The latest Oracle Academy Tech Chat podcast features Willie Mcrae, Oracle Academy Principal Instructor, who details Oracle Academy AI resources for educators and students. In this episode, he shares information about Oracle Academy curriculum offerings, including databases, Java programming, and enterprise resource planning. He also highlights two new workshops on embedding generative AI in Oracle APEX applications and using AI to create SQL in APEX.
Willie explains his role with Oracle Academy, where he works as both a principal instructor and on the curriculum team. As a principal instructor, he engages with members through office hours and local events organized by country managers. On the curriculum team, he manages and updates educational content, including new offerings like generative AI.
He explains Oracle Academy’s offerings, which include free learning materials and access to Oracle technologies for educators. Oracle Academy provides academic curriculum focused on Java programming, databases, project management, and more, along with workshops and Oracle Academy Education Bytes to support teaching—as well as the Oracle Academy APEX platform for applications, and free access to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) for educators and their students.
AI workshops
Willie discusses Oracle Academy’s alignment with Oracle in its recent focus on AI education, introducing two new workshops on embedding generative AI in Oracle APEX applications and using AI to create SQL. These workshops aim to demonstrate that AI is a tool to assist students—and employees—rather than replace them, by showing how to integrate AI into database programming and application development. Willie emphasized that the goal is to make AI accessible and practical for students to use in their learning and future careers.
AI tools and education resources
Willie outlines the availability of AI content and tools within the members-only learning platform, the Oracle Academy Member Hub, including a digital assistant feature and projects on AI concepts like natural language processing and vector search. He also highlights the Oracle Academy Applied Database Systems course as a next step for teachers and students, as it offers a comprehensive guide to using databases and AI tools in the workforce.
Generative AI regions
Willie explains that while artificial intelligence is globally available through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, generative AI services are rolled out regionally. Members can select their preferred region with generative AI availability during their cloud account setup, but once chosen, the region cannot be changed. New regions are being brought online continuously, and members should ensure they select a region with generative AI capabilities if they plan to use these tools.
Oracle AI chatbot access overview
Using Oracle’s AI chatbot interface, accessible through an Oracle account, allows users to practice with different language models, Willie notes. He says that while it is not free, members can access it through cloud accounts, making it a valuable resource for technical questions.
Listen to the Tech Chat podcast episode to learn about the availability of Oracle’s generative AI chatbot, Oracle AI, and how to make the most of your educational opportunities, especially in technology.
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