The urgency of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is coming that fact that artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world. It impacts societies, organizations, work, and education, and it is becoming more and more a part of everyday life. But at the same time, we are witnesses to growing inequalities within societies and between countries. We have a “learning crisis” in global education: according to recent reports from UNESCO and the World Bank, millions of young students face the prospect of losing out on opportunities because their schools are failing to educate them to succeed in life. We also know that unemployment is a reality for many youngsters and adults because the nature of work is changing and new competences are needed.
The UNESCO conference call Mobile Learning Week 2019:
“Already today, there is a major skills gap in the labour market when it comes to AI-related jobs and skills. Educational institutions and training providers will need to address these skills gaps to ensure that future graduates will meet the requirements of the job market and enable an AI-literate citizenry.”
We need serious efforts to prevent the development in which AI will exacerbate digital divides and deepen existing income and learning inequalities, as marginalized and disadvantaged groups are more likely to be excluded from AI-powered education. The penetration of AI in education comes also with concerns about ethics, security and human rights. It sets several new challenges to research, policy-making and governance as well as companies with their business.
AI in Learning project is a multi-professional ecosystem of companies and researchers at the University of Helsinki, led by professor Hannele Niemi. It seeks new tools and practices how Artificial intelligence (AI) can promote equity and quality of learning locally and globally and how AI-based environments can support life-long learning in schools and in working life as well. The main aim of the project is to create new knowledge about human-machine interaction and how to develop new AI-related tools.
Read more about the project >>
AI (Artificial Intelligence) in Learning Conference was held successfully on 18th-19th of November 2021.
Kousa, P. & Niemi, H. (2021). AI ethics and learning – educational technology companies’ challenges and solutions. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. (Submitted)
Kousa, P. & Niemi, H. (2020). Ethical issues of AI in learning in school context. Paper presentation. TEPE (Teacher Education Policy in Europe) Annual Conference 14.5.2020.
Niemi, H. (2020). Artificial intelligence for the common good. In Humanist Futures: Perspectives from UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks on the futures of education. (pp. 148-152). Paris: Ediciones UNESCO.
Niemi, H. M., & Kousa, P. (2020). A case study of students’ and teachers’ perceptions in a Finnish high school during the COVID pandemic. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science (IJTES), 4(4), 352-369.
Niemi, H. & Kousa, P. (2020). Overcoming global learning crises – a Finnish Case of policies and tools for sustainable education with equity and quality. Paper presentation. TEPE (Teacher Education Policy in Europe) Annual Conference 14.5.2020.
Professor Hannele Niemi has been invited a Co-editor for Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, the special issue AI in Learning, 2021.
The theme of the 14th TEPE conference is sustainability and ethics in teacher education and education policy. This theme connects with important global developments, trends and discourses, and therefore reflects societal needs. Urgent themes are how teacher education can provide solutions to global learning crises through teachers’ high-quality professional work and by creating sustainable learning opportunities for all learners. Read more about the conference >>
During the three days, the conference hosted four eminent keynote speakers and their presentations are still available, any time – it’s all just a click away on the website of TEPE 2020!
The whole conference book is available and can be read from here:
Welcome to the Sino-Finnish Joint Learning Innovation Institute (JoLII) Conference – Equity and Quality of Learning in a Global Digital World, in Rovaniemi, Finland on 21–23 August, 2019.
Read more about the JoLII Conference >>
Professor Hannele Niemi, senior lecturer Sari Muhonen and MR. Matti Pettay visited India June 4–9, 2019 for starting negotiations how Finnish education experts could promote high quality education through Tata Steel’s education programs.
Read the report of the visit:
This village was very proud of being child labor zero zone. All children were at school.
Read more about Tata Steel’s societal contributions:
Pictures on the left:
Finland teams interacting with teachers of Learning Enhancement Programme LEP.
Learnig English using video cartoons
Mathematics lesson
Professor Hannele Niemi was invited as an Advisory Board member of the University of the People (UoP) in 2018.
UoP is tuition-free, which means there is no charge for teaching or instruction. UoPeople charges only an application fee and an Assessment Fee per course completed. For those who cannot afford these fees, scholarships are available to help support their studies.
On April 24th, 11 AM ET, UoPeople hosted its first ever graduation ceremony, setting the standard for a graduation of the 21st Century.
Picture on the left: President of Shai Reshef of UoP and Professor Hannele Niemi
2021
2020 – 2
2020 – 1
The appeal to the new Government through the main newspaper in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat.
Finland is known as the world leader in education and expertise. The pupils’ excellent learning results and the high level of teachers are praised throughout the world. A study commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Stepping Up Finland's Global Role in Education (2018) shows convincingly that Finland would have a great deal to offer, in order to have good education available to all children in developing countries.
Finland is known as the world leader in education and expertise. The pupils’ excellent learning results and the high level of teachers are praised throughout the world. A study commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Stepping Up Finland's Global Role in Education (2018) shows convincingly that Finland would have a great deal to offer, in order to have good education available to all children in developing countries.
However, Finland is very invisible in development cooperation, in particular in the field of basic and higher education and remains behind all Nordic countries. Resources for development cooperation have been radically cut down and education and training-oriented activities are occasional and short-termed.
UN member states, Finland among them, are committed to Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. It highlights 17 major strategic goals to save the world. Education and training are related to almost all of them. The world's major problems such as poverty, health problems, lack of clean water and sanitation, hygienic toilets and functional drainage, environmental issues, climate change, inequality and dramatically increased number of refugees cannot be solved without a strong educational base in every country.
Numerous statistics from UNESCO, as well as World Bank reports, speak of a global learning crisis. Access to primary school for children has improved considerably, but the quality of education in many developing countries is so weak that even after four or six school years, the child is not able to read or calculate a simple task. Although access to elementary school is possible, upper secondary school is still impossible for hundreds of millions of children and especially for girls. Often, the level of teacher’s competence is deficient and teaching is unconnected with the needs of children and society. As a result, dropping out of school happens often at a young age.
According to UNESCO's calculations, in 2030 there will be over 800 million children and youth in the world who lack the fundamental basic knowledge and skills they need. This will create vast inequalities and high risks in the future. We also know that the biggest problems in education are in refugee camps and so-called “fragile countries” where political confusion and war prevent sustainable development.
Finnish Higher Education institutions have competence in educational issues and teacher training. There are 8 UNESCO professors with different science backgrounds in Finland. All of them recognize that sustainable development and just societies are created through education and higher education co-operation. We appeal to Finnish decision-makers to raise resources for development cooperation and to align Finland to a leading position in education related development cooperation and policy.
On behalf of all UNESCO professors in Finland
Hannele Niemi, Professor of UNESCO, University of Helsinki
Kaarle Hämeri, Chancellor of the University of Helsinki, Chairman of the Advisory Board of UNESCO Professors in Finland
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO has granted UNESCO Chairs to Professor Emerita Hannele Niemi and Professor Arto Kallioniemi from the University of Helsinki.