In this episode of Bytes of Ingenuity, host Nick Newsom is joined by Paul Barakat Diab and Elie Nahas, co-founders of the e-learning company Augmental. The learning platform they’ve developed turns traditional teacher-centric models of education on their head, using AI to personalise students’ learning paths. By tailoring course material to each student’s abilities and learning stye, this adaptive learning model helps students stay engaged and achieve better results. In this episode we discuss how personalisation enhances learning outcomes, how AI ed-tech platforms help teachers, and the need for holistic change within public education. We also learn about the story of Augmental and how the company has navigated Lebanon’s financial collapse and grown.

Episode Overview

1:10 - Augmental's origin story and evolution

4:46 - How personalisation enhances learning outcomes

7:56 - Accelerating course creation

12:48 - From navigating Lebanon's financial and economic collapse to future growth

24:03 - The need holistic change to equip students with 21st century skills

25:48 - Freeing teachers up to focus more on students

28:19 - Trends to watch in education and ed-tech

31:10 - Meeting students where they're at

32:12 - On bridging digital divides over looking to the metaverse

Further reading

Innovation and New Directions: Searching for Novel Paths in Arab Education Reform