What happens when we acknowledge the limits of our educational control? What happens when students truly become participants in their educational development?
This is how many of us who recognized the power and opportunities AI presented rather than focused on the problems or obstacles to overcome, have approached AI in education.
As I have only taught at the college and university level, I’ve been fortunate to focus on the adult learning model (Andragogical) rather than pedagogical. One of the many aspects of teaching that, I believe, hampers those in the profession from adopting and applying “forward thinking” is the continual use of “backward facing” terminology.
While many would argue that pedagogy and Andragogy are interchangeable terms, I would posit the opposite. Particularly for legacy teachers, instructors, and professional knowledge providers. Using correct terminology for students can encourage and enable the shift in our teaching and learning styles and mindset.
Good point about pedagogy vs andragogy. I tried using the latter early in my career when writing about higher ed, but kind of gave up the effort over time. I'll have to return to the correct term. Thanks for the reminder.
Yep. Me, too. I don’t like to go to battle over words, but I’m going to sprinkle in this new old friend. I’ve done a lot of PD type work with professors who often rolled their eyes at andragogy. I’m not even sure I’m spelling it right:)
I gotta tell you, it is a critical distinction. There are so many times I’ve wanted to use the word, but people are so weird about it. I just don’t get it.
Many thanks for bringing up the use of any tool that supports preparing the whole citizen via many subject areas offered, taught and explored. Wondering if AI has the capacity for bringing people together in as yet unexplored ways; just riffing here.
This is definitely thought-provoking. There are people who want to quash the use of AI in education (as I experienced last year when the topic was brought up in a school-wide PD). Personally, I'm on the side of teaching students to use it.
I had a long comment typed out about a soap box topic I find myself on from time to time, but I deleted it in favor of this instead: we should have more large scale research done on effective teaching practices. The vast majority of research to date is qualitative rather than quantitative, but that doesn't translate as well to the average classroom where we have learners and educators of varying abilities.
Include AI in these studies, and we can determine whether it is actually effective.
Thanks for your thoughts and insights! This truly got me thinking a little deeper about my own beliefs and background knowledge.
Nice article. We must move away from the transactional view of education for a variety of reasons, but AI may be pushing us in that direction as a matter of necessity.
Hey Nick, really interesting article. Thank you! So essentially what you're saying is that as an aspiring or already established educator, our responsibility is to embrace the reality of AI in informing student learning and become more of a facilitator of student learning? We should try and distance ourselves as much as possible from the traditional role of teaching which Freire describes as 'the gap between the oppressor and oppressed.' Additionally, how do you see the emergence of AI shaping the educational landscape with regards to teachers being out of jobs? Do you think we'll get to the point in 10-20 years where less teachers are needed as a result of AI being able to do the job for us? Would love to hear your thoughts! Cheers
Thanks, Indy. I think we will be dealing with diverging vectors. An educational system that is not valued at most levels of government and thus is on the verge of losing out on a lot of funding. This pressure point will push local and state districts into an efficiency mindset, particularly in light of a national teacher shortage (at least in the US). At the same time, classrooms run by machines only lead to positive educational outcomes in a very small subset of students, if we examine the history closely of student engagement and efficacy statistics when working with online tutorial systems. If society continues to value student progresses towards some kind of norm in areas of math, writing, science, for instance, then an initial shift toward more machine-driven learning will probably be short lived. But even as we speak, the very apparati for gauging how successful students are in particular knowledge domains is being dismantled. So who really knows? Researchers are calling this problem the "honesty" gap. Do we honestly know what are students actually know right now?
I posted an idea today that continues this discussion. I am excited about ways in which teachers can help students learn to go way beyond where they've been -- and way beyond what teachers used to "control". Teaching kids to "use" ChatGPT would register as a "Novice Low" use of AI in the AI Proficiency Scale I suggested.
I would also suggest that ideas about educational control are sometimes amusing. Educators may control what they teach -- but they have never been able to control or determine what any individual will actually learn!
This is how many of us who recognized the power and opportunities AI presented rather than focused on the problems or obstacles to overcome, have approached AI in education.
As I have only taught at the college and university level, I’ve been fortunate to focus on the adult learning model (Andragogical) rather than pedagogical. One of the many aspects of teaching that, I believe, hampers those in the profession from adopting and applying “forward thinking” is the continual use of “backward facing” terminology.
While many would argue that pedagogy and Andragogy are interchangeable terms, I would posit the opposite. Particularly for legacy teachers, instructors, and professional knowledge providers. Using correct terminology for students can encourage and enable the shift in our teaching and learning styles and mindset.
Good point about pedagogy vs andragogy. I tried using the latter early in my career when writing about higher ed, but kind of gave up the effort over time. I'll have to return to the correct term. Thanks for the reminder.
Yep. Me, too. I don’t like to go to battle over words, but I’m going to sprinkle in this new old friend. I’ve done a lot of PD type work with professors who often rolled their eyes at andragogy. I’m not even sure I’m spelling it right:)
Terry, know that you are in good company. I recently dropped an article in LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lets-talk-andragogy-embracing-future-learning-eugene-matthews-ph-d--soisc) where I attempted to gently integrate Andragogy into the conversation. I have no idea how successful I was, but I decided it was at least worth the effort. You know..."...be the change you want to see..."
~
I gotta tell you, it is a critical distinction. There are so many times I’ve wanted to use the word, but people are so weird about it. I just don’t get it.
Many thanks for bringing up the use of any tool that supports preparing the whole citizen via many subject areas offered, taught and explored. Wondering if AI has the capacity for bringing people together in as yet unexplored ways; just riffing here.
I think so, Robin. We’ve barely talked about collaborative AI
This is definitely thought-provoking. There are people who want to quash the use of AI in education (as I experienced last year when the topic was brought up in a school-wide PD). Personally, I'm on the side of teaching students to use it.
I had a long comment typed out about a soap box topic I find myself on from time to time, but I deleted it in favor of this instead: we should have more large scale research done on effective teaching practices. The vast majority of research to date is qualitative rather than quantitative, but that doesn't translate as well to the average classroom where we have learners and educators of varying abilities.
Include AI in these studies, and we can determine whether it is actually effective.
Thanks for your thoughts and insights! This truly got me thinking a little deeper about my own beliefs and background knowledge.
Alicia, as a researcher, I beg for mixed methods studies. Numbers alone are too crude—like a butter knife for a scalpel
Exactly right! And now is the time for new opportunities for learning, learners, and those who help them learn!
Nice article. We must move away from the transactional view of education for a variety of reasons, but AI may be pushing us in that direction as a matter of necessity.
Hey Nick, really interesting article. Thank you! So essentially what you're saying is that as an aspiring or already established educator, our responsibility is to embrace the reality of AI in informing student learning and become more of a facilitator of student learning? We should try and distance ourselves as much as possible from the traditional role of teaching which Freire describes as 'the gap between the oppressor and oppressed.' Additionally, how do you see the emergence of AI shaping the educational landscape with regards to teachers being out of jobs? Do you think we'll get to the point in 10-20 years where less teachers are needed as a result of AI being able to do the job for us? Would love to hear your thoughts! Cheers
Thanks, Indy. I think we will be dealing with diverging vectors. An educational system that is not valued at most levels of government and thus is on the verge of losing out on a lot of funding. This pressure point will push local and state districts into an efficiency mindset, particularly in light of a national teacher shortage (at least in the US). At the same time, classrooms run by machines only lead to positive educational outcomes in a very small subset of students, if we examine the history closely of student engagement and efficacy statistics when working with online tutorial systems. If society continues to value student progresses towards some kind of norm in areas of math, writing, science, for instance, then an initial shift toward more machine-driven learning will probably be short lived. But even as we speak, the very apparati for gauging how successful students are in particular knowledge domains is being dismantled. So who really knows? Researchers are calling this problem the "honesty" gap. Do we honestly know what are students actually know right now?
Quite fascinating stuff Nick. Thanks for your response 👍
Great ideas, thank you very much!☘️
Good one, Nick.
I posted an idea today that continues this discussion. I am excited about ways in which teachers can help students learn to go way beyond where they've been -- and way beyond what teachers used to "control". Teaching kids to "use" ChatGPT would register as a "Novice Low" use of AI in the AI Proficiency Scale I suggested.
I would also suggest that ideas about educational control are sometimes amusing. Educators may control what they teach -- but they have never been able to control or determine what any individual will actually learn!