Help students find their ‘magic’, says varsity chief

 

Mushtak Al-Atabi of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia says students must learn to identify their distinctive strengths and contributions, which he refers to as their ‘magic’.

PETALING JAYA: Teachers must help students find a sense of purpose to prepare them for a future where automation and artificial intelligence (AI) render some professions obsolete, an academic said.

Mushtak Al-Atabi, the provost and CEO of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, warned that there will come a time when machines take over the roles played by humans today.

“That makes it so important that you find out who you are, and that means finding a specific value that only you can bring to the table,” he told FMT.

In this respect, he said, education plays a central role in guiding students to understand their unique abilities.

Mushtak pointed out that every individual has to know what his own “magic” or talent is.

“This is not something we are born with,” he said.

In an interview with FMT, where he touched on issues such as plagiarism and the use of AI tools to complete assignments, Mushtak also dispelled some assumptions.

For instance, he said, those who use ChatGPT to help them with their assignments are not necessarily lazy.

“Rather, it may indicate that these students no longer find enjoyment in the learning process,” he said.

The use of ChatGPT and the impact it has on learning has raised concerns in the academia.

For instance, Universiti Malaya senior economics lecturer Goh Lim Thye recently cautioned that AI-driven tools have the potential to hinder critical thinking and the development of cognitive abilities.

Meanwhile Zuriati Ahmad Zukarnain of Universiti Putra Malaysia urged local universities to establish a mechanism to ensure that papers written by students and researchers are genuinely the product of their own research and abilities.

Mushtak, who is also chairman of the Vice-Chancellors Council for Private Universities, proposed that there be a review of how students are assessed.

“Rather than have them sit for an exam at the end of each semester, perhaps we should have them present a portfolio of their work during the semester,” he said.

He said interaction with subject experts is also essential and more holistic.

Mushtak said a more realistic way to assess how well a student has grasped the subject matter is for him to have a dialogue with an expert where he can impart his thoughts.

“Then a panel of experts will grant him the final marks. This will make it more authentic,” he added.

Mushtak said the dialogue will also help the student hone his public speaking skills and ability to defend his arguments.

He also advocates for prioritising emotional intelligence in education given that, in his view, qualities such as building meaningful connections, self-awareness and ethical decision-making cannot be replicated by machines.

He pointed out that while physical and cognitive labour can be relegated to the machine, emotional labour is still the preserve of humans.

“Machines do not have consciousness so they will not be able to have a sense of purpose and act in an ethical way like we do,” Mushtak said.

At best, he said, a machine can only pretend to do it.

“Technology is pushing us to realise that our real potential is in the emotional realm,” he added.

Nonetheless, AI is not altogether counter-productive or harmful.

Mushtak said that at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, students are even encouraged to use ChatGPT for creative purposes.

“For instance, it can be used to simplify complex research topics and compare literary styles of various origins,” he added. - FMT