KINGSTON, Jamaica — The role of technology in higher education has become more crucial now than ever, says Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams.

She was addressing the opening ceremony for St Joseph’s Teachers’ College’s Research Day 2024 in Kingston on Tuesday.

According to the education minister, it is critical for educators in training to embrace digital tools and platforms to enhance the quality of education and expand learning opportunities for all students.

“We want our future teachers to be very comfortable coming into our classrooms, in terms of the use of technology, their ability to engage the students in a meaningful way in those classrooms and to give us feedback, to tell us what we can improve, as a ministry, across the length and breadth of our schools,” Williams said.

The event was held under the theme ‘Leveraging Digital Technologies to Improve Higher Education: Recognising Challenges, Seizing Opportunities’.

Williams pointed out that digital technologies offer myriad benefits that can transform the educational experience for students and educators.

“From enhancing interactive learning experiences to facilitating collaboration and communication, technology has the power to revolutionise the way knowledge is shared and acquired,” she said.

The education minister further indicated that by effectively leveraging digital tools, educators can create an inclusive and engaging learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of students, and fosters creativity, critical thinking and problem solving.

For her part, College Principal, Winsome Francis, noted that in an era defined by rapid technological advancements, the integration of digital tools into the fabric of academia has become, not just advantageous but imperative.

“This research day, therefore, serves as a platform to delve into the myriad ways in which digital technologies are reshaping the landscape of higher education, fostering enhanced learning experiences, driving research breakthroughs and revolutionising administrative processes,” Francis stated.

The research day was attended by secondary and tertiary students from institutions in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine.

Among the topics presented were the readiness of pre-service teachers to use digital technology in the classroom, the effectiveness of artificial intelligence in paragraph writing and the satisfaction of Jamaican high-school students with teaching approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic.

—JIS