Learning, teaching & training in the era of Artificial Intelligence
Learning, teaching and training in the era of Artificial Intelligence
Challenges and opportunities for evidence-based educational research
Positioning Paper itec, an imec research group at KU Leuven
Version 2024
Driven by the process of digitization and datafication, innovative technologies are
increasingly finding their way into educational research, policies and technology
development efforts (Nowotny, 2021; Knox, 2023; Holmes et al., 2019). Within
this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is established as a timeless and intriguing issue for educational practitioners and researchers around the globe (du Boulay, 2019; Salomon, 2002; Selwyn, 2017). The field of AI is characterized by rapid progression and several technology pushes (Selwyn, 2017).
These developments also find their way into education and training. However, when it comes to changes in the educational domain, decisions are made at many levels, thus embedded in a complex and multilayered context. Most often, this is accompanied by heated debates about what our education stands for and how it should evolve (Knox, 2023; Selwyn, 2017).
But what does the recent AI push mean for our education and training institutions and how do we reinforce the nexus between AI technology and teachers/trainers?
At itec, we believe that the future of AI in education and training lies at the intersection of human intelligence and technological intelligence. In this report, we want to further unravel this idea together with the reader. We call for a nuanced point-of-view in the AI debate, wherein machines empower educational stakeholders and vice versa, ultimately strengthening education together. To do so, it is important to acknowledge limitations and risks that come along the way.
In this report ‘AI in Education and Training’, we provide insight into how AI in education is being researched at itec, an imec research group at KU Leuven, thereby contributing to the accelerating research domain of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED). This report is referred to as a ‘positioning paper’. Its purpose is to illuminate the perspectives and efforts of our research group regarding the main subject of AI in education and training.
The contents of this first report of 2024 are not static, but can – and will – be dynamically updated over time, in tandem with the rapid revolutions within AI, new initiatives within the itec research group and shifts within the broader educational landscape. Updates regarding subsequent reports can be found on the website: www.kuleuven.be/itec.
More on AI in education?
We developed an online training on AI in education.
The training aims to highlight the potential of AI in education by combining academic insights with practical examples.
The online training contains four modules:
- The Relationship between AI and Education
- The black box of AI: all about data
- Challenges of AI in Education
- Tinkering with AI in Education