I got to share our learnings and work around online teaching and learning at Grace Hopper Conference India 2025, Asia’s biggest conference for women in technology. I spoke on the topic “AI as a learning partner : Equity, Ethics and Empowerment” and am still buzzing with excitement of having met many teachers and learners and technocrats interested in online teaching and learning, who could relate with this topic.At the conference, I emphasised on 3 major points 1. AI as a learning partner Online or offline, a TEACHER should be at the centre of every learning experience. And they should always have a CHOICE whether to use AI or not in their pedagogy. If we observe closely, AI’s role is slowly changing in the classroom, from being a mere tool to being a stakeholder or a partner in the teaching learning space. Let me explain. Unlike traditional tools that always give the same output, AI offers different responses to the same question — and that’s its real beauty and usefulness. It’s time we stop seeing AI as just a tool and start acknowledging it as a partner in the classroom, one that helps teachers and learners amplify their efforts. For example AI can help teachers by being a Teaching Assistant and even an Admin Assistant in the classroom. Teacher can use AI as an admin assistant, to get help around all the admin aspects they have to take care around the classroom. from test taking, attendence, checking assignments and tracking drop outs to repeated explanations in different words, imagine how much time is saved for the teacher. Likewise AI can be a Learning Buddy to the learner amongst other things. What if it comes to the learners rescue helping them in note taking, simplifies explanations and reminds last dates of submission, just like our best buddy at school. 2. Responsible AI in education Information without guidance is just NOISE. Today there is so much information available all over the internet if you want to learn something. Why are there still a lot of dissatisfied learners? Because the challenge NOW is not about information, but having someone who can GUIDE us through all the noise to the right resources. There is a need for that human in the loop, and in education that HUMAN is the teacher. Responsible AI in education is one that amplifies the teachers efforts, NOT replaces them. PERIOD. 3. AI and the future of learning, Online medium holds a lot of promise, to enable the teachers do the one thing tech can’t—ignite a mind. Future of learning will have deep AI integration into the classroom, where AI joins the class, is enrolled in it and knows the content, the videos and assignments teachers and learners are talking about. It intervenes to help both the teachers and learners when asked. Teachers also get to set the persona of their Teaching Assistant prompting it to give it characteristics like ‘friendly’, ‘homourous’, ‘witty’, ‘emphathetic’ and even give it a name. And learners, they will be able to learn well, reach their goals, all while choosing courses and teachers they want to learn from, depending on their need and their pocket size. They get to choose a self paced course to joining a cohort to booking a 1:1 course from their favourite teacher. How exciting are the possibilities, isnt it ?? Finally, I want to reiterate that Online is a very powerful medium whose power we are not leveraging enough YET. What if we could bring online those remarkable teachers who infused the love for the subject in us ? what if they could teach our siblings and kids today. What if we could make it easier for them to earn well and with dignity from the comfort of their homes? What if we can improve the reach and scale of such teachers ?? AI can make it possible. Thats what the future holds for us, I’m super excited for that future.
