- It is a part of CBSE’s Social Empowerment through Work Education and Action (SEWA) program
- The curriculum was co-developed with Australia’s Macquarie University and Indian implementation partners – Learning Links Foundation and 1M1B
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the high school curriculum (Grade XI and XII) for the current academic year (2020 – 2021) in collaboration with IBM. It is a part of CBSE’s Social Empowerment through Work Education and Action (SEWA) program. It will be introduced in approximately 200 schools across 13 states in India.
Manoj Ahuja, chairperson, CBSE said, “AI will certainly become all-pervasive in our lives in coming years and it is important to inculcate the necessary skills & knowledge right from high school level. The unique proposition of the IBM AI curriculum is that it allows Grade XI & XII students from all streams, in addition to Computer Science, to build the foundation for themselves to be AI-ready.
He added, “This same ethos has been carried forward in our ‘AI for Better India’ initiative as well as ‘IBM EdTech Youth Challenge’ which helps break the myth around AI. With support from IBM, we are proud to lead the way for the nation by developing such an innovative training-based learning approach for students & teachers, while inspiring them to use AI for social good.”
The IBM AI curriculum is structured around a course framework for students consisting of base strands of knowledge (basics, history, applications), skills (design thinking, computational thinking, data fluency, critical thinking) and values (ethical decision making, bias) in AI. It is made stronger with problem-based learning outcomes and assessment methods for teachers. These aim to build foundational skills of AI in students making them not just consumers of AI, but creators too.
Impart AI skills to 5000 Grade XI students and 1000 teachers across India
In order to meet CBSE’s requirements for Grades XI and XII, the curriculum was co-developed with Australia’s Macquarie University and Indian implementation partners – Learning Links Foundation and 1M1B. The IBM AI Curriculum was launched in collaboration with CBSE in September 2019.
It had an aim to impart AI skills to 5000 Grade XI students and 1000 teachers across India. After the launch of the program, a series of Principal Orientation and Teacher Training sessions were conducted between September 2019 and June 2020. The partnership between IBM and CBSE for the AI Curriculum saw trainings (online and classroom) for over 5000 students that resulted in a cumulative 408 hours of training workshops.
Increasingly automated, AI-driven world
Sandip Patel, general manager, IBM India/South Asia said, “The question on the minds of educators and economists alike is how will technology impact jobs moving forward and how can we prepare our students to succeed in an increasingly automated, AI-driven world. The objective of our exciting collaboration with CBSE is to help address some of those challenges by designing one of the most accessible and comprehensive gateways for students to begin their AI journey.
He further said, “As they think through designing innovative solution to address key problems, we also get them deliberate about the ethical implications of the technology. The potential success of the IBM designed AI curriculum in our everyday lives can be glimpsed in the work showcased in this year’s ‘AI for Better India’ initiative. We congratulate the finalists and eagerly look forward to bring in a new generation of problem-solvers who will leverage AI to build a better world for everyone.”
