Artifical Intelligence for Early School Leaving - The AI4ESL App
The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) highlights a pressing global issue: 617 million children and adolescents lack basic proficiency in reading and mathematics, despite the majority being enrolled in school. This academic shortfall places them at a higher risk of dropping out prematurely. The Council of the European Union has urged member states to reduce early school leaving (ESL) rates to less than 10% by 2020. Malta, for instance, implemented an ESL strategy in 2011, focusing on prevention, intervention, and compensation.
To tackle these challenges head-on, the Erasmus+ KA2 project entitled Artifical Intelligence for Early School Leaving (2021-1-MT01-KA220-SCH-000024247) aims to empower educators and other adult professionals working in the field of education to teach students from underrepresented groups, leveraging on an AI-powered Digital Learning Platform. This platform has been designed and developed by the AI4ESL partnership and offers the opportunity for educators and other adult professionals working in the field of education to create personalised, adaptive learning experiences tailored to individual needs, aiming to address learning disparities, ESL, and deficiencies in basic skills like literacy and numeracy. By tracking progress, identifying gaps, and providing customised recommendations, the platform seeks to empower educators and other adult professionals working in the field of education to prevent ESL effectively.
Overall the project objectives are to empower educators and other adult professionals working in the field of education in:
- Identifying personalised learning needs, particularly in literacy and numeracy, to mitigate learning disadvantages
- Designing and developing an AI-powered Digital Learning Platform tailored to combat ESL and bolster basic skills
- Populating the platform with relevant content and piloting it with students and teachers
- Evaluating the platform's quality and impact, gauging satisfaction and learning outcomes
- Crafting recommendations on AI for ESL, contributing to evidence-based practices and policy guidelines
The project’s activities are structured to achieve these objectives, involving needs analysis, platform development, piloting, evaluation, and dissemination of findings. Ultimately, the project aims to empower educators with tools to identify and support at-risk students effectively, fostering inclusive digital learning environments. By addressing the unique needs of underrepresented groups, it strives to reduce ESL rates and contribute to a more equitable educational landscape.
Visit www.ai4esl.com to know more about the project and download the AI4ESL app today!
