What a way to start the holidays! I was lucky enough to attend the Future of Learning Conference held at Haeata Community Campus. Monday was conference day and then I also get to go to the Masterclass on Tues and Wed! There were some really amazing speakers and lots to think about from today so I have put my notes here to hopefully get others thinking about what education might look like further down the track. So much information for one day! I thought about splitting this, but maybe you might just have to read it in 2 sittings. Apologies for typos, I haven't proof read it all as it is just my notes with links added, lots of extra reading. You can also check out the Twitter feed #folnz18
Introduction
Some great questions to start the day!
Explore
outside of our comfort zone into the world of possibilities.
Tech
being used for the greater good.
Anticipate,
Collaborate, activate
Preferred
future, probable future, possible future
Need to consider the balance
of these and being aware for all of the intended and unintended consequences
The oath of non harm for an age of big data:
"I will remember that the technologies I design are not aimed at data points, probabilities or patterns, but at human beings"
Virginia Eubanks
Keynote: The Future of Learning: Redefining Readiness from the Inside Out
What is the interaction between
people and technology? Exploring our readiness for exponential change and key
considerations.
Jason Swanson will explore the rise of smart machines,
which include technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning,
robotics and other forms of automation and which are increasingly capable of
doing tasks or jobs once thought safe from automation, is changing how many
tasks associated with work are completed. He will also explore how work is
being organised differently.
It is really worth reading this article that this talk is based on - I read it before the conference and will read it again.
Skills
knowledge and dispositions needed for life and for work
Every
student should have personalised learning
The
future is not a fixed point. It is ours to create. It's not possible to know
the future, we look at trends so seek to depict a range of futures. Do this not
to be accurate but to prove the unknown
How has
work changed since you entered the workforce?
Smartphone
or laptop
Quality
and speed
Are the
changes we are experiencing now new?
Readiness
will impact equity, social justice, and so much more.
As we
move into the future, what skills will she need to be ready for the world in
2040. How will ready be defined in 2040?
Exponential
change, rate of change grows very quickly. Rate that tech is moving, business,
societal structure.
Education
radically resistant to change. Need to keep pace with an exponential world.
Pressing
need to partner with the code in our digital devices to make sense of the world
around us.
Four
industrial revolutions
Robotics,
AI, internet of things, autonomous vehicles are in the latest
Have
begun the shift and are increasing at an exponential rate.
Continually
need to innovate to bypass resource issues.
We can
expect the rate of change to continually accelerate, 5th revolution even
closer.
Rise of
smart machines
To what
extent will this change work?
Can cause
significant human displacement.
Drs use
machine learning to diagnose
Gps
enabled devices also recommend shorter routes when traffic changes.
Google
translator in real time
Transportation, Uber freight disrupting change.
Decline
of the full time employee. Internet making it cost effective to access
knowledge on the open market rather than employing people for things.
Project
based work
Uber,
human task is simply to drive.
Taskified
jobs are broken down and easy to automate
Rise of
smart machines and decline of full time work will change the employment
landscape.
Future work characteristics: Market driven and user-centered, Data and metrics driven, Modular and recombined, Grounded in relating, Interwoven with learning.
Frequent
measurement and quick feedback
Work
broken down into tasks, each with own team and goals
Relationships
will help determine success, collaborative. Productive relationships important
Act of
working will be the act of learning. Passion based projects to learn new
skills.
Graphic from:
Resilient,
reflective and able to build new relationships
Need to
foster inclusive work environments
Focus
first on the people learning, then the context that they might employ their
skills
Mastering
content first, then moved to thinking and doing came to be seen as being
essential.
What is
the role people play in the workplace? Schools need to respond with how they
educate learners.
How do we
use tech to augment our learning experience?
Career
mosaic rather than a career ladder.
Conversation
that has to have a diverse group of people at the table.
Take the
focus off assessment and onto learning success.
Own set
of micro credentials
Bring
those resistant to change into the conversation.
How can
we integrate what is important to them to where we might be heading?
Pd look for ways to meaningfully personalise
this so you don't do a one size fits all.
Base it
around employees needs and goals.
Panel 1:
Panelists will share their personal reflections on readiness for
the future of learning and provide provocative challenges to consider during
the day.
We
are ready to embrace change. We are ready to change the status quo.
Singularity
university summit. Never before had he felt so irrelevant as an educator.
Things need to change.
Whatever
space you are in, it is becoming more complex. Work with the change and use the
momentum to change.
Celebrate,
not sort. We celebrate all strengths and wellbeing alongside learning.
We
celebrate dispositional development as a priority.
We
connect and don't silo. Our students lead learning.
Our NZ
curriculum calls to go across subjects but we assess in single subjects.
We all
want our young people to be self managed.
Make it
personal. We are about individuals. We need to value every story.
Is the
education we are providing in our institutions appropriate for the future that
is coming?
Biggest
lessons at Haeata. Complexity of change gets more and more entangled.
We need
to get more people around the table. Every time we change, it affects others.
Have
done a learning mosaic, done a lot of stuff outside of Ncea and uni.
Age 11,
what might the world look like in 2030. Did future problem solving.
Was told
to read more science fiction to help with future sobbing. Felt if she did
enough research she could solve the problem.
Singularity
university, not science fiction but is science fact. We do know underlying
trends which help us know the pace of change. All tech is exponential.
Our
collective future is not a distant fiction. We should all understand the
trends.
Need
time dedicated to explore the crossover between school subjects.
Need
interdisciplinary thinking required to solve problems.
Needs
collaboration and ability to apply new thinking.
What is
learning for? Give people the tools to lead lives and achieve goals.
Flexible
and connected.
Schools
be launchpad to different places and experiences.
Conference
and exams. Did my grades take a hit, maybe, did my learning, no.
How do
you conceptualise the future, are you a bystander in a science fiction novel or
a co creator?
You have
been successful in the current system so why change. The number of people that
it suits and serves are narrowing. I did what I had to do to survive in the
system but I hated it and wanted to thrive.
Need to
jump across the divide soon. Could do ok, but have opportunity to do better.
Adaptive
leadership
Ancestors
were astronauts of their time. What kind of leadership would it take to embark
into the unknown with no maps or evidence?
First
part of being a navigator is what we leave behind. Always looking backwards,
always sailing away from somewhere. What do we want to leave behind?
How can
we spend more time focusing on human parts of work, robots can do the boring
stuff.
How do
we address the inequalities of our past?
Where do
values, of equality, justice and fairness sit in our future?
Design
to improve Maori and pasifika outcomes as it won't happen by itself.
We can
choose to perpetuate history or change.
Plan our
journey with intent. How do we make equity and innovation reside in the same
place and plan our journey with intent?
We need
to come together. It's not addressed by any one sector. This is an issue that
impacts across sectors and communities.
If
robots are answering our emails, what can we put more attention into? Equity,
fairness and justice.
Question for all the panel: What's
the key thing that we should be doing by 2020?
Relationships.
Trust is the currency. What is the shared future we want to co create?
What
would inspire us to come together and create a shared vision?
We need
every New Zealander to know about exponential change and Moore's law.
We all
need to change.
Tell
everyone about what you have learned and what you are worried about.
Change
needs to be spread wider.
Human Centered Learning
Exploring the skills and competencies needed to
thrive. How technologies are being used to change learning experiences – trends
and uses. Implications for qualifications, credentials and lifelong learning.
Faye Langdon Director, 21C Skills
Lab
How to get ahead in
a world of AI, algorithms bots and big data
Active listening,
speaking, reading comprehension important.
Our youth need to be
able to think like entrepreneurs. Need to be flexible.
Lab is about
building the soft skills. It is our humanness that will enable us to survive.
Video:
Humans think
critically, problem solve and be creative.
A lot of our young
people's relationship with technology is passive. Need to move to a learning
relationship.
Collaboration and
team work across platforms.
What skill sets do
our young people have to take into the work force.
To participate we
need to think like skydivers. Have to have constant practice and learning.
Learning, unlearning
and relearning. Needs to be flexible, current system does not.
Change thinking to
make progress. Training brain for a
growth mindset. Adaptability will be
a predictor of success.
70% of future jobs
will place importance on maths
Days of having
expert skills have gone.
We are in the
driver's seat but machines are riding shotgun with us. Career mobility will
be there for all of us.
Approach our
learning and working lives on skills.
Employers building
their own credentials. Resume has gone.
Goodbye to the
linear world of work
Work flexibly and
independently.
Self directed
learning important
2030 everything in
our jobs will change.
Use portfolio of
soft skills to solve problems and think creatively.
Bilingual skills,
digital literacy, critical thinking, creativity. Duo lingo for other
languages.
Purpose and a sense
of self is what young people want.
Germany 50% of education in workplace
Soft skills here are important.
Tessa Tierney Agile Tribe Lead -
Spark New Zealand
Victoria Lyons Tribe Lead - Spark
New Zealand
Taking whole
organisation and using Agile and tribes
Decision making
further down the organisation. Puts them in the direct line from problems to
resolution
No longer tell them
what to do. You give them a purpose.
You have constraints
and success measures. Allow them to come up with the how.
Outcomes: Stronger customer
focus, Engaged and
empowered people, Faster to market
Need to move
business systems and structures and their culture
How do I get better?
Invest time and knowledge into your craft.
Work in two weekly
sprints
Examine problems. Cross functional
times. Empathy.
Experiment, pivot,
pause. Stop, realign.
Have an agile coach
to develop a high performance mindset.
Need to follow the
discipline of Agile.
These teams also
bring together diverse people. What does inclusiveness look like. Reflect in
our workplace the community we serve
Diversity is our
strength, let's celebrate it.
Reflection:
What skills do you
imagine you need for the future?
What are the
priorities for your organisation?
Panel: Qualifications, Credentials and Reputation:
Implications for Personal Learning
This panel will share experiences
in microcredentials, new learning models and blockchain technology
Developing
microcredentials
More info on Edubits. Learn, build, succeed. Assessments and credentials
How
do we recognise learning. Assessed against competency.
Demo
skills through work and volunteering
This can
be personalised.
Examples: Te Ao Māori, social marketing, health and safety, Microsoft skills, project
management
Evidence
can be through work, video, photos
Possible
to do within current system
Tell
their own story
Line up
with graduate profile
All
about defining professional framework of practice
Defensible argument. Here I am and this is what
I do.
What is
it to work in their career space.
Start
with a review of learning. What is my current framework of practice then what
is the aspirational framework which leads to a project.
Then
action research cycles.
Can be
doing lots of change processes along the way.
Professional
framework of practice canvas.
Entirely
project based degree.
Work
backwards from the end point. I want to make this difference in the world.
How are
they setting themselves up for that?
Introduction
to AI at stanford
How do
we get info into human brains.
Unprecedented
growth in new knowledge
Cross
fertilisation of Internet of things, blockchain, AI it goes crazy
Cost to
learn about things is declining.
Scarcity
of people that can use that knowledge for the greater good.
Store in
Qualifications comes in the form in trust. Have to trust that your Qual will
still be wanted.
Financial
cost of quals
Decentralisation.
Power is shifting to the individual and the small group
What if
anybody could be a student or a teacher in any subject.
Blockchain
have to work out if anyone was any good in it.
What if
anyone could create a qual and issue it? Who
guards the guards?
Large
scale collaboration without central control
Fancy
database. Block
are pages in book. Each
page references previous page. Each
page has micro credential
Open,
public and global. Full
access and available records.
Can
never be altered, can only add to them
Ethereum/smart
contracts. Unstoppable
code
Can
build rules about who can issue micro credentials and how they interact
Tokenisation
Can have
a digital item and take it out of one game and put into another.
When you
get a certain amount of microcredentials they could stack up to a new level.
Can get
micro credentials through act of teaching as well.
Might
have crowd funding to take and learn micro credential, might be paid to learn.
Questions for the panel were answered as follows:
Micro
credentials are showing how people are keeping up their standards
Competency
based model
Shows here are
the skills you need to be building
People
need to continue to learn all the time. Life long learning needs to be taken
seriously.
Having
microcredentials democratises learning. Removes the barriers. Can learn in
small blocks.
Take
learning from the project and has validation for that.
Employers
can offer for staff, they can recognise that and give pieces that can add up in
the future.
Even a
short project, what have we learnt from that, how can we share that.
Continually
learning
Dark side:
That
we reduce everyone down to numbers. China has social credit score.
If we are
continually assessing things, it can
change the outcome
At lunch there were also breakout sessions which I didn't attend, instead I wandered with the Haeata tour and had some good conversations with others about what we do at Haeata.
Machines as Learning Partners
The impact of AI, robotics and
immersive technologies on the way we learn. Implications for today and the
future.
Artificial
humans. Used in
a number of industries.
Need to
make sure tech is more human like. Creating the future of human machine
cooperation.
Bring a
human element to the way we react with machines.
I just
finished uni, I could do whatever I want, how do we support people to change
careers and make that jump. This tech did not exist 4 years ago.
Movies
portray robots as having human qualities. Often negative ones!
Why do
we need these things?
Message
to get across we go from text, to voice then face to face.
Having a
conversation with someone face to face you can pick up cues.
The face
is so important for determining context.
Intersection
of :
Embodied
cognition
Emotional
intelligence
Artificial
intelligence
Dopamine
currency, making people feel good
Personalised
service, for anyone.
Could be
a virtual teacher
Specialised
content and knowledge
Accessible
by anyone anywhere
Need
people from different backgrounds and different expertise.
World's
only virtual nervous system - Mark Sagar CEO
They are
modelled in full body. Heart and lungs affect how we talk.
AI is
here, we need to embrace it and use it for our own benefit.
Applications:
Assistant,
to create customer experiences
Companion,
digital characters that learn in real time, engage, entertain and empathise
with you.
Can we
use this for companionship, or provide unbiased support.
Hero,
well known real world heroes that educate enlighten and inspire you. Have a
conversation with someone from history.
Creative
script writers
Teams
looking out how to dress her
Providing
customer support. Anything complex gets diverted
Our
biggest challenge is we don't have the staff we need. Data scientist. People
needing to be flexible on learning new skills.
Because
fantastic education doesn't just happen
We now
live in a world driven by data. Why don't we do it in education? We have
changed from a black board to a white board.
We don't
have an airpoints card for students to collect data. Why are we, in education, teaching to all
in the same way at the same time?
Will AI
take teachers jobs? Probably not. Will it take teachers jobs who refuse to work
with AI? Probably.
Air New
Zealand kiosks. Took no jobs, they are now circulating and helping out. But the process is now quicker.
Teachers
shouldn't be trying to teach content.
How do we
get that data for students?
10
questions just finding out what they know 7/10
Weighting
takes it to 5/10
Then find
out they guessed 2 takes it to 30% correct.
Do you
want to know if they got 70% or 30%
Using VR
to train radiographer. Students used to train on people.
Data
collected and used to enhance learning experience.
This kind
of talk should not happen. Do not
ask multichoice questions.
Adaptive
learning development tools
Personalised,
micro adaptive learning. They don't seem to know this so it sends them down that
line.
Big data
platform. No point doing a 3hr exam. They should have access to data where it
tracks behaviours, competencies, risks and strengths.
Advanced
analytics.
Move from
what happened and why they got there.
Prelearning
on their phones. Online material at weekends on their phones. Doing 30% on the
bus.
Evidence
based exams.
Finding
out what they know is really important, then you can teach them what they
don't know.
VR unit.
Everything they do is saved to their data. They can see they are doing well and
make it more complex. Can do it at home.
Gamified
solution. People love to compete. Even against themselves
90 days
to forget 50% of information. Texts can continually
remind students what they did in the past.
Waiting
room, every time they did a module a person left the room.
With data
you know what they know and don't know. If they are really good at anatomy why
ask them about anatomy in a face to face.
Start in
same place, end in same place but different path.
Software
identifies knowledge gaps and it fills them.
Continuously
data driven
Adaptive
digital learning
Vr
Lms
elearning
Oral/practical
assessment
Retention
strategy
Students
know what they don't know.
Panel: How are machines influencing us and what are
the implications for learning?
Panelists will share their
unique perspectives of technologies from their industry perspectives – what is
happening, what should we consider and how should we design learning in this
changing environment
Amy Fletcher Associate
Professor, University of Canterbury & Executive Council AI NZ Forum
Disrupting
the status quo with AI
Higher
education.
Find
some of it to be challenging and quite threatening.
Raises
risk and psyc issues
"Automation
is Voldemort, the terrifying force nobody is willing to name"
The
education model we have brings them in week 1 and turns them out at week 12
with same assessment.
How can
we have faculty in as partners not obstacles to change.
Younger
people much more tech savvy than we are.
Those
that perceive themselves as experts actually need to know there are new ways of
doing things to be a life long learning
Competency
based learning can take place in different places. Needs to be accountable and
reliable
Scenario
for faculty:
Dystopia, Goodbye Mr Chips
Alternative,
rock star academic, could broadcast the top ten to all students but would lose
people on the ground
Aspirational,
augmented professor, brought in as a key part for effective learning system.
Personalised
learning done well will create more access, equity and fairness. Is
crucial when done well with the student with the centre.
In one
sense we have had stackable credentials for a while, more interested in
horizontal.
Can work
across different areas. Partnership going to be important. Education and
employers are in sync. Citizens deserve to feel they are being prepared for the
workplace. What does it mean to do critical thinking?
Concept
of a pathway is crucial. NZQA will be key. Put together micro credentials in a
pattern.
How can
we be collaborative to partner up with machines to human advantage.
Software
developers
You
could make a youtube clip. - On
demand, convenient, cheap and customised
Cartoon: I've found a course on how to find a course.
So many
projects and online courses not finished.
This is
how humans prefer to act in a digital environment.
Get to
know your engagement types:
A Killers (competitive) - want
leader boards
B Explorers (curious) - so
find every bug
C Socialisers (Chatty and cooperative) - mentors
D Achievers (all the gold stars) - Want
quals
E Nurturers (Build and refine) - Farmville
Socialists that are also killers can be bullies
Killers
get to destroy other stuff
If you
engage people in the way that relates to them, learning becomes relatively painless.
Game
developers know how to engage their audience
We can
tailor education for different types.
There
are so many moving parts, get it there and get to know how your audience like
to engage
Self
awareness will become more important.
Core
skills they need for hiring: Need
people who can learn and keep up with what they need.
Humans
crave connection
Connections define
relationships. Relationships define success.
Shared experiences
can define a relationship for life.
Meaningful
conversations about things we care about.
Touch, experience
and conversations
What is AI? Software that gets better
without updates
Feedback defines
patterns. AI is feedback from a dataset.
AI can make digital
interactions more personal.
Can simply say what
we want and we get answers.
Voice recognition
has increased exponentially.
Chat bot can listen
and respond 24/7
Electricity has changed the world and how we
use it. Think of AI as an opportunity to make digital more human.
Looks past
credentials when hiring. Looks at how they think and how they fit.
Panel: An intergenerational response to the themes of
the day
Perspectives on the Future of
Learning – what could this mean for us
Sacha McMeeking Head of
Aotahi, School of Maori and Indigenous Studies - University of Canterbury
A
Orientation of where
we are now and where we are heading.
Past we look back on
to inform the future.
M
Change is the result
of learning
You can't learn
without collaborating together and achieving what you inspire to.
Resistant to
changes.
S
We would rather keep
that that we don't want, than engage in the unknown.
Predictions cannot
be accurate. It is impossible to know what so happen. Can only focus on trying
to build something we believe is worthy.
M
Need to reinforce
the idea of learning and what are the areas that cannot be left to chance as we
move into the digital age.
A
Exciting to see
things that can enable learning.
What is the world we
collectively want and how do we move towards that? How do technologies give us
one benefit without compromising another?
S
Students already
prefer chat bots for feedback.
Quite often the
first person to say I believe in you.
My ability to
believe in and aspire to students.
Her child will have
education not like hers, thankful for that.
Key takeaway:
A
Building self
awareness and confidence in young people
There is a lot to
think about. A community of people that are dying so much work and research.
Power of collaboration is important.
M
Translating from the
me to the we.
Teams, time and
relationship.
Challenge in our
community to make sure we have an informed public. At the present time they are
listening but are they taking it on board? Environment, technology, future of
work. Got to do something about social cohesion.
We have human
condition of optimism bias, it won't happen to me. We are all dispensable. We
have a choice whether we work in the status quo or bring in the new. Building
the new is much harder.
Practicalities
M
Embrace tech but be
aware of the risks. But don't be afraid to make mistakes, learn from them and
get on with the job
S
Find a group of 4
people, 2 you don't know who and do an intentional project. Need concept
deliveries
Need to work with
people that are different.
Provocation
S
Question your own
assumptions about what will be. Take someone who has an opposing view out for a
meaningful coffee.
M
Never forget your
roots, be thankful for them, never turn down an opportunity
Give as well as
receive
Never for get to
applaud some one for something they did during the day that deserves to be
recognised.
Think we have to
have the audacity to develop
To shape the future
so it is more humane and more equitable
Conclusion: Postcard from the future
A call to action, implications for learning and our future
Jason Swanson
Hamish Duff BSc. MSc. MBA Recalibrate
Dr Cheryl Doig Think
Beyond
Nearly every speaker has mentioned the power of collaboration.
Struck by how vital
that is.
Hope you have met
someone you can collaborate with. An unusual suspect
Education is facing
an exponential world. We have to move towards a network ecosystem mindset.
When you are trying
to move things forward, sometimes it is a lonely job.
Microcredentials to
measure lifelong learning.
Learning how to
learn is really important. We need to create the ecosystem to support people
through new learning.
Equity access and
trust are key design principles.
Major hurdle is
about marginalised communities not being able to learn
Still issues as a
city we need to address, access to learning
Removing boring
parts of jobs to allow people to be more humane and work with people.
How do we break down
silos with schools and businesses.
UN sustainability
goals. Put our actions in
the same direction
We have a city of
opportunity. We have a collection of people who are willing to dig deep and
make change happen.
My thoughts:
I am super excited about micro credentials - I did some work previously on Digital Badges and I can see some possibilities in where this could go. I love the idea of AI and can hardly wait to get into how we can use some of this amazing tech at Haeata. There were so many passionate people in that room today and I know I will be having conversations with many of them over time. It was great to meet new people and get different perspectives on how things might look in 20 years. Looking forward to Tues and Wed Masterclass.
People
change at a faster pace than structures. Society changes slowest.
Choice
and personalisation
This session was about analysing
strategies to create change
Opportunity:
Pick one
or two people to pitch. It takes time to adjust to different people so don't want too many
One image
with one word. 
What human need is being addressed and how are we addressing it?
