Workshop on Integration of emerging technologies into education and training (ETELT)

Scope

The rapid development of the 4th industrial revolution, driven by emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), digitalization, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT), is creating opportunities for unprecedent industrial growth, also having a profound and far-reaching impact to the field of education. Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and AI virtual assistants have already started to shape educational processes and are set to have an increasingly larger impact soon. Specifically, VR and AR provide 3D references to students and create immersive learning experience that make teaching and learning more engaging and interactive. They enable hands-on learning experiences and allow to visualize educational contexts, systems, or concepts in a more engaging way, which is particularly relevant for fields such as healthcare, engineering, and vocational education, where the students can simulate operations in a cost-effective, safe and controlled environment. AI-enabled adaptive learning systems have also shown much potential in facilitating learner-centric educational experiences that are tailored to meet the pace, unique needs and preferences of the individual students. They augment teachers’ capabilities by providing differentiated instructions and personalized learning paths according to the style and speed of each student, supporting self-regulated learning and allowing for a more transparent understanding of the learning progress. Finally, the proliferation of mobile phones, handheld devices and online learning platforms have greatly increased accessibility to education, making it possible for students to access materials and resources at anytime, anywhere, and at their own pace, maintaining the continuity of learning across technologies and settings.

The integration of the abovementioned emerging technologies in a wide range of educational settings has diversified the learning environment and provided a more dynamic educational experience for learners to access and engage with educational materials in a flexible, interactive, and personalized way. However, despite such advantages, Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) has also raised many important issues which are yet to be solved. TEL raises concerns related to technology over-reliance, digital divide, cybersecurity, as well as issues related to professional skill development. It is essential to carefully consider the opportunities and challenges associated with TEL and address them proactively to maximize its benefits and minimize its risks in educational and training settings.

This workshop is jointly proposed by five EU Horizon projects that have been recently funded by the Digital Europe program and under the topic “Integration of emerging new technologies into education and training” and focuses on current research trends, views and results related to technology-enhanced education and training by integrating emerging technologies. It aims to present and elaborate the state-of-the-art research on related methodologies and intelligent systems and discuss their potential applications in different learning and industrial contexts.

The five EU projects that propose this workshop are:

• Augmented Intelligence for Pedagogically Sustained Training and Education (augMENTOR);
• Electronic, Didactic and Innovative Platform for Learning based On Multimedia Assets (e-DIPLOMA);
• Design and evaluation of technological support tools to empower stakeholders in digital education (EMPOWER);
• Extending Design Thinking with Emerging Digital Technologies (Exten (D.T)2);
• Integrating Adaptive Learning in Maritime Simulator-Based Education and Training with Intelligent Learning System (i-MASTER).

Each of these research projects has a specific scope, impact and intended audience. By pooling resources, expertise and knowledge together, this cluster of projects has the potential to produce well-rounded, comprehensive, and high-quality research on the integration of emerging technologies in TEL, which can lead to greater impact in the educational and training field.

Workshop areas

The research areas to be addressed in the workshop are:

• Pedagogical deployment of learning technologies: Effective deployment of VR, AR and AIenabled learning systems requires technical expertise and a proper understanding of educational pedagogy. With the advent of emerging technologies, the role of teachers and the way teaching content is prepared, how we instruct, motivate, and engage students in the learning process are different from traditional classrooms. The pedagogical factors and instructional strategies need to be reconsidered along with technology development.
• Human-centered approach to AI in education: AI-enabled learning systems should be designed to accommodate all students, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds, and it should also be designed and deployed responsibly and ethically in education considering the needs and well-being of students and teachers. There are many questions to be explored such as how AI-enabled learning systems can be designed to augment, rather than replace, the role of teachers in the learning process and how both students and teachers should be involved in the design and implementation process of these systems and how they impact on student’s skills development, employability needs, future careers, etc.
• Policy recommendations regarding AI in education: Proper policy should be in place to ensure AI-enabled learning systems are used responsibly and effectively in educational settings. Research based policy recommendation is particularly useful as it provides data evidence, deep understanding of the issues being addressed, and a systematic and objective basis for policy considerations and decisions. Actionable recommendations for policymakers can be discussed during this workshop.
• Emerging technologies and 21st century competencies: While the research landscape provides much evidence on how mature digital tools contribute to the pedagogical design, the same does not apply when it comes to emerging technologies. Traditionally, instructional design using digital technologies favors mass instruction delivery, based on conventional forms of assessment, and aimed at developing knowledge and skills initially at a low level of competencies (conventional MOOCs are one such example). On the contrary, nowadays, the development of personalized learning, collaborative learning and the achievement of higher-order thinking skills, what we call 21st century competencies, remains a significant challenge. At the same time, it is of great interest to understand how learners work (emphasis on the process and not only on the outcomes), how educators orchestrate their classrooms, and what information they have access to in order to adapt/enhance/improve their orchestration.

 

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Topics

In addition to the above areas, we welcome works that report on the use of existing TEL platforms and applications, and discuss best practices to be incorporated into learning technology design. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the followings:

• Online and blended teaching and training with the use of emerging technologies
• Pedagogical deployment of emerging technologies
• Emerging technologies and 21st century skills and competencies
• Evaluation issues, experiences and case studies
• Emerging technologies in web-based learning
• AI/ML-based platforms and applications for learning and training
• Digital assistants and intelligent chatbots in education
• Emerging technologies and new teaching methodologies
• Responsible research and innovation (RRI) and emerging technologies
• Application of emerging technologies in vocational education sector
• Ethical implications of using VR in class