Streamlining tasks: AI allows educators to engage more deeply with students. — 123rf.com
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education with the next wave of innovations aiming to lessen workload, enhance learning analytics and deepen student engagement.
Traditional models, where teachers juggle grading, content generation and engagement, are increasingly unsustainable. AI is stepping in to address these challenges to facilitate a more human-centred approach.
Imagine AI drafting lecture notes and quizzes, and analysing classroom discussions in real time to refine teaching strategies.
AI-powered dashboards in Malaysia’s integrated Learning Management System (LMS) are being explored to aggregate student data, monitor progress and detect disengagement to help educators focus on meaningful interactions rather than administrative tasks.
Current AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek assist in generating assessments, but fully integrated AI systems can revolutionise course management by freeing educators from routine tasks.
Malaysia has piloted AI-assisted grading and feedback systems at institutions like the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, reducing assessment workloads and content creation.
Institutions can expand these initiatives to include AI-driven lesson planning, classroom activity suggestions, and automated content updates aligned with industry trends.
Next-gen AI
Real-time learning analytics and AI-powered adaptive feedback continuously track student progress, identify struggles and offer adaptive solutions.
In Malaysia, AI-assisted adaptive learning tools in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have increased engagement and reduced remedial planning time by 40%.
At Universiti Malaya (UM), AI-driven analytics provide lecturers with real-time data on student comprehension, allowing adjustments to teaching strategies.
Similarly, Carnegie Mellon University’s Open Learning Initiative provides AI-driven feedback to students, improving outcomes while reducing instructors’ grading workload.
AI can optimise peer learning by forming dynamic study groups based on student strengths and weaknesses.
Malaysian varsities are exploring AI for business strategy courses, ensuring diverse and balanced student collaboration. AI-powered mentoring systems can also match students with faculty and peers based on shared interests, fostering a more robust academic support system.
AI automates grading, syllabus updates and scheduling, reducing faculty workload. AI assistants can update course materials, refine assessments and optimise appointment scheduling.
This is particularly valuable for Malaysia’s polytechnics, where educators juggle teaching and industry collaboration.
AI-powered systems track internship performance and ensure learning remains aligned with workforce demands.
It is necessary to integrate AI into learning institutions by investing in infrastructure, upskilling educators, developing ethical frameworks, and establishing AI governance policies under the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to ensure responsible AI adoption, encouraging AI research through academic-industry partnerships, and promoting continuous improvement.
Ethics and bias
With AI’s expanding role, ethical integration is critical. The MQA is developing AI governance frameworks to ensure transparency, fairness and compliance with Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010.
Regular audits are necessary to prevent bias in AI-driven assessments and recommendations. Universities must prioritise AI literacy, training educators and students to critically evaluate AI-generated content.
Ethical AI use should also be embedded in curriculum discussions, particularly in education and technology courses.
Actionable steps
AI is shifting educators from content deliverers to facilitators of critical thinking, creativity, and mentorship.
With AI streamlining and handling routine tasks, educators can focus on student engagement and intellectual growth.
To accelerate AI adoption, educators can pilot AI-based formative assessment tools, while institutional leaders can sponsor AI workshops.
Policymakers could launch targeted grants for AI-driven teaching innovations, fostering a national ecosystem of AI best practices. Additionally, students could establish AI ambassador committees to develop peer-led best practices and promote responsible AI use.
Indeed, the future of higher education is about empowering, not replacing, educators. As Malaysia embraces AI’s potential, its true power lies in enhancing human-centred teaching.
The fusion of AI and human expertise will not only improve efficiency but also elevate the quality of education, making learning more engaging, personalised and impactful.
Prof Dr Abtar Kaur Darshan Singh is a professor of innovative digital learning, the director of Digital Learning Hub, and the Unesco chair – Use of Innovative Technologies to Enhance Quality of Teaching – at APU. She obtained a Master of Science in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation degree from Syracuse University in the United States, and a PhD in Web-Based Learning from UM. Prof Abtar did her post-doctoral research (Fulbright) at Indiana University, US.
The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
