Teachers acquire knowledge in Artificial Intelligence, robotics to boost students’ competency skills

By Elias Hakizimana.

Teachers of Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from Kigali city and surrounding areas have started four-day training workshop on the use of emerging Technologies to enhance their teaching confidence.

The training that was organized by Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) in partnership with the African Institute of Mathematical Science (AIMS) and other national stakeholders is taking place in Kigali at Creativity Lab from November 15th to November 18th, 2022, with the aim to expose trainers to different instructional strategies using latest advanced technologies, such as AI and robotics as well as micro-science kits which have been minimally exploited in educational context in Africa.

The training targets teachers from AIMS Teacher Training Program (TTP) and UNESCO ASPNET programs.

Speaking during the opening of the training workshop, Dr. Marie Christine Gasingirwa, Applied Science Analyst at Higher Education Council (HEC) and Chairperson of Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) explained that the future of human development will depend of education package, with technology at the forefront.

“We want to equip teachers with necessary knowledge and skills in science and technology through STEM education, where they will be able to train students to prepare the future development as science and technology is the foundation of life in various perspectives,” she said.

Dr. Gasingirwa added that the new innovative Technologies in schools will help to advance the government’s initiative to foster competency-based curriculum, where teachers and students will be able to create and innovate in their science courses.

Prof. Blaise Tchapnda, Academic Director at AIMS said that the training will empower teachers with new ideas about emerging Technologies, mainly based on awareness.

“Empowering our teachers will easily allow our youth to be aware of these emerging Technologies,” Prof. Tchapnda said.

Quoting the report written by Daily Technologies in 2017, “85 percent of jobs in 2030 have not been invented yet,” it is a bit scaring for us, it means in 10 years we don’t have any idea about how the job market will look like! And you can see the impacts of these emerging Technologies in our lives and the world in general,” said Tchapnda.

“So, it is important to get our youth exposed to these emerging technologies so that they are not left behind when it comes to the use of these technologies and to prepare the workforce to come in 2030,” he added.

It is now 10 years since competency based curriculum has been entered into force in Rwanda’s education system. Prof. Tchapnda says that the difference between the old fashion of teaching and the new approach is that learners have a fundamental role in the learning process, while teachers remain as guide in class after they have prepared the key necessary courses for the students.

Teacher’s points of view

Camille Ntawuhiganayo, Mathematics teacher at St. Joseph Kicukiro primary school said that the gap for science teachers was lack of knowledge of emerging Technologies.

“This training workshop will help us to integrate technology and related tools in our daily course delivery,” Ntawuhiganayo said, adding that they will be able to prepare a generation that will manage to compete at the labour market that is nowadays influenced by technology.

Clementine Ndayiragije, Mathematics teacher at G.S Rugando in Kigali, also emphasized that the training will enable teachers to prepare teaching kits for the students without extra cost.

“It was a barrier for us to prepare a science course without having necessary teaching kits on the ground, after this training, I undoubtedly hope that we will manage to invent simple teaching kits to help us elaborate on the courses,” she said.

theinspirerpublications@gmail.com