Ensuring continuity and quality of learning for all

TDT | Manama

Nominations are open for the Unesco King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the use of ICT, or the information and communications technology, to promote quality education. Established in 2005, the Unesco King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize awards annually two innovative projects leveraging new technologies to expand educational opportunities.

This year’s theme for the award will be: “The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the continuity and quality of learning.” Unesco stressed the prize will recognize initiatives that use artificial intelligence to provide quality learning opportunities for marginalized learners or learners with physical or cognitive disabilities.

Likewise, it will recognize the initiative to accurately analyze difficulties faced by students studying in a language other than their mother tongue as well as initiatives to support teachers with a better diagnosis of learning problems and personally adaptive feedback to improve pedagogical responses.

According to the selection criteria, the project should be relevant to the specific theme of the year, be innovative, specifically in the application of AI; provide evidence of improved learning outcomes; show potential for replicability and scalability, and advance inclusion and equity.

The project should be ongoing for at least one year, not be affiliated to Unesco or receive any funding from Unesco, and be designed completely for the public good or for charitable purposes. Nominations can be made by governments of Unesco member states, via their National Commissions, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with Unesco.

They can make up to three nominations. Self-nominations are not accepted. The deadline for the nominations of individuals, institutions, non-governmental organizations or other entities is December 18, 2020, Unesco said. All submissions should be done in English or French.

Education Minister Dr. Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi, in a statement, stressed the great importance of the international prize adopted by Unesco in rewarding initiatives to spread quality education to all groups through the use of information and communication technology.

“This makes it consistent with Unesco’s goals and the Kingdom of Bahrain’s orientations in the field of digital learning,” Dr. Al Nuaimi said. He added the increasing number of participants from various countries for the prize indicates its importance in serving humanity through education.

“This year, the prize sheds light on the role of artificial intelligence in ensuring the continuity and quality of learning for all, especially in light of the exceptional circumstances imposed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which led to a reliance on distance learning using modern technologies,” the minister said.

“The prize rewards initiatives aimed at delivering sound education for all groups by using modern technologies and ensuring adaptation to the special needs of all learners, which is consistent with the changes taking place in the world today.”