Anyone walking around at IPON soon realised that AI is a hot topic in education. It was the subject of many of the activities: ChatGTP, AR, VR, but also media literacy, digital literacy, and blended learning touch on AI. It was not a surprise that the concluding discussion panel on Thursday afternoon was based on this theme. The discussion 'Generative AI and impact on education' was led by Barend Last, lecturer and expert on AI and blended learning. Besides NOLAI's Carla Haelermans, Jan-Wolter Smit of LessonUp and Wietse van Bruggen of Kennisnet also joined in.
NOLAI at IPON – Part II
IPON 2024 took place on the 28th and 29th of February. The trade fair IPON is a national event in the field of educational innovation and ICT. There was a wide range of lectures, presentations, and workshops and a lot of focus on AI in education. Naturally, NOLAI was also present at IPON, with Professor of Educational Economics Carla Haelermans, affiliated with NOLAI's focus area Pedagogy and Didactics, joining the discussion panel 'Generative AI and impact on education'. Check out the photo report below.
AI as a magic word?
"AI seems to be the magic word here at IPON and in education," said the day's speaker announcing the panel. But even though AI is the new buzzword in education, that should not be the reason to start working with it. Carla: "We have to do something with it. AI is there, students are using it, so we cannot ignore it. It affects the what, why and how of education. However, we do have to think about it carefully." Barend: "AI is in your face. There is clearly an impact on education, but what exactly is that impact?"
Immature Technology
The arrival of AI in education forces you to think about the technology, but also to re-evaluate, change and move with your teaching. As a teacher, for instance, how should you approach your testing now that students have found their way to ChatGPT? Carla: "We need to think carefully about this. What is out there, and how could I, as a teacher, use that myself (complementarily)? But also, what is the wider impact? What do I think of this technology? It's important to have the conversation about technology." Jan-Wolter: "We need to move from a fraud-narrative to a trust-narrative in education. And we also need to have the instrumental and ethical discussion." Wietse: "It is still an immature technology, and we have to treat it as such. That's why initiatives like NOLAI are so important."
Step Back
Barend: "In education, new technologies are flying around our ears, but what do we really want? And how does AI fit into that?" Carla: "Let's take a step back. We want to use AI thoughtfully. Above all, let's always keep in mind: What is the problem? What am I trying to achieve or solve? And is AI really the best solution for that?" Wietse: "It is important that we keep having that conversation and move from reactive to proactive when it comes to innovations in education."
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- Organizational unit
- National Education Lab AI (NOLAI)
- Theme
- Artificial intelligence (AI)