CISB a model for education tech and Sino-Canadian cooperation

Founded in 2005, the Canadian International School of Beijing provides high-quality Canadian and World International Baccalaureate education for students from 55 countries each year, with its staff coming from approximately 20 countries.

The school's chairman Francis Pang said education through artificial intelligence is the future. And CISB has already taken a step forward in that regard.

"AI with augmented and virtual reality lesson planning enhances teaching," Pang added, who holds honorary doctoral degrees in business and law.

To expedite its use of technology, the school put together a team of technical experts and teachers four years ago to develop a system that combined AI and teaching.

The AI teaching software is called CanGlory and helps improve students' learning ability and enhances teachers' understanding of their students, Pang said.

Utilizing AI and big data processing within the teaching system allows CISB to gives its students a more personalized learning experience. Since the school began using this technology, CISB data shows student scores increased 15 percent, compared to scores without the AI support.

The school also found that students' understanding and interest in their courses has increased 35 percent. Student satisfaction with the teachers and their teaching methods improved 25 percent, Pang said.

CISB also features many innovative technological tools that lets students learn in more interesting and relevant ways.

A new VR lab allows some students in higher grades to use software called Mindshow to pick environments, characters and tools and create their own animated scenes. Students can use the software to create work or choose different systems to explore environments, such as the human body or an underwater world.

Students can learn the fundamentals of game design and summarize the rapid innovation process for capturing film, editing video game art and designing software.

The school also has indoor virtual ski-training areas where students can learn the sport from the comfort of a classroom.

Pang said: "AI with AR and VR lessons in many subjects helps students get higher scores that exceed previous expectations."

This year, CISB graduates scored an average of 37 on International Baccalaureate exams, which was significantly higher than the world average of 29.9.

"It was an incredible accomplishment for our grads and it speaks to the high quality of their education programs, even during the COVID-19 pandemic," Pang said.

Earlier this year, Pang received the distinguished Order of Canada medal from the governor-general of Canada, which is a Canadian national order and is one of the highest honors for merit in Canada.

It recognizes the outstanding merit or service of Canadians who make a major impact for Canada through lifelong contributions in various fields. It also awards non-Canadians who have made the world better by their actions.

The Canadian embassy in China said on its official social media account that Pang has worked to promote culture and education exchanges between China and Canada and has set up cooperative relationships with many higher education institutions between the two countries. The cooperative model created by Pang is recognized as an international education gold standard.

Last month, CISB also won the prestigious Canada China Business Council Education Excellence Silver Award.

Douglas K. Prescott, the school's superintendent, said: "This requires a concerted effort driven by a vibrant vision in all areas, from academia to staff training and building partnerships between our school, businesses and universities in Canada."

For future expansion, the Canadian International School's new campus in Hefei, Anhui province, will put VR, AR and AI into use next March, Pang said. The new school in Suqian, Jiangsu province, is expected to open next September.

New Canadian international schools will also be launched in Hainan, Chengdu in Sichuan province as well as Zhengzhou in Henan province and Xiamen in Fujian province.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when some students and teachers could not go back to school because of the lockdown, online education played an important role, Pang said.

IB diploma program English literature teacher Maggie Graham said that modern techniques and tools were crucial to the success of CISB's online learning platform during the campus closure.

In addition to classes, students enjoyed a series of online co-curricular and extracurricular activities this year.

CISB's music students held a virtual recital, showcasing their talents to the school. The online recital served as an exciting and innovative alternative to the typical in-person event. The CISB Stage-Cats theater group also held online performances.

Students from Grades 6-10 were also encouraged to participate in physical activities through an online learning platform. It included a variety of activities, such as assigned workouts and creative dance routines.