Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 06:34

Strengthening teaching, learning in Trinidad and Tobago

AS DIGITAL technologies become increasingly embedded in contemporary life, the discourse on digital literacy must evolve into a broader conversation on digital pedagogy. While digital literacy emphasises the skills required to navigate technological environments, digital pedagogy interrogates how educators design, facilitate, and assess learning in technology-rich contexts. It invites teachers to locate digital tools within coherent pedagogical intentions, ensuring that technology enhances rather than distracts from learning. In the current moment – characterised by rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) – digital pedagogy offers an essential framework for guiding educational practice in Trinidad and Tobago. Digital pedagogy extends beyond the incorporation of devices. It asks educators to design learning that is interactive, inquiry-oriented, multimodal, and responsive to learners’ needs when mobilised ethically and thoughtfully. AI becomes a powerful asset in the teacher’s repertoire, particularly as educators confront diverse learning profiles, limited instructional time, and evolving curriculum demands. One of the most significant contributions of AI to digital pedagogy lies in its capacity to support differentiated instruction. AI-enabled platforms can analyse student input and generate tasks that are appropriately scaffolded. For example, in early literacy classrooms, adaptive reading applications can adjust text difficulty based on fluency, vocabulary usage, and comprehension responses. A teacher may assign the same broad objective – such as identifying main ideas – but each learner receives a version of the task aligned with his or her readiness level. This allows teachers to devote more time to small-group conferencing and individualised feedback, thereby improving instructional impact. AI also strengthens formative assessment. Digital tools now allow teachers to collect and interpret evidence of learning in real time. For instance, AI-powered quizzes can provide instant feedback to both students and teachers, highlighting specific misconceptions and suggesting targeted revision activities. In secondary mathematics, an AI tool may detect recurring errors in algebraic manipulation and propose additional practice sets. The teacher can then review these insights to adjust upcoming lessons. Such data-driven responsiveness enhances instructional precision and supports a culture of continuous improvement. Another area in which AI amplifies digital pedagogy is content creation. Educators often require tailored materials but may lack the time to develop them. AI can assist by generating draft lesson plans, worksheets, writing prompts, case studies, or visual aids aligned to curriculum standards. For example, a history teacher preparing a lesson on Caribbean labour movements may request AI-generated primary-source style excerpts, discussion questions, or scaffolded graphic organisers. While the teacher must refine and contextualise these materials, AI significantly reduces preparation time and allows more energy to be invested in high-quality facilitation. In addition to supporting teachers, AI can meaningfully enhance student creativity. Text-to-image tools allow pupils to design illustrations for storybooks, construct diagrams of scientific processes, or visualise historical settings. Secondary students engaged in project-based learning may use AI to create mock public service announcements, simulate future urban landscapes, or visualise data trends. These multimodal compositions strengthen digital citizenship, as learners practise evaluating AI-generated content, checking sources, and acknowledging the boundaries between original and assisted work. AI-driven language support also enhances inclusivity. Students with diverse linguistic backgrounds or learning needs may benefit from AI-based translation, speech-to-text, or text-to-speech tools. A pupil who struggles with writing may dictate responses and then revise the AI-generated text with the guidance of a teacher. Similarly, a student who reads below grade level can use AI to hear a passage read aloud while following along visually. These supports reinforce access without lowering academic expectations. A sound digital pedagogy, however, requires critical engagement. TTUTA’s earlier emphasis on digital literacy – particularly ethics, safety, and responsible use – must remain central as AI becomes more integrated into classroom practice. Teachers must model transparent use of AI, cite sources appropriately, and guide learners in understanding the limitations, biases, and potential risks associated with automated systems. Equally important is the need for professional development that builds teacher confidence. Educators should be equipped to evaluate AI tools, align them with curricular outcomes, and implement them in ways that preserve professional judgement. Ultimately, digital pedagogy invites educators to think expansively about how learning is designed and experienced. AI, when used deliberately and ethically, can enrich this work – supporting differentiation, enhancing assessment, broadening creative possibilities, and strengthening inclusivity. By combining pedagogical expertise with the affordances of emerging technologies, teachers in TT can create learning environments that are responsive to the demands of a changing world while firmly centred on the holistic development of every learner. The post Strengthening teaching, learning in Trinidad and Tobago appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.