by Kgothatso Monono
Two lecturers from the Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FoICT), Dr Michael Moeti, Academic Manager at the Polokwane Campus and Relebogile Langa, PHD candidate and a lecturer at the Department of Computer Science have won the Best Paper Award during the 12th International Conference on Frontiers of Intelligent Computing: Theory and Applications (FICTA-2024), organised by AI and Data Science Research Group, London Metropolitan University, in London, United Kingdom.
The award winning paper is titled: Personalized Learning with Generative AI: Revolutionizing Learning Management Systems. Their innovative research on the limitations of current Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and the potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to revolutionize personalized learning is making waves in the educational field. The two scholars are pushing the boundaries of how education can be delivered.
Dr Moeti is a dedicated supervisor and an award-winning researcher driven by a singular mission - to ensure students succeed in their studies with sufficient knowledge and expertise. Langa is a PHD candidate and a lecturer at the Department of Computer Science.
"It inspires me to be a professional lecturer and one of my personal goals is to see students succeed in their studies with sufficient knowledge and expertise. This passion led me to explore the ways in which LMSs could better accommodate the diverse learning styles and needs of students, particularly those with disabilities. An impactful discovery was that students learn best when they find learning personal and fun,” said Langa.
"I was intrigued and excited by the potential of exploring personalised learning in LMSs, recognising the significant impact it could have on student engagement and success. Together, we have made several impactful discoveries. The most obvious discovery was that these students are not equal in terms of their capabilities to learn, therefore this proposed revolutionising Learning Management Systems will cater for all types of students according to their preferred ways of learning,” added Dr Moeti.
According to them, their paper's most significant contributions are its innovative approach to personalising learning experiences and its comprehensive framework for integrating adaptive technologies into existing LMSs. Langa and Dr Moeti guided the research by emphasising the importance of designing flexible and inclusive systems.
"We focused on creating adaptive learning paths and incorporating assistive technologies to ensure accessibility for all students," said Dr Moeti.
Langa proposed the use of Generative AI to achieve personalised learning. “Unlike other AI technologies used in education, GenAI's capabilities extend beyond content generation. It can also understand how students learn and perform, provide real-time feedback and grade assessments with explanations. This makes GenAI a more versatile and cost-effective solution for creating adaptive learning environments. Generative AI would not demand as much as other technologies in terms of costs. Its capabilities extend beyond just generating content, but also in understanding insights of how students learn and perform," Langa elaborated.
Generative AI holds immense potential to revolutionise education by providing more dynamic, personalised, and interactive learning experiences than existing AI technologies. The potential of GenAI to transform online education is immense, particularly for students marginalised by traditional, one-size-fits-all approaches.
Dr Moeti underscored the challenges of integrating GenAI into existing LMSs. "The primary challenges include technical integration, data privacy and ensuring equitable access. I recommend a phased implementation strategy, robust data protection measures and ongoing collaboration with stakeholders to address these challenges effectively," he said.
Looking ahead, Langa and Dr Moeti are excited to continue their research on GenAI in education. They aim to apply their proposed integration model gradually, enhancing engagement in online classes through real-time generated questions based on meeting transcripts.
Two lecturers from the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FoICT), Dr Michael Moeti (right), Relebogile Langa (left) have won the Best Paper Award during the 12th International Conference on Frontiers of Intelligent Computing: Theory and Applications (FICTA-2024).
