The IB Global Conference and Heads World Conferences 2023 in Dublin was an extraordinary gathering that brought together over 1,700 educators from 99 countries. It was an ideal platform to exchange ideas, share insights, and gain inspiration to shape the future of education.
Education for inclusion
‘Education for an inclusive future’ was the umbrella theme of the conference. Fully online or hybrid courses enable schools to increase the number of subjects they can offer, allowing students to pursue their passions. Focusing on online education delivered via distance courses is a shared goal between the IB and Pamoja, where IB-approved online courses give students greater flexibility and access to a DP education.
The Pamoja team was also invited to participate in the session, ‘Adapting to a Changing Educational Landscape: Online and Hybrid Delivery of the DP’. Darren Hughes, Director of Pamoja, spoke about our 13+ years of experience delivering IB DP courses online, how online teaching boosts creative learning, the role of technology in facilitating online learning, and how the IB school-Pamoja nexus promotes student wellbeing as one of its core benefits.
Innovation in IB courses
IB DP courses are under continuous review and development. Schools have recently begun teaching the 2023 Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Philosophy courses. ManageBac Passport will soon support the new Sciences. To accompany the IB’s 2024 revision cycle, ManageBac will update its DP course content, including for these select subjects: Sports and Exercise Health Science (SEHS), Global Politics, and Environmental Systems and Societies (ES&S).
As the IB looks to the future of education, its 16+ review – a multi-year and collaborative exploration of DP/CP course offerings for students aged 16 to 19 – continues, with a view to introducing innovations by 2030. The most recent update can be found here. Meanwhile, ManageBac is at the forefront of supporting schools with the CAS Digital portfolio pilot.
The CP Core will be updated for first teaching in 2025 to serve the growing number of schools (363 at present) delivering this curriculum. Details of the update, the goal of which is to better prepare and support CP students to meet their career goals, are available in MyIB’s password-protected area.
Sustainability and wellbeing
Another key theme addressed throughout the conference was school sustainability, with UWC Atlantic presenting their pilot for a new pathway for transformative education in times of polycrisis.
Similarly, mental health and wellbeing were the subject of several keynotes, among which Dr Sue Roffey’s exposition of the ASPIRE programme stood out. ManageBac is also passionate about these themes, and developed a guide dedicated to well-being.
Curriculum advancements: embracing AI in education
AI was another dominant theme, with multiple sessions addressing how best to utilise this new and important tool for education.
The IB’s Director of Assessment, Matt Glanville, led an inspiring session on how schools should embrace AI as an opportunity, stressing that it’s every teacher’s responsibility to:
- Use the technology themselves – responsibly
- Engage with students and teach them how to use it
- Ensure that sound academic practice is always followed.
Current IB policy emphasises transparency and encourages students to acknowledge their use of AI. AI-driven assessment may reduce bias and foster deeper thinking, but educators must ensure that AI complements the students’ academic skills development, rather than becoming a substitute for it. This reassurance was proof that the IB is resolute in adapting to the disruptive transformation of AI, and intends to lead from the front.
