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Artificial Intelligence partnerships with higher education open up windows for targeted, relevant learning

Letlhokwa George Mpedi
By Letlhokwa George Mpedi
24 Oct 2024
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The emergence of AI and related technologies is creating new fields of study and changing the skills required in the workforce. At the same time, pressing issues like climate change are necessitating curricula that address sustainability and complex problem solving.

As we navigate the demands of a digital future, the urgency of transforming talent-cultivation models is particularly profound in South Africa. Not only are we faced with the evolution of the world of work, much like the rest of the globe, but we also must grapple with our complexities.

Our unemployment rate nationally stands at just under 33%, while our youth unemployment rate is more than 45%. More distressingly, the graduate employment rate within this youth segment was just under 10%. We are in a crisis.

Compounding this task are shared global challenges. Shaozhuang Xu and Reynaldo Cabual identify shifting skill demands, navigating a multigenerational workforce, and the integration of technology in this regard.

It is important to note that the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies is also creating new fields of study and changing the skills required in the workforce. At the same time, pressing issues like climate change, the need for renewable energy sources, and global health crises are necessitating curricula that address sustainability and complex problem solving.

These factors are compelling and propelling higher education institutions to adapt their curricula to prepare students for a rapidly evolving world and to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to address critical global challenges.

The imperative for curriculum changes stems from the need to ensure that higher education remains relevant, responsive, and effective in preparing graduates for the complexities of modern society and the workforce.

Against this backdrop, this task is pressing. At the helm of a higher education institute, I am acutely aware that one of our core mandates is building skills and knowledge for the workforce and our students to contribute meaningfully to society. AI certainly presents a new frontier in this regard.

Natali Tusquellas, Ramon Palau and Raul Santiago argue that these technologies offer an opportunity to streamline recruitment, identify skills gaps, and create personalised training paths, increasing employee engagement, retention, and performance.

Learning management platforms


For example, through learning management platforms, we can track the performance of our students and delve into the particulars of each case. We can identify if a student is only working on a mobile device or only submitting assignments at night.

Based on this insight, we can implement interventions that address these challenges. The continuous monitoring of academic performance also indicates where we can provide more support for students through teaching assistants and tutors. This allows us to tailor the academic programme, in a sense, to the needs of the individual. This process also leads to more targeted skills development.

However, Tusquellas et al also highlight that challenges such as potential biases, implementation costs, and employee trust in AI need consideration. This process should thus also be guided by measures that address ethical considerations, cultural adaptability, data security, and practical AI applications to guide equitable and responsible AI use.

In South Africa, integrating AI in talent cultivation models can help close the skills gap, boost workforce employability, and support economic development.

Emphasising skills in innovation, data analysis, AI, and sustainable development can empower the workforce to engage meaningfully in the evolving economic landscape. Nurturing these skills among the emerging workforce, and indeed the existing workforce, requires lifelong learning and integrating them into our curricula.

The restructuring of the curriculum in higher education to address the changing context and challenges of the 21st century has, in broad terms, taken three forms — namely, the introduction of academic breadth in the undergraduate curriculum; interdisciplinary qualifications and courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels; and co-curricular courses and activities focused on skills and the application of skills.

Holistic approach


To equip students for the turbulence of the 21st century, a holistic approach to curriculum development and teaching is essential to give them the ability and agility to keep pace with innovation and meet the challenges of this new world of work.

For example, universities can also use AI-driven tools to track trends in job markets and adjust curricula to focus on in-demand skills. There are also considerations of access.

A recent study by the Tshwane University of Technology Hub of the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa and Intel revealed an increasing presence of AI programmes in African universities, which is essential for workforce readiness. However, challenges such as limited infrastructure and power access persist.

This highlights the broader need for policy and investment to support AI adoption and ecosystem growth. Moreover, digital learning could extend opportunities to remote areas.

For example, the University of Johannesburg is exploring the possibility of a digital university. This would exist as a twin of a brick-and-mortar university and would increase access and our scope. Notably, a digital university eliminates geographical barriers – this is an important consideration in the context of the legacy of apartheid spatial planning.

AI fundamentally changes the world around us and offers great opportunities for progress. We can respond to the future world of work effectively as higher education institutes through AI.

And in South Africa, it is how we navigate our economic malaise. Mark Cuban’s words stand out starkly for me: “AI is going to change everything, but it’s going to be a partnership between humans and AI, not a competition.”

This is the lens through which we must view this shift. DM

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