Personalise learning in the trades - AI coach in workshop learning

The work of Asplund, Kilbrink and team from Karlstad University in Sweden has been contributing much needed micro analysis of how people learn a trade. This 2022 paper, teaching and learning how to handle tools and machines in vocational education workshop sessions, follows on from another 2022 paper on 'introducing the object of learning in interaction:vocational teaching and learning in a plumbing workshop session'. 

Both delve into the differences between VET and other tertiary studies, whereby the focus in VET is on tools/machines and learning often requires not only 'hands-on' repetitive deliberate practice, but also one on one (preferably) learning conversations between learner and teacher/mentor/workplace trainer.

As such, there is potential for the use of AI in personalised learning in situ. Whereas most of the work on personalised learning involves PC or mobile phones. Learners may undertake 'programmed learning' whereby the learner is taken through practice-based learning through text, multimodal or simulated learning or revise their learning through various personalised learning quizzes.

In VET learning undertaken in authentic workshops whereby learners are completing full-time 'pre-trade' programmes or apprentices are learning new skills during block courses. There will usually be a ratio of 16-20 learners to one tutor/trainer. Individualised sessions are often 'hit and miss' and many learners have to rely on their own learning instincts, to carry them through practice sessions.

The advent of AI provides for new opportunities. ChatGPT4o allows for context-aware f2f AI interaction and runs on mobile devices. When we tested it with ESOL learners, the AI picked up on the accent of the learners and greeted the learner in their native language. Therefore, with appropriate further training, the AI should be able to provide individualised coaching or 'study buddy' support to learners, who are not tethered to a PC. 

There are also wearable AI options as exampled in this Guardian article which reports on the AI Pin. A quick search reveal several similar options, including an AI pendant which 'keeps you company' 

Using such a device, would provide just in time feedback and support, when a learner needs assistance. Otherwise, and very often, the teachable/learning moment passes and the opportunity is lost. Something to consider for a future project :) 

Sociomaterial design: Bounding technologies in practice - book overview

The book - Sociomaterial-Design edited by P. Bjorn and C. Osterlund was published in 2014 by Springer. 

There are 9 chapters, including the first chapter which introduces the concepts of sociomateriality and design.

The precepts of sociomateriality are argued to be useful in better understanding complex interactions. Design is brought in as to how processes are developed, and planned, initially impact on how people and things interrelate and interact. Therefore there are connections and commonalities between the two. How sociomateriality is affected by design and in turn feeds back on the efficacy of design, is a basis for better understanding intricate human associations, reactions and responses. 

5 chapters follow the introduction, reporting on a project (the emergency department in a hospital) and using it as a way to further illustrate the principles of how sociomateriality impinges on work. The last three chapters bring the various threads together with a chapter specifically on 'boundaries' and how actions affect these, how the findings can be applied to contexts beyond the healthcare sector and the overall implications on the discipline.

The concepts are now even more relevant as humans and machines' interactions and even the intertwining of the two into 'enhanced' entities become reality. 

Ara Institute of Canterbury - Research week presentations #1

 

Today is the first of a series of lunch time presentations from Ara Institute of Canterbury Ltd. Researchers as part of the yearly ‘research week’ series.

Notes are for presentations by:

Alice Busbridge (applied science/ engagement team at Ara) on running demands of provincial women’s rugby union matches in NZ. Shared collaborative work completed with staff from University of Canterbury and from Ara (including James Jowsey and Dr. Peter Olsen). Provided overview and rationale for the study (very under-researched!!) and increase in recognition for womens’ rugby. NZ womens’ rugby only attained professional status in 2018. GPS units were strapped to players to find out how much running involved during training and when games played. Sports science important to inform improvements for the team. The GPS measures speed(including maximum speed) and distance (including high intensity running) Not much data on women but models available from mens’ rugby. Data collected from 7 games. Explained the various roles players take on as this affects the variations in data. In general, forwards run shorter total distance than backs. However, outside backs, run the least distance. Half backs have highest intensity running. Implications include the development of position-specific conditioning programmes; inform coaching and deeper look at half back and outside back contributions to the game.

Julie Bowen-Withington (Health Practice/Nursing) presents ‘emerging discourses shaping simulations as an educational platform in undergraduate nursing education’.  Has worked for over 15 years with the application of simulations at Ara. Why do we do what we do in simulation? Who tells us what to and how to do the things we do? What is intentional and what is not and how are these effective or ineffective? High fidelity simulation with medical mannikins used to help students through skills learning, role plays, etc. Used Crotty’s (1998) framework to underpin research methodology. Discussed contribution of the work of Foucault to inform the analysis. Data collected through focus groups/interviews with nurse academics, students and the simulation resources representative and images. Discourses identified on nursing/medical; simulation pedagogy; replacement of clinical hours; and realism. Shared examples on simulation pedagogy – with simulation being ubiquitous in healthcare education and ‘state of the art’ teaching. Discussed the ‘power relationships’ through adoption of high fidelity simulations as a form of ‘technology enhanced learning’ as it does not provide learners any choice. Clinical hours often replaced by simulation and this substitution has not be investigated – especially when simulation hours often only 50% of the original clinical hours. Realism and the authentic experience with a real patient also a challenge. Giving the plastic, a personality helps. Covered implications for practice. Some acceptance from students as less intimidating to start with. However, replacing clinical hours with simulations still requires study as each has its place.

 Only attended two as CRADLE also on today!!

There is a panel discussion tomorrow on the topic ‘research culture – what is it and how do we ge there? The session is moderated by research manager Dr. Michael Shone with the panel consisting of Dr. Serdar Durydev (engineering), Dr. Marg Hughes (nursing), Dr. Lorna Davies (midwifery), Dr. Allen Hill (outdoor education) and Dr. Tony McCaffrey (Nasda).  

Student project presentations run on Thursday and the next series of presentations run next week.

Evolutionary psychology - some interim concepts

Various meanders and exploration of literature on learning a trade  has led to encounter with a few books on evolutionary psychology.

So this post offers some brief book summaries and impressions .

First up, Before the dawn: recovering the lost history of our ancestors, by Nicolas Ward. Reviewed with some summaries here. 

This book lays out the evolutionary path taken by our ancestors with emphasis on how our genetical heritage evolved. Of importance is the work completed over the last several decades whereby learning on genetics confirms the ‘out of Africa’ theory. Our ancestors evolved over many millennium in Africa and due to hypothesised climate change 50,000 years ago gradually migrated out to inhabit the whole world. Therefore, there was a bit of a genetical bottleneck back then. Africans have the most varied genome. Whereas all other ‘races’ have much less diversity. 

Secondly, the evolved apprentice by Kim Sterelny, to be summarised in next week’s blog. This is the book that started my explorations into evolutionary psychology.

The evolved apprentice has several references to Professor Sterelny's previous book, Thoughts in a hostile world: The evolution of human cognition. This book discusses the various ways in which humans’ hunter and gatherer lifestyle, led to the development of how we now learn, behave, cooperate, make decisions etc. Examples from studies of primates are used to understand some of the roots for human behaviours and practices. Two theories are discussed in detail through the book: - social intelligence hypothesis and  massive modularity hypothesis. Both concepts still areas of contention, so critique of social intelligence found here and massive modularity, here.Thoughts in a hostile world does layout the arguments for evolutionary psychology approaches and the book provides a good overview and introduction to the subject.

Guided learning - coaching

Interim frequency analysis of the data from the ‘learning a trade’ project with apprentices reveal ‘being coached’ to be as high on the ‘ways of learning’ as ‘learning by watching’. Therefore, a need to do a summary of what ‘guided learning’ means in a workplace-based context. One comprehensive and relevant resource is chapter 5 (guided learning at work) from Stephen Billett’s 2001 book ‘Learning in the workplace: Strategies for effective practice’. Barbara Rogoff’s work, focused more on children learning, is also useful. Rogoff's  key reference is her book 'Apprenticeship in Thinking' which I have recently purchased second hand from Amazon and am working through. Both Rogoff’s and Billett’s work are informed by socio-cultural frameworks, premising that learning involves individuals and guides (trainers, mentors, supervisors, shift leaders, senior apprentices, peers etc.). Learning is also based on balancing the tensions between individual learning needs / trajectories and workplace organisational objectives (i.e. production). Guided learning goes through the steps of modelling, coaching, scaffolding and fading.

The newer socio-material approaches to understanding learning includes the socio-cultural frameworks and the many other factors that impact on/ influence learning – spatial, material, mechanical etc. I will be adding the socio-material influences into the project literature review but so much of socio-material learning is tacit. Apprentices, many struggling to articulate how they learn their trade, have alluded to socio-material influences although we have a few good examples.

Two categories of guided learning are proposed to be direct (as per coaching / mentoring) and indirect (learning by watching – i.e. Nielsen’s circumspection). If we re-analyse the ‘learning by watching’ and re-classify as either direct or indirect, we come up with half as learning by watching while being coached and half with learning by circumspection. So guidelines for both approaches need to be provided for apprentices and trainers/coaches.

For apprentices to learn and develop deeper understanding of work tasks, including some of the tacit and socio-material elements, strategies to use include questioning dialogues, diagrams and models and analogies. There is project data on apprentices 'learning by enquiry' and using sketches and plans. However, these strategies tend to be work or task driven, rather than something that every apprentice does in a particular trade. A more rigorous and deeper study will need to be made of each individual trade to sift out the salient learning approaches for each trade to identify 'signature pedagogies'

Emerging approaches to educational research - book summary

Through browsing through another new book in the CPIT library, I started to work through the first few chapters in greater detail. The book is ‘the Sage handbook of workplace learning’ edited by Margaret Malloch, Len Cairns, Karen Evans and Bridget N. O’Connor. Chapter 2 by Professor Paul Hager on ‘theories of workplace learning’ provides a good overview of the three approaches , the theories influenced by psychological theories, socio-cultural theories and post-modern theories. So, time to update my knowledge on the post-modern theories through an ebook from the CPIT library ebook collection. The book is edited by Professor Tara Fenwick, Professor Richard Edwards and Peter Sawchuk and called ‘emerging approaches to educational research’. Fenwick presents a summary at the University of Technology last month.

This book provides a good introduction to why research approaches have shifted and moved towards trying to understanding the diverse nature of learning and the various contexts learning take place in. The book introduces, describes, discusses and evaluates the ‘sociomaterial’ research approaches or ‘four arenas’ for future educational research. The four arenas are complexity theory, cultural historical activity theory (CHATs), actor-network theory and spatiality.

Each of the four arenas is based on recent dissatisfaction with the inability of research frameworks to capture, study and explain ‘how people learn’. Each proposes frameworks / methods to try to account for the many material / non-material contributions towards how learning occurs. There is generally no ‘right or wrong’ answer coming through using any of the four arenas as research frameworks. Hence, the use of ‘post-modern’ as one categorisation for a raft of research approaches that go beyond the usual ‘qualitative/quantitative’ debate.

The common premises of the four arenas are:

Not dependent on the individual as being the sole focal point of study

Challenge relationships/binaries on which our understandings of ‘practice’ are founded

Challenge notions of context as being where the action is and allowing for a wider range of ‘contexts’ to be recognised

do not take reductionist stances but recognise the continuous dynamic nature of learning

acknowledge the complexity and ‘mess’ that represents the ‘real-world’.

Accept that learning is fundamentally difficult to pin down or to explain.

For me, the above represents some of the steps I have taken as a teacher/researcher, moving from trying to grasp the ‘known’ to understanding that the ‘known’ is slippery, dependent not only on context but on social/historical/ontological factors and attempts at explanation are always going to be incomplete. The above also challenge my grounding as a ‘socioculturalist’ in trying to explain learning as an ‘equilibrium’ between social affordances and individual agency with contributions from the various social relationships individuals encounter. Shifting towards a post-modern framework requires unpacking my current belief systems and evaluating another new way of looking at things.

There is a helpful explanation of the terms used in ‘knowing organisations:practice-based approach’ (book by Nicolini, Gherardi and Yanow) by Svabo – titled – ‘materiality in a practice-based approach’ also relevant to the ‘emerging approaches to educational research’ book.