News & Event

The Ministry of Education, represented by the Directorate-General of Curricula, represented by Educational Technology Department, in cooperation with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Daleel Petroleum LLC, organized the Experiences and Opportunities Forum: "Artificial Intelligence in Learning Resource Centers." The forum was held under the patronage of Hamad bin Khalfan Al Rashidi, Advisor to the Minister of Education for Administrative Affairs, and was attended by directors-general and their assistants, directors of departments and their assistants at the Ministry's General Diwan, and representatives of private sector companies supporting the forum. The two-day forum targets a number of 88 specialists in learning resource centers at the Ministry's General Diwan, as well as supervisors and learning resource specialists at the governorate education directorates. The event was held in Al Falaj Hall at Movenpick Hotel Muscat.

Ali Al Hanaei, Assistant Director of Learning Resource Centers and Educational Aids at the Department of Educational Technology delivered the department's speech, in which he said: "Given the important role played by learning resource centers as innovative educational environments, they have transcended their traditional concept to embrace technologies, becoming innovative spaces for creativity and innovation, and contributing to the development of 21st century skills. With the artificial intelligence, we have the opportunity to reshape their role to become smart environments, capable of interacting and adapting to the needs of learners and providing specialized content with tools capable of analyzing data, understanding patterns, and guiding students towards learning paths that are appropriate to their abilities and interests, and supports teachers in guiding and evaluating performance using new and innovative methods and more in-depth and impactful learning experiences.”

This was followed by a visual presentation titled: “An Inexhaustible Abundance of Giving” about the Learning Resource Centers in the Sultanate of Oman. The presentation included seven scenes that showed video clips and photos of a school, the school day there, the Learning Resource Center, and the various information sources, and devices. It also featured a review of the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said to the Learning Resource Center, scenes of teachers activating the Learning Resource Center in classrooms, and videos that addressed the activation of technology in the Learning Resource Centers, and the role of the Learning Resource Specialist in this aspect.

Two working papers were then presented. The first, titled "Verification in the Age of Digital Addiction and Misinformation: The Role of Learning Resources Specialists in Building Trust among Beneficiaries," was presented by the Honorable Dr. Mohammed bin Nasser Al Saqri, Professor of Information Studies at Sultan Qaboos University and Member of the State Council. The second, titled "Artificial Intelligence and Educational Development: Its Uses and Challenges," was presented by Dr. Khawla Al Harthi, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Creative Technologies at the International College of Engineering and Technology.

The second day of the forum includes the presentation of four working papers. The first paper, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Skills Transformation: The Role of National Programs in Developing Education in Light of Technological Acceleration,” is presented by the Honorable Professor Dr. Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Alawi, Director of the Department of Development of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies Program at the National Center for Space, Advanced Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. The second paper, titled “Employing Artificial Intelligence in Learning Resource Centers: Opportunities and Challenges,” is presented by Dr. Hamad Al Azri, Director of the Main Library at Sultan Qaboos University. The third paper, titled “Smart Robots: From Concept to Application Experience in Learning Resource Centers,” is presented by Eng. Amjad Al Khatri, Sales Engineer, Robotics Automation and Engineering Specialist at AITECHOM. The fourth paper, titled “Virtual Reality and Metaverse in Education,” is presented by Ameera Al Busaidi, CEO of Molham (VR) Company.

The forum aims to introduce AI in the field of learning resource centers and its uses, promote communication and cooperation among staff, and raise awareness of AI technologies. It also aims to learn about the latest developments in technology, exchange experiences and expertise regarding the use of AI applications, identify the AI ​​competencies and skills required for use in schools, and follow up on the most important emerging issues related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its role in education in learning resource centers.