Philippine education is adopting the latest technologies like artificial intelligence.
The Inquirer spoke with Ryan Lufkin, Instructure’s Vice President of Global Academic Strategy, about this digital transformation.
His insights reveal that the AI called Pearl of the Orient has been outshining many others in technological adoption.
Philippine education’s AI adoption
#AI 🤖 is transforming higher education! At Instructure, we’re leveraging its potential to streamline administrative processes and support student success.
👉 Tune in to Ryan Lufkin’s interview with @eCampusNews at #EDU24!https://t.co/cFKRHdC01J pic.twitter.com/IZiEdQt2Qz
— Instructure (@Instructure) October 23, 2024
Lufkin explains that AI literacy is a priority in AI and education.
This skill covers proficiency in giving AI chatbots the right prompts to gain specific results.
It involves the awareness of how to verify answers from these tools.
More importantly, educators and students must know how to use these technologies while following ethical guidelines.
“Globally, what we’re trying to do is to bring educators in their AI literacy so they can pass it onto students,” said Lufkin.
Then, Instructure’s VP of Global Academic Strategy said that the Department of Education signed a deal with Microsoft Copilot to roll out AI tools.
Contrary to popular belief, AI tools are also popular in many Filipino schools.
For example, Lufkin mentioned that most use Eduaide.ai and NotebookLM.
Eduaide is an AI program that helps teachers create instructional materials.
Meanwhile, NotebookLM turns learning materials into engaging podcasts.
Inquirer mentioned OpenAI’s recent announcement to provide free access to its services to universities worldwide.
In response, Lufkin stated it’s part of a growing trend among AI firms to help educational institutions build “siloed” versions of their programs.
“Siloed” means their data will not be part of the AI company’s product development, protecting student data privacy.
Filipinos should ‘jump in’ and take the opportunity
Free stock photo from Unsplash
The Inquirer mentioned Instructure’s report titled, “The State of Higher Education 2025.”
It says that 48% of educators are confident they can prepare students for future employment.
Also, only 50% of students feel confident their schools can prepare them for an AI workforce.
The Inquirer asked how Philippine education can change this perspective.
Lufkin replied, “The companies want their employees to have AI experience, but they don’t know how to use it yet.”
“This isn’t an incredibly mature market. By jumping in and taking some of the free courses from Philippine universities, students can move very rapidly to a place where they’ll be employable.”
The Inquirer responded, “You don’t need to worry about not learning AI because everyone’s learning with you, including the companies.”
Lufkin replied, “You can very quickly make yourself into a voice that’s changing these conversations.”
Even better, he explained that everyone will benefit from having AI skills.
“AI is going to be pervasive in just about every job. You just have to understand how to work with these tools, how to find the best tools, and how to apply them in your job.”
The annual report also noted that lifelong learning is becoming a priority in modern Philippine education.
Yet, many still hold on to the conventional paradigm of learning only during their school years so that they can get jobs.
Lufkin explained that most workers switch companies within three to five years, allowing them to learn new skills and further their careers.
Meanwhile, organizations upskill long-standing employees so that they can continue providing optimal performance.