GENEVA, 23 April 2019 – The Geneva Learning Foundation (GLF) is partnering with artificial intelligence (AI) learning pioneer Wildfire to pilot cutting edge learning technology with over 1,000 immunization professionals in 90 countries, many working at the district level.
British startup Wildfire, an award-winning innovator, is helping the Swiss non-profit tackle a wicked problem: while international organizations publish global guidelines, norms, and standards, they often lack an effective, scalable mechanism to support countries to turn these into action that leads to impact.
By using machine learning to automate the conversion of such guidelines into learning modules, Wildfire’s AI reduces the cost of training health workers to recall critical information. This is a key step for global norms and standards to translate into making a real impact in the health of people.
If the pilot is successful, Wildfire’s AI will be included in TGLF’s Scholar Approach, a state-of-the-art evidence-based package of pedagogies to deliver high-quality, multi-lingual learning. This unique Approach has already been shown to not only enhance competencies but also to foster collaborative implementation of transformative projects that began as course work.
TGLF President Reda Sadki (@redasadki) said: “The global community allocates considerable human and financial resources to training (1). This investment should go into pedagogical innovation to revolutionize health (2).”
Wildfire CEO Donald Clark (@donaldclark) said: “As a Learning Innovation Partner to the Geneva learning Foundation, our aim is to improve the adoption and application of digital learning toward achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
Three learning modules based on the World Health Organization’s Global Routine Immunization Strategies and Practices (GRISP) guidelines are now available to pilot participants, including Alumni of the WHO Scholar Level 1 GRISP certification in routine immunization planning. They will be asked to evaluate the relevance of such modules for their own training needs.
About Wildfire
Wildfire is one of the Foundation’s first Learning Innovation Partners. It is an award-winning educational technology startup based in the United Kingdom.
- Described by the company as the “first AI driven content creation tool”, Wildfire’s system takes any document, PowerPoint or video to automatically create online learning.
- This may reduce costs and time required to produce self-guided e-learning that can help improve the ability to recall information.
About the Geneva Learning Foundation
The mission of the Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) is to research, invent, and trial breakthrough approaches for new learning, talent and leadership as a way of shaping humanity and society for the better.
- Learning Innovation Partners (LIP) are startups selected by the Foundation to trial new ways of doing new things to tackle ‘wicked’ problems that have resisted conventional approaches.
- The Foundation is currently developing the first Impact Accelerator to support learners using the Scholar Approach beyond training, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
References
(1) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “Framework for Immunization Training and Learning.” Seattle, USA: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, August 2017.
(2) Sadki, R., 2013. The significance of technology for humanitarian education, in: World Disasters Report 2013: Technology and the Effectiveness of Humanitarian Action. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva.
