Geoffrey Alphonso
Chief Executive Officer, Alef Education
A new generation of innovative technologies has transformed education and is revolutionising the classroom learning process.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming more immersive with conventional teaching complemented by transformational technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). It has accelerated in recent years, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated remote learning.
Key trends
Edtech leader Geoffrey Alphonso points to metaverse, gamification and asynchronous learning as key trends in the digital learning age. “Through research and the creation of appropriate solutions that improve learning and teaching methods — such as conducting virtual experiments and gamified learning techniques — technologies are increasingly revolutionising the e-learning ecosystem,” he says.
“The future of digital learning will be significantly shaped by current technologies, even if they are still in their infancy.”
Tech-savvy
Alphonso is CEO of specialist Edtech organisation Alef Education, which advocates the adoption and utilisation of AI to revolutionise e-learning.
He believes the education sector benefits from these solutions and has been transformed into a tech-savvy and enabled industry.
“For instance,” he continues, “the use of AR allows students to see images and lessons in a more enhanced and realistic manner, while VR allows them to explore unprecedented educational scenarios and lessons from their homes or classrooms.” This may include a visit to a historical site without moving out of a room.
The future of digital learning will be significantly shaped by current technologies, even if they are still in their infancy.
Student-centric models
However, for schools to be able to incorporate these technologies effectively, he emphasises that the right infrastructure must be in place and that institutions should do ‘due diligence’ when acquiring suitable products and technologies.
“Once that is done, it comes down to properly training the educators on using the technology and allowing them to seamlessly introduce and incorporate it into their regular lesson,” he says.
Alphonso says technology in education also helps institutions overcome issues such as lack of teachers and growing student numbers and personalises learning methods for students.
Academic research
Alef Education, a global education technology company based in Abu Dhabi, delivers AI-powered, data-driven, personalised learning solutions. Its three interactive learning products: the Alef Platform, Abjadiyat and Arabits, offer engaging learning experiences.
“We provide solutions that increase teachers’ time in providing better targeted intervention and expand their focus on effective instruction and better classroom management with the help of AI,” says Alphonso.
Research has been conducted in the field, looking at academic resilience and how AI can predict academic achievement. Alphonso emphasises that continuous innovation remains critical to further developing the sector.