IBM collaborates with CBSE to integrate AI curriculum in 200 schools

Information technology major IBM said on Thursday it is collaborating with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) in the high school curriculum (grade 11 and 12) for the current academic year (2020-21).

The curriculum is part of CBSE's Social Empowerment through Work Education and Action (SEWA) programme and will be introduced in about 200 schools across 13 states -- Delhi-NCR, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab.

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.

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It is further made robust with problem-based learning outcomes and assessment methods for teachers to build foundational skills of AI in students making them not just consumers of AI but creators as well.

To meet CBSE's requirements for grades 11 and 12, the curriculum was co-developed with Australia's Macquarie University and Indian implementation partners -- Learning Links Foundation and 1M1B.

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"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," said Sandip Patel, General Manager for IBM India and South Asia.

"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 said in a statement.