Inquiry in action: Using AI to reimagine learning and teaching: Case studies from the frontline of Higher Education practice

 This open access book, collates a series of case studies from the University of Queensland on 'Using AI to reimagine learning and teaching: case studies from the frontline of higher education practice.

It is edited by Rachel Fitzgerald. 

The book begins with an introduction from the editor, followed by 12 chapters. There are 11 'case studies' with a final collation of themes chapter. 

There are chapters on AI literacy (chapter 1); ethics (chapters 2 and 3); inclusiveness (chapter 4); subject-specific chapters (1 - health, 4 - dentistry, 5 - dietetics, 8,10 -economics/business); inquiry-based learning (chapter 6); Critical thinking (chapter 7); web/mobile development (chapter 9); with application of relevant pedagogy across most of the chapters.

Useful for providing examples of the may ways in which Gen AI can be integrated into learning activities. Discipline/subject examples help our teachers visualise possibilities. 

Gen AI and education: Digital pedagogies, teaching innovation and learning design - springer brief - book overview

This book  by Professor B. Mairēad Pratschke, arrived late last week, just in time for a wet weekend. It is a Springer brief of just over 100 pages, making it a quick but worthwhile read.

The book has 7 chapters. 

Chapter 1 covers the historical evolution of AI in education, a good overview of Gen AI (GAI is used in the book) and a summary of the tenets of digital pedagogy (including connectivism, social constructivism). The chapter closes with the call and rationale for all educators to attain GAI competencies and that its introduction into learning must be teacher-led, not as directives from above.

The second chapter undertakes the unpacking of the implications of GAI on the learning ecosystem. The term AI ecosystem is used to describe how GAI is integrated into teaching platforms and tools, the implications for undertaking this type of innovation, and provides some indications of how AI will impact on education as a whole. We are already able to customise AI bots but in the very near future, embodied AI and the opportunity to not just integrate GAI but to create new forms of education.

In the third chapter, the concept of human-computer hybrid is explored. In doing so, humans (and AI) draw on each other's strengths, leading to true synergy between biological/human and digital/machine/AI. The developments already available are summarised - including ways Gen AI is trained, the role of prompt engineering, Khan academy's experiments with personalised learning using AI, Poe and Hugging Face as the options to create your own bot, expert systems and examples in deploying Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). A refresh of TPACK is proposed to become TPAIK, whereby 'knowledge' is shifted to be 'intelligence'. This leads to thinking about the relationships between technology/ntelligence/knowledge and how these are part of the learning design. Who creates intelligence/knowledge and what is the role of technology in the co-relationship?

In chapter 4, learning design to bring about the connections between educational theory, and digital pedagogy and practice is proposed. The concept of Generativism is proposed to bring GAI into the design, delivery and assessment of learning. The ABC learning design framework (with the learning activities of acquisition, collaboration, discussion, investigation, practice and production from Laurrilard's work) with GAI added, is provided as an example of how GAI contributes to each of the learning activities.

Chapter 5 undertakes an exploration and discussion of the impact of GAI specifically on personalised and peer learning. Intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive learning platforms, integrated assistants and tutors, standalone assistants and tutor, along with aspects of social learning, the implications of affective computing, social AI, intelligent communities and collaborative learning (see Sharple's work) are all introduced, discussed and evaluated. Each has a role, the importance is in selection and emphasis and of the roles of AI supporter and learner. Who has autonomy and what is the role of the educator when personalised learning environments become the norm.

The next chapter focuses on assessing learning. Congruent to the findings from our own AI projects, the emphasis in the AI age, is to place importance on the process of learning, rather than the outputs of learning. The ABC framework is again used, to provide guidance as to how assessments change due to AI and how AI can be used to support the assessment process.

In the last chapter, 'embedding AI', the many themes and threads across the book are brought together. Actions for educators and administrators are provided to help move education into the GIA age. 

In sum, a good book providing a summary of what has occurred thus far with good advice on the way forward. The book is short and therefore not too daunting for the practitioner/teacher/academic leader/head of school etc. to read through. There are good discussion anchors throughout the book and these will be useful as the difficult conversations with on GAI's role in education begin to take place in earnest. 

Design of Technology-enhanced Learning - Integrating research and practice - book overview

Bower, M. (2017) published by Emerald Publishing Company.

After the preface (rationalisation for the book and summaries of chapters), acknowledgements and foreword (by J. Hedberg), there are 12 chapters.

1)     Technology integration as an educational imperative

Begins with setting up the broader context for the need to design learning with supporting TEL. Introduces, rationalises and details the role of ‘design thinking’ and the field of learning design and argues that teaching is a design science (as per Laurillard’s work). The work of Laurillard, Siemens and Conole are compared, discussed and critiqued. The six approaches of learning design are introduced – technical standards, pattern descriptions, visualisations, visualisation tools, pedagogical planners and learning activity management system.

2)      The Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and its implications

Here the TPACK framework is introduced and critiqued. Provides examples of TPACK in practice and recommendations on how teachers are able to develop the capacities for applying TPACK. There is a comprehensive literature review of TPACK as well.

3)      Pedagogy and technology-enhanced learning

Provides an overview of the relevant pedagogies. The pedagogies include the usual – behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, socio-constructivism and connectivism. Pedagogical approaches are also overviewed, including collaborative learning, problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, constructionist learning, design-based learning and games-based learning. Each is described with examples and brief critiques. The role of the teacher in applying the relevant pedagogical approaches is summarised.

4)      Technology affordances and multimedia learning effects

In this chapter, the two frameworks applied to the use of TEL – affordances and the learning effects from multimedia are introduced, detailed and discussed. The focus with ‘affordances’ is to understand the potentialities of the multimedia with relevance to the learning objectives to be achieved and matching both to maximise learning. With learning effects, the different ways for using text, images, audio, video etc. and their impact on understanding and learning are introduced and discussed.

5)      Representing and sharing content using technology

Applies the taxonomy of learning, teaching and assessing (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) towards how technology may be used to represent and share content. The representational requirements of core subject areas – English, maths, science, history, geography, IT) are presented.

6)      Design thinking and learning design

Introduces and substantiates the principles of design thinking, design science and learning design as ways forward to integrate TEL into teaching and learning. The educational design models of Laurillard, Siemens and Conole are revisited.

7)      Design of Web 2.0 enhanced learning

Reviews the work on Web 2.0 and its impact on teaching and learning. Defines, Web 2.0, defines opportunities and presents a typology to assist with matching the benefits to learning outcomes. The advantages and challenges are also presented. Two case studies are provided to underpin the typology.

8)      Designing for learning using social networking

A review of social networking in education from a design perspective us provided. The various benefits, issues and implications for using social networking are presented through the chapter.

9)      Designing for mobile learning

Mobile learning is rationalised as one forward to engage learners. Examples in school and higher education are provided. Benefits are summarised along with issues. Recommendations are synthesized towards the development of mobile learning. Examples from school and higher education are provided and recommendations for learning design, implementation are provided.

10)   Designing for learning using virtual worlds

Virtual worlds are defined and contrasted. These virtual worlds include Second Life, Active Worlds, Open Sim and Minecraft. The benefits are distilled from the literature along with other forms of virtual worlds including 3D simulations, role-plays, construction tasks and immersive learning. Examples from school and higher education are provided and recommendations for learning design, implementation are provided.

11)   Abstracting technology-enhanced learning design principles

From applying learning design to the design of learning through Web 2.0, social networking and virtual worlds, design principles are synthesised.

12)   Technology-enhanced learning – conclusions and future directions

Brings the various discussions through the book together through presenting some future scenarios for TEL.

The book fills a gap and brings in academic research across the last two decades, to inform the deployment of TEL into teaching and learning practice. Research and teaching and learning inform each other and one should not take place in isolation from the other.

The book is well-structured and readable with pragmatic application of research towards the integration of TEL for the improvement / enhancement of teaching and learning.