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Embracing the future: How we are leveraging AI at Wellington

21 Jun 2023

Tobias Oyugi

Head of Computer Science

It is 2023 and the largest technology companies are once again competing fiercely to stay ahead in the rapidly changing world of tech innovation. We all relied heavily on technology during the pandemic, and now, there is much anticipation as to where these innovations will lead. From Google’s PaLM2 to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a particularly salient issue for parents, teachers and pupils alike.

While these tools are useful, there are valid concerns about how ready our education systems are to adopt AI technologies and integrate fundamental AI skills into the curriculum. As both a parent and a computer science teacher, I have a unique perspective on the policies schools are putting in place regarding AI adoption and the slow integration of AI skills into taught subjects.

Teaching, learning and policy

At Wellington, we pride ourselves on being early adopters of technology. We strongly believe in delivering an all-around curriculum in tandem with 21st-century educational competencies. Our teachers are already trailing AI tools across different subject areas. In English classes, our pupils are using ChatGPT to analyse characters in books. Our academic scholars are learning how AI has massively advanced structural biology using technologies such as DeepMind’s AlphaFold for determining protein structures, a vital process for drug discovery. In maths classes, our pupils are leveraging DuetAI for predictive analytics and data cleansing, just to mention a few use cases. Moreover, our ed-tech leads are working with the head of IB to develop a College-wide policy to guide our community on assessment practices, integrity, ethics and selecting the right AI technologies for teaching and learning.

Foundational skills with AI

As the author Stewart Brand once put it, “Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you are part of the road”. We have made further progress this year in our efforts to equip students with the skills needed to not just use artificial intelligence, but also develop it themselves. Our computer science curriculum from Prep School to IB now has an AI component in which pupils learn the fundamental coding skills required to build models, the engines that drive machine learning and AI.

Through our collaboration with INSPIRITAI, a US-based ed-tech company with trainers from MIT and Stanford, we delivered our first intensive face-to-face AI workshop over the last two weeks, bringing in Ms Varsha, an MIT graduate student, to work with selected Senior School pupils. This was an incredible opportunity for our pupils to learn from some of the best brains in the tech space, get inspired and work on real-life AI projects.

While we look forward to engaging more with external providers in building partnerships in this space, we are also keenly interested in creating in-school challenges where pupils can ideate, create and innovate. My enthusiasm for achieving this is unparalleled, and as the new Head of Computer Science, I can promise even better opportunities in the coming academic year to help our pupils thrive on their AI journey.

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