Jamaica Learning Assistant to Come on Stream September

The Jamaica Learning Assistant (JLA), an artificial intelligence (AI) generated platform, is slated to come on stream in September of this year.

Education, Youth, Skills, and Information Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, made the disclosure at the e-Learning Jamaica’s 20th Anniversary Gala and Awards Ceremony on June 20, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.

The JLA will provide each child with access to 24/7 personalised learning at their own pace.

The JLA will adapt lessons to each student’s unique learning style. This may include AI-generated animated story-based visuals, interactive questions and answers, quizzes or by conversing with a human-like AI tutor.

The Minister said the initiative is part of the Government’s wider AI in education mandate.

“Our students are digital natives and as policymakers and public officers our task is to meet them where they are and bring them along. The vast majority of children are consumers of technology. What we want to do is make more of them creators and problem solvers in a competitive global economy. Every device installed, every platform deployed, every software used in the service of a singular goal to build an educational system that is inclusive, intelligent and futuristic, we have to do it,” the Minister said.

Dr. Morris Dixon said introduction of a national AI lab at the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica is another such initiative in the use of AI in education.

“As we look to the future, one of the most urgent and exciting frontiers is AI in education. AI is a catalyst for personalising learning, supporting teachers, and closing persistent gaps in education and opportunity. The Government has already taken steps to introduce a national AI lab, which will be at UTech, the first that we will have in Jamaica,” she said.

Dr. Morris Dixon said the Ministry’s partnership with e-Learning Jamaica, and Universal Service Fund (USF) is critical to this.

“What we want is to have a deeper partnership with the Ministry, e-Learning Jamaica, and the Universal Service Fund (USF) to fulfil this dream for the future where our children are using AI technology [in a smart way],” the Minister said.

“Education 2.0 is our commitment to break the cycle of inequity to close the digital divide and to open new horizons for every Jamaican child. e-Learning Jamaica has been and must continue to be one of our most trusted partners on this journey,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.