INTERVIEW Global education trend shifts to AI: Rise Global chief
Barry O'Callaghan, CEO of the global education business Rise Global / Courtesy of Rise Korea
The emergence of new technologies, notably artificial intelligence (AI), has sparked a notable shift in the global education landscape, with a renewed focus on leveraging AI for problem-solving and fostering creativity, rather than traditional methods centered around memorizing information from textbooks.
"It will be more about communication and learning how to use AI in problem-solving, rather than testing students' memory," Barry O'Callaghan, CEO of the global education business Rise Global, said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
O'Callaghan has been involved in the education sector for the past 25 years. In 1999, he founded Riverdeep, which offered math programs designed for underperforming students in U.S. public middle schools. Subsequently, the company merged with two of the largest textbook businesses in the U.S., resulting in the creation of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH).
The CEO was in Seoul ahead of the new academic year, to hold meetings to communicate with children and parents here.
In 2011, O'Callaghan left the company and established Rise China, an English-language-learning business. Its success led him to begin a similar business in Korea and other Asian countries, including Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.
"I found that the textbooks I made were selling well in Korea, and it was interesting because I initially published them targeting local Americans," O'Callaghan said.
"I think that Koreans philosophically understand that education is at the heart of a child's journey, and the English education market takes a part in it."
He expressed that Rise's strength lies in bringing the best elements from the international education market into Korea and combining them with local educational culture, which differentiates the company from other domestic English private institutes.
O'Callaghan emphasized that new technologies, especially AI, are essential factors in the shifting trend in education.
"I don't think education will be about testing students' memory in 10 years because people can access a bunch of information everywhere using AI," he said.
Rise Global strives to use technology as an enhancement in various education projects, emphasizing the importance of integrating technology to enhance education.
"Instead of thinking they are the enemy and keeping them out of classrooms, we are constantly updating programs in Rise to incorporate some of these technological changes," he said.
For example, Rise Global recently introduced an application that allows students to access the educational program anytime, even outside the classroom.
He also highlighted that technology can facilitate personalized learning experiences for students tailored to their individual learning styles.
Rise Korea education center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Rise Korea
While seeking effective ways to use new technologies in the field of education, O'Callaghan acknowledges challenges in adapting a global trend in language education to Korea, where parents prioritize traditional teaching methods.
"Despite being a technologically advanced country, Korea is still focusing on teaching English in traditional ways like memorizing words and grammar using textbooks," he said.
He stresses the need to balance the international trend in education with Korean parents' preferences.
"We try to present the idea and persuade Korean parents that Rise will provide them with what they want, such as qualified English education, but not exactly the way they want it, because things are changing," O'Callaghan said.
He also responded to the idea that new technologies, such as AI, may replace human teachers, stating that the quality of education still strongly depends on teachers.
"Teachers are the ones who teach children how to communicate with others, teach the way of delivering messages in the right way and engage with others," he emphasized.
O'Callaghan's vision for Rise is to offer programs that encourage children to think creatively, ask diverse questions, and engage in discussions. This approach moves away from the traditional textbook-based education and exam-oriented methods prevalent in the competitive Korean education market.
"These programs will make students who studied in Rise Korea show performance at a global level," he said.