I am the founder of an EdTech platform called The Course of The Future, an AI-infused curriculum customization and course delivery system. It enables universities to create an unlimited number of courses on any topic from digital content, while personalizing course delivery for individual students based on their major, industries of interest, professional experience, hobbies, interests and more. It also aids in enhancing academic quality and verifies student understanding by testing comprehension of all submitted work. This platform also has a virtual course host who helps with course navigation, time management, confidence boosts, wellness features and more.
As a Founder, I have invested a lot of time and energy into developing the best possible EdTech system and feel that it is important to stick by certain principles when creating educational products. The first is to develop systems with learning outcomes in mind, instead of focusing solely on the model itself. Education needs should be at the center of the design so some good questions to ask are: What learning problem are we solving? Which tasks become more efficient, effective, equitable and scalable? What evidence would prove it? What are some of the largest issues in education today?
AI should support instruction, assessment, feedback, motivation, and necessity. EdTech should also support teachers, not increase their workload. These systems should assist with setup, grading workflow, curriculum alignment, and the visibility of student progress. They should put the teachers in the driver’s seat so that they can do what they are best at, mentoring and working with students in the classroom and as a mentor.
Additionally, curriculum aligned content is vital and should include citations/sources, as well as human overview and insight. Great systems preserve challenge, curiosity, and diverse learning paths. Privacy and student data protection are also key. There should be opt-in consent when appropriate as well as strong safeguards to maintain confidentiality.
Accessibility, such as Text to Speech, should be built in, not added later. Further, Assessment Integrity has become even more challenging, which is why tools such as oral defense (of submitted work) and reflective reasoning make much more sense than plagiarism detection tools. Detection features are outdated and no longer relevant in today’s educational world.
Motivation and human identity are also a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to course delivery. Students are not just developing their knowledge, they are also building confidence, time management skills, and more. As educators and developers, we have a duty to uphold these standards and guide our students into becoming the best versions of themselves.
As you can see, a lot of time and care must go into developing the latest EdTech products to best serve our students, faculty, and institutions. I am confident that I have done that in my role as Founder and I encourage others to do the same. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions about product development or The Course of The Future. I am happy to help.