Ed3 Weekly Issue: Say Hello to Intelligent Augmentation
During this summer, I have observed educators taking a break from the school year and stepping back to reflect.* What I've noticed is a shift in the conversation surrounding AI, immersive technology, and web3. Instead of asking "What is this," educators are now exploring the question of "What can we do with this?"
There is a growing narrative that centers on how these technologies can improve teaching and learning, rather than hinder their effectiveness.
Educators have been using this time to remix, improvise, and experiment with these tools, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in our education systems. An excellent example of this can be found in a talk by Nate McClennen and Vriti Saraf, which I have linked in this week's issue. In their presentation to an eager ISTE audience, these education transformers emphasized the importance of embracing "intelligent augmentation."
The prospect of "automation" fostering freedom and creativity excites me. We have all experienced how mundane tasks can limit our imaginative practice. Now, imagine leveraging these technologies to assess, provide feedback, and filter information.
While there are potential risks and improper uses to be cautious of, it also opens up new avenues for our role as educators that we haven't been able to explore before.
In this week's resources, I am thrilled to share opportunities that delve into these emergent possibilities. Together, we will learn about:
🤝 EdSurge shares about partnering with AI to improve your instruction
🏫 Arizona State University explores how Universities can leverage AI
🤿 Article about improving public speaking at the University of Hawaiʻi using immersive technology
🧠 Two educators present at ISTE on the impact of automation
*If you are an educator looking to better your ability to PAUSE and reflect, sign up to receive my free workbook in which I cover this topic in detail.
This article in EdSurge explores the role of AI in assessing student learning, specifically the practice of grading student work. The report presents a study that compared AI-generated scores and feedback with actual teachers' feedback. Interestingly, the findings reveal that teachers scored essays lower than the AI, with differences in various dimensions of writing assessment. Teachers emphasized their ability to understand students' intentions and provide contextually-appropriate feedback, while AI systems focused on surface-level aspects.
The study highlights the potential of AI to alleviate the grading burden on teachers and provide more frequent opportunities for student writing paired with immediate feedback. The authors suggest that further improvements in AI systems, particularly in holistic essay assessment and developmentally-appropriate feedback, can benefit both teachers and students in their writing growth. Investigations like this one highlight the complexities and possibilities of integrating AI into the assessment process and support the need for ongoing exploration as AI is implemented in our classrooms.
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This article delves into the evolving role of technology, particularly AI in shaping teaching and learning experiences. Drawing insights from faculty members at Arizona State University has been particularly at the cutting edge of technology integration, and these experiences from their faculty members are especially helpful.
The discussion centers around three key themes:
The faculty underscore the complex nature of AI-generated content, emphasizing the need for diverse perspectives and ongoing development to mitigate biases. The article highlights the potential of generative AI to revolutionize content creation, requiring educators to stay at the forefront of technological advancements. We should also be cautioned that ethical considerations and transparency are crucial as technology increasingly permeates educational settings.
This article highlights the introduction of a cutting-edge virtual reality lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The lab offers students, faculty, and staff a unique opportunity to enhance their public speaking skills through immersive experiences. Using state-of-the-art technology, users can practice speeches and receive immediate feedback, leveraging the blend of virtual and gaming elements to improve their performance.
The VR lab not only benefits students' presentations and group projects, but also offers a space for researchers to communicate their work. As a Hawai’i-based educator, I am excited by the plans to incorporate more VR headsets and open the lab to the broader community, including K-12 students. This transformative use of VR technology highlights its potential in enhancing communication skills and supporting various domains of education.
It was just this week at the ISTE conference in Philadelphia, Nate McClennen and Vriti Saraf presented their vision of the future where AI, blockchain technology, and the metaverse will revolutionize education. With a quick turnaround, the Government Technology site has released a summary of what they presented. In it, they share how McClennen and Saraf emphasize five key concepts essential for educators to navigate the rapidly changing technological landscape effectively:
These education innovators anticipate the partnership between AI and blockchain to enhance data protocols and ownership, while the metaverse will enable immersive learning experiences. I share their view that teachers need to adopt a growth mindset, prioritize purpose over products, and embrace "intelligent augmentation" (IA) as they prepare students for the future.
Thank you for stopping by for another issue of my web3🤝education newsletter. You can join over 450 others and subscribe to the newsletter on LinkedIn or join the SubStack here. Link to all my work by checking out my blog.