Digital technology has transformed the learning experience. Millions of learners use a rich array of tools and multimedia resources and connect with others in ways that weren’t possible, certainly not at scale, just a few years ago. Education needs to prepare those students for a new world of work where robots and artificial intelligence (AI) can undertake repetitive, dangerous and boring tasks. It is ideal therefore that learning and reskilling, just like work, can be done from almost any location.
The possibilities offered by education technology have never been more exciting but it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that we are using these tools to educate people. Humans don’t all come with the same set of factory defaults. Designing educational experiences to accommodate differences in physical characteristics, neurodiversity, culturally influenced perceptions and personal aspirations is not an easy task. We need to rise to this challenge and deliver effective learning experiences with the aid of tools that are pedagogically and ethically sound.
The half-day Education Technology Summit 2024 explored how pedagogy and technology are evolving together to meet these challenges.