A Vision of AI for Joyful Education

A Vision of AI for Joyful Education

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In a 2013 post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sketched out a “rough plan” to provide free, basic internet to the world and thus spread opportunity and interconnection. However, the United Nations Human Rights Council reported that, in Myanmar, Facebook’s efforts to follow through on such aspirations accelerated hate speech, fomented division, and incited offline violence in the Rohingya genocide. Free, basic internet now serves as a warning of the complexities of technological impact on society. For Chris, an AI researcher in education, and Lisa, a science educator and student of international cyber policy, this example gives pause: What unintended consequences could AI in education have? Many look to AI-powered tools to address the need to scale high-quality education and with good reason. A surge in educational content from online courses, expanded access to digital devices, and the contemporary renaissance in AI seem to provide the pieces necessary to deliver personalized learning at scale. However, technology has a poor track record for solving social issues without creating unintended harm. What negative effects can we predict, and how can we refine the objectives of AI researchers to account for such unintended consequences? Complete Article HERE

Cambridge University Report on Girls' Education

Global Coalition Needed to Transform Girls’ Education—Report

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A ‘global coalition of parliamentarians’ needs to be set up to meet the urgent international challenge of delivering a quality education to millions of girls who are currently being denied access to any at all, a new report says. The study, written by academics in the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, and commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, urges politicians to collaborate ‘across geographical and political divides’, in a concerted drive to ensure that all girls gain access to education by an internationally-agreed target date of 2030. Complete Article HERE

UN Secy Gen Speaks at Global call to Action for Adolescent GirlsWomen-

Calling for Action to Meet the Unfulfilled Promise of Education for Girls

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Celebrities, youth activists and world leaders gathered at the UN Headquarters to put a spotlight on adolescent girls’ education, in an event co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Ireland, together with UN Women, the One Campaign and the Global Partnership for Education. Education of adolescent girls has a catalytic impact for delivering on global commitments and advancing gender equality. Educating girls opens doors to decent job opportunities and access to financial resources, and provides them with vital information about their rights and confidence to make their voices heard. Yet, more than 130 million girls worldwide are not in school. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said: “The only way to reach gender equality is to start with gender parity in our educational systems. As a former teacher I am aware that this is a requirement to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.” Complete Article HERE

Kurdish Iraqi Students

New Peace and Human Rights Study Program in Iraq Kurdistan Gives Young People Hope for Change

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At the university of Duhok in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq, a new promising study program has been set up focused on peace and human rights. Next year, the first cohort of graduates in Peace and Human Rights Studies will go out into society to show what peace studies can do for the wider community. At the moment there are 242 students in the department following courses about multiculturalism, conflict resolution and human rights. Many young people have chosen the study program hoping to initiate change by creating a more inclusive society. The program is very popular, attracting almost three times the anticipated number of students in the first year. This initiative might contribute to more positive stances towards minorities and people from different ethnicities in Kurdistan, as well as the wider region. In doing so, it could help to create a new generation of people that are aware of human rights and the conditions that can lead to peace building and stability. Complete Article HERE