K. Anvar Sadath is presently working as CEO of Kerala Infrastructure & Technology For Education (KITE) under the Government of Kerala. The first Indian to win the AECT International Contributions Award in 2018, he has authored eight publications and writes regularly on IT topics. 

Under his leadership, KITE developed Hi-Tech Classrooms, Little KITE IT Clubs, the KITE VICTERS channel, etc.

INDIAai interviewed Anvar Sadath to get his perspective on AI.

What motivated the inclusion of AI in the ICT curriculum? 

It is a natural progression of the activities that KITE (erstwhile IT@School) has undertaken for the past two decades. In Kerala, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is mandatory for all classes, and all students from Class 1 to 10 have an ICT textbook. We started ICT textbooks in 2003 for Class 8, and in 2005, they were made part of the Std 10 Public examination. We shifted completely to Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) in 2007, and 3 years later, in 2010, we commenced ICT-enabled education. Since then, the latest skills, such as animation, video editing, GIS, audio recording, etc., have been part of the curriculum. Even in the ICT textbooks, we have linked these with other subjects like Mathematics, Social Science, Science and even Languages. So, whenever the Curricular Revision happens, we update these technologies; this time, it is Artificial Intelligence (AI) introduced in Class 7.  

What impact do you anticipate AI education will have on students in Kerala? 

AI education appears to be a double-edged sword at this point. So, if it is not used wisely, it could paralyse all the essential educational values and systems based on a proper curriculum framework. There are specific steps that students have to acquire through the classroom transaction, which are mandatory in the curricular framework. If you bypass that and use easy ways, such as AI tools and similar, that will negatively impact the educational system. We are keenly observing AI developments and how they can be used to improve our educational system. Meanwhile, we want a basic concept of AI as an extension of the Coding exercise, which we have already introduced in our primary classes. That is the logic behind including AI and Machine learning from Class 7 this year.  

What steps are being taken to prepare teachers to deliver AI lessons effectively? 

We have a clear-cut mandate on using technology in education, and our Samagra Resource Portal, www.samagra.kite.kerala.gov.in, is an example. We use ICT content developed in-house with academic support from SCERT and with the help of our teachers, which are then filtered at different levels to ensure that it is in tune with the pedagogical way. So far, it is unclear how AI can be used effectively in classrooms. However, we want our teachers to equip themselves with the necessary skills by using AI, empowering them to prepare for classroom sessions and their personal and administrative daily uses. That is why we specifically made some categorisations, such as summarization techniques, data visualisation, image editing, assessment, etc, for which we have introduced different tools. The AI training provided to teachers was not focused on specific AI tools. Instead, it emphasises basic concepts like prompt engineering and machine learning, which teachers can now practice using AI tools.  

How will the textbooks ensure that AI concepts are accessible to students across different languages (Malayalam, English, Tamil, and Kannada)? 

All our textbooks come in 4 mediums (Malayalam, English, Tamil and Kannada), and teachers are trained extensively to transact effectively in classrooms. For example, a 3-day training on AI was provided to all Class 7 teachers, where AI was introduced in the curriculum. The teachers’ handbooks and students’ resources made available in the Samagra portal supplemented this for effective classroom transactions. In addition, KITE has ensured the availability of IT equipment in all schools (Laptops, Projectors, etc) through the successful implementation of the Hi-Tech school project for Secondary schools and the Hi-Tech Lab project for Primary schools in recent years. Over 4.50 lakh ICT equipment were successfully deployed and maintained in schools as part of these projects.  

Are there plans to extend AI education to other grades in the future? 

This year, Machine Learning is introduced in Class 7, a natural extension of the visual coding lessons they learned through Scratch Programming in their earlier classes. When the textbook revision happens next year in Classes 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10, we will integrate advanced versions of these technologies and have started working on these lines.  

As the CEO of KITE and Chairman of the ICT Textbook Committee, what personal insights or experiences have shaped your approach to integrating AI in education? 

Adopting FOSS in education helped Kerala reach this level in ICT-enabled education. And not to forget is the contribution of social organisations and teachers who have worked on a war basis for years to achieve this. By deploying a FOSS-based operating system customised by KITE's academic and technical experts, we saved over Rs.3000 Cr to the state excrement. It was through deploying numerous FOSS educational applications totalling an estimated cost of Rs.1.50 Lakh per machine, pre-loaded in the Operating System, which was deployed in over 2 lakh school computers. However, distinguishing between proprietary and free software, along with the complex license and fee modes, is challenging regarding AI. The need to have a proper system and build our own AI engine is the target for us, and then it would be easier for us to integrate AI into the curriculum, and we have started working on this. Our AI engine is in the pipeline, and we are confident we can reach that level.  

What is the plan for iterative improvements to the AI curriculum based on feedback and technological advancements? 

We are making these iterative improvements in the curriculum, and the difference between the existing tools and AI is that in the existing technology domain, i.e., before AI, we have a clear-cut understanding of how these tools work, e.g. doing Video editing using Kdenlive or making a 3D animation using Blender etc. However, when it comes to AI, we cannot predict how an AI tool behaves in a classroom, and because of its dynamically changing nature and ever-evolving new models, it is challenging to put in textbooks. Similarly, concerns like privacy, data theft, responsible use, etc must also be adequately addressed. While we try to imbibe the new mode, we will consider it holistically and go through the process.  

What other technological advancements do you foresee being integrated into the curriculum? 

In the Covid-hit times, we had to depend on technology mode for delivering digital and online classes without physical classes in schools. KITE facilitated learning for over 43 lakh students from Pre-Primary to Class 12 through its 18000+ First Bell Digital Classes broadcast through our KITE VICTERS educational channel, which was appreciated worldwide. But during that time, instead of relying more on virtual methods, we emphasised using physical exercises, something the students could have done in the classroom using papers, cardboard and natural materials to engage them physically. In addition to AR&VR experiences, students were taught how to make different models using cardboard, paper, etc. Technological advancements are best accomplished when pedagogical practices are undertaken aptly. It should be in something other than a guide form or bypassing the system to pass the exams somehow. The achievements in using technologies that we could boast of result from the research activities KITE has undertaken in the past two decades, and the same will continue.