"Artificial Intelligence in Education" Course: New Horizons for Educators

The professional development course "Artificial Intelligence in Education" for the faculty of the Pedagogical Institute of the International University of Astana, held from January 8 to January 18, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, became an important step in mastering AI technologies.

The course program included the study of key aspects and practical approaches to applying AI technologies in education, as well as the analysis of relevant scientific and methodological literature. During the course, the following topics were covered:

·                     AI regulation issues – normative aspects and the concept of AI development in Kazakhstan and the world.

·                     UNESCO documents – recommendations on the use of AI in education.

·                     Methodological recommendations from the Academy of Education named after Y. Altynsarin – the Kazakhstani experience in integrating AI into educational practice.

·                     Scientific and methodological literature and international publications – analytical reports, research, and publications on AI in education.

·                     Neural networks – their basics and applications in education.

·                     AI-supported online services – tools for gamification and implementing a project-based approach in teaching.

·                     Basics of machine learning – practical work in the Orange Data Mining environment for data analysis and model building.

Survey results highlight the course's significance for professional activities. Almost 70% of the 60 faculty members who completed the "Artificial Intelligence in Education" course rated it as very useful for their work, while 27% found it useful. The course's organization also received attention: more than half of the participants noted that everything was excellently organized, and only 7% mentioned minor shortcomings in the organization.

The lectures were highly rated, with most participants describing them as very substantive and informative. The participants actively worked with AI-supported online services and mastered the basics of machine learning in the Orange Data Mining analytical environment. This demonstrates that the course provided not only theoretical knowledge but also practical tools that can be immediately applied in educational practice. Survey results show that 92.5% of participants assessed the tools studied as applicable in their teaching activities. Notably, almost 70% of participants acknowledged that the course significantly improved their knowledge and skills in the field of AI.

The survey results speak for themselves — 85% of participants are ready to recommend this course to their colleagues. The course was developed by the faculty of the Informatics program: Ph.D. in Pedagogy S.K. Damekova, senior lecturers Zh.L. Myrzayeva and P.N. Abilova.

We express our sincere gratitude to the university administration for their comprehensive support in implementing the "Artificial Intelligence in Education" course and are proud that our university is a leader in advancing educational innovations.