part of this collaborative platform, which serves as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue among educators in the UAE. AI-powered analytics are poised to revolutionize the process of measuring and influencing student achievement, allowing us to determine what makes the greatest impact and empowering students to work towards their desired future outcomes".
