Month: May 2023

Education expert warns how dishonest use of AI could mean end of online tests.

A leading Dubai university plans to reinstate handwritten, tech-free exams in order to combat widespread cheating by students using the ChatGPT app.

Curtin University Dubai — a campus of Curtin University in Western Australia — is taking action after a third of students in one class were found to have used the artificial intelligence program to write their essays.

Students in the Introduction to Management class were caught out by teaching staff, who asked them to submit handwritten writing samples for comparison.

“The difference in style was very easy to spot between what they wrote themselves and the typed submissions they provided,” said Daniel Adkins, group chief executive of the Transnational Academic Group, which operates the campus in Dubai.

But the problem is so rife that universities could become obsolete in the not-too-distant future, he warned.

Mr Adkins was speaking on the sidelines of the Getex Education Forum, taking place this week at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Curtin University was in July ranked as one of Dubai’s best in a league table developed by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, in partnership with Quacquarelli Symonds, a UK company specialising in analysing higher education institutions around the world.

The likelihood of students being tempted to use AI programs such as ChatGPT has led to the university considering a permanent return to handwritten exams.

This would include students being supervised by staff, with oral one-to-one sessions also being part of the process.

“We’re trying to get it implemented by our curriculum committee that all exams are handwritten on paper in the future,” said Mr Adkins.

“We also want it to be the case that exams are personally invigilated so students cannot use any form of technology.”

Clamping down on cheating

The National reported in February that UAE schools were trying out new technologies to help prevent pupils from using AI to cheat their way to higher grades.

Italy became the first European country to ban ChatGPT at the start of the month, following in the footsteps of other countries including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, due to privacy concerns.

The application was launched late last year by San Francisco company OpenAI, a company cofounded by Elon Musk, who described it as “scary good”.

Online learning tools were embraced by most education providers during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many pupils learning remotely.

However, it could be time to rethink this, Mr Adkins said.

He admitted it would be a measure that would not prove universally popular with his peers.

“A lot of the exams moved online during Covid-19 and, even before ChatGPT, there were videos popping up on YouTube about how to beat the software and cheat,” he said.

“We were already getting examples of cheating before ChatGPT came along.

“We’re actually getting some resistance from faculty members because automated grading online makes their jobs easier.”

But the future credibility of universities everywhere could be compromised if the right measures of protection are not adopted, he added.

“Future employers could say they can’t trust that a person actually gained the knowledge required to achieve a degree — if that happens, then it won’t have credibility,” he said.

“If someone can easily cheat their way to a degree, then the qualification will be worthless.

“I expect all universities will return to pen-and-paper-based exams because there’s no real alternative at the minute.”

Part of the solution to the use of ChatGPT could come from how it is regulated, said Brendan Vyner, business development and student recruitment director at Amity University Dubai, speaking at the same conference.

“The big issue at the minute is who is responsible for the regulation of ChatGPT,” he said.

“That’s the thing that nobody can answer right now and why it’s banned in several countries across the world.

“There isn’t a central regulatory body for it like you would find in sectors like education.

“There needs to be assurances it is used ethically and not by the likes of hackers.”

What is Chat GPT?

The artificial intelligence-based chatbot created by San Francisco-based OpenAI, which was co-founded by Elon Musk, has been creating waves across the internet with its writing ability and responses to requests.

It has been used as a cutting-edge aid across a range of fields, from essay and poetry writing to scientific concepts to job application tasks, with the results often being posted on social media.

It can even offer possible solutions to errors in computer code.

“Its answer to the question, ‘what to do if someone has a heart attack’ was incredibly clear and relevant,” Claude de Loupy, head of Syllabs, a French company specialised in automatic text generation, told AFP.

“When you start asking very specific questions, ChatGPT’s response can be off the mark”, but its overall performance remains “really impressive”, with a “high linguistic level”, he said.

The Dubai Ruler attends graduation ceremony for new cohort of the ‘Impactful Leaders’ programme.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the graduation ceremony for a new cohort of the ‘Impactful Leaders’ programme organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development. The programme aims to develop and enhance the leadership skills of emerging Emirati leaders and prepare them to assume senior leadership positions and manage strategic and transformational projects in the UAE.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.

Building the future

On his official Twitter account, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Attending the graduation of a new cohort from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Leadership Development Program. It has been 20 years since the launch of the programme, which qualified ministers, managers and officials in both the public and private sectors. 800 leaders graduated over 20 years. The secret of our success is the faith we have in Emirati youth to step up and take the lead.

“We believe our nation holds world-class potential, and so it became. We also believed that our youth have great potential, and so they succeeded and soared, taking the UAE’s name to new heights. For this we thank Allah.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stressed that the UAE will continue its strategic approach of preparing young leaders and investing in exceptional talent.

The graduation ceremony, held at the Museum of the Future, was also attended by Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of The Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed.

Nurturing tomorrow’s leaders

The first edition of the Impactful Leaders programme was launched in 2017 to build leaders who encourage innovation and creativity, transform workplace environments and contribute to building the future.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development operates under the umbrella of The Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Guided by its vision of ‘Creating Leaders for Tomorrow’, the centre identifies, builds and develops Emirati leaders across all levels. Its pioneering approach has placed it among the world’s best centres for leadership development.

Since its launch in 2003, the centre has offered high-quality programmes focused on developing leaders who can effectively navigate change.The centre’s programmes seek to equip emerging leaders with the capabilities and knowledge to make critical decisions and create innovative solutions for future challenges.

Mental health provisions offered to learners ranked for first time by inspectors.

Almost three quarters of Dubai’s private schools provide “very high” or “high” well-being provisions for pupils, the emirate’s latest education performance league table reveals.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai’s private education regulator, ranked schools on their focus on mental health for the first time in its inspections report for the 2022-23 academic year.

The authority rated 199 private schools in the comprehensive round of assessments, the results of which were issued last month.

It awarded 74 per cent of schools the top “very high” or “high” rating.

The study stated that more than 80 per cent of Dubai schools ensure pupils feel consistently positive about their time in school.

Customised summary reports for each school have been shared with parents, outlining the key findings relating to their child’s school.

The reports take into consideration performance indicators such as quality of teaching, well-being provision, evaluation of key subjects, and areas of strength and improvement.

“Various studies indicate that there is a strong correlation between student well-being and academic achievement,” said Fatma Belrehif, chief executive of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, which assesses schools on behalf of the KHDA.

“We are pleased to see consistently high well-being levels across schools in Dubai. School leaders are committed to providing a positive and supportive environment that supports student well-being, and we encourage them to continue using data to evaluate and improve the well-being provision in their schools.”

Schools across the globe have sought to support the well-being of pupils since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pressures of studying remotely, along with the challenges of an eventual return to classroom, took a toll on many young learners.

Forty-seven Dubai schools received the top rating for their well-being strategies, with another 100 securing the “high” ranking.

Fifty schools’ well-being services were assessed as moderate, with two schools given a “low” rating.

In December, Dubai introduced an action plan to boost well-being among pupils and staff at the emirate’s private schools.

The Wellbeing Matters initiative seeks to build on the findings of the Dubai Student Wellbeing Census and help schools put well-being and mental health strategies in place.

It aims to place an emphasis on the unique needs of pupils and their families and help to develop an inclusive learning culture.

The report found that the well-being of teachers and other staff members must be a core focus for school leaders.

The guide includes specific areas in which schools will be evaluated, such as how well they are leading a well-being culture; how well they are listening to the needs of their pupils and staff members; and how they are creating policies and processes to improve pupil well-being.

The Dubai Student Wellbeing Census, conducted annually for five years, involved more than 100,000 pupils each year.

Customised parent summary reports are now available on the KHDA website under each school’s directory listing.

How Dubai schools ranked and how much can fees rise?

Each year, Kings’ School Al Barsha offers a limited number of scholarships to secondary and sixth form pupils of exceptional merit and potential. Photo: Satish Kumar / The National

Twenty Dubai schools were rated outstanding in the school inspections.

There were 25 schools that improved their performance from the previous inspection in 2019.

The report also showed that more than three quarters (77 per cent) of pupils in Dubai attend private schools rated good or better, compared to 70 per cent during the last full inspection cycle in the 2018/19 academic year.

Some Dubai private schools will be allowed to increase tuition fees by up to 6 per cent in the 2023-2024 academic year, based on their performance in inspections.

The KHDA made the announcement in March, saying operational costs and the economic situation in the emirate were factors in the decision.

Tuition fees for Dubai’s private schools had been frozen for the past three academic years.

The regulator said only schools which maintained or improved their inspection ratings would be allowed to increase fees.

Schools that maintained their inspection ratings will be eligible to raise tuition fees by up to 3 per cent.

Schools that improved their rating from “weak” to “acceptable” and from “acceptable” to “good” can increase fees by up to 6 per cent.

Schools that moved from “good” to “very good” can increase fees by 5.25 per cent.

Schools that improve from “very good” to “outstanding” can apply a 4.5 per cent rise.