Ember AI, UCSI University sign MoU to incorporate personalized learning with the help of AI
27 May 2024
UCSI University, a renowned higher education institution ranked in the world’s top 1% according to QS World University Rankings 2024 - and Ember AI have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This signifies both parties’ commitment in the Incorporation of AI in Education. The MoU was signed by UCSI’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Postgraduate, Distinguished Professor Dr. Siew Moi Phang FASc and Ember’s Managing Director, Mr. Ng Shiyu.
Summary:
Traditional education system faces a shortage in the number of educators
Lack of understanding in students deteriorates the quality of graduates
UCSI is incorporating an AI tutor that is available 24/7 to supplement teaching, easing lecturers’ workload while handling more students
UCSI and Ember is jointly developing a proprietary AI model to power its education systems to adopt AI tools into their education system
This event was held on UCSI University’s Kuala Lumpur campus in the attendance of UCSI Group CEO & UCSI University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Ir. Ts. Dr. Siti Hamisah Binti Tapsir, FASc., UCSI Group Holdings Group CIO Joo Ming Thang, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Internationalization Professor Datuk Dr. Rohana Yusof FASc.
Addressing the lack of equity in traditional education systems
Mr. Ng Shiyu mentioned in his speech that he noticed the lack of equity in traditional educational systems. For centuries, graduates have been mass produced without accounting their personal understanding. A traditional pedagogy with a large pupil-teacher ratio is globally normalized due to a shortage of educators.
The World Bank’s collection of development indicators records an average of 13:1 pupil-teacher ratio in Malaysia’s tertiary education system while some of the top international universities report a ratio as low as 3:1. A high ratio can affect education quality, the students’ grasp of the subject, and ultimately, the growth of the country. However, the fault does not lie entirely on educational institutions.
“Our partnership with UCSI will introduce a 24/7 AI-powered platform to support teaching, assist lecturers, and provide continuous after-class support for students,” said Ember’s Managing Director (MD) Ng Shiyu.
Reducing burden on postgraduates and introducing personalized learning for students
Ember’s new AI tutor will be made to personalize teaching styles by utilizing an advanced, Large Language Model (LLM) designed by the team with the student in mind. The AI tutor prioritizes students’ understanding on the subject before deciding to reteach, defer or move on to the next topic.
“This provides one-on-one coaching, helping students learn at their own pace and reinforcing classroom teaching. This will also ease the workload on postgraduate students who juggle tutoring with their studies,” Shiyu added.
Real life usage of the platform is said to help Ember quickly train and improve upon its AI model. Furthermore, it is being developed according to the Malaysian syllabus or any clients’ syllabus for that matter.
The MoU is predicted to be a stepping stone for more technological advancements within Malaysia’s educational sector. Spearheaded by AI, Ember and UCSI University will lead hand-in-hand to increase education equity amongst Malaysian youths with personalized learning, anytime, anywhere.