How do our leaders see the impact of technology on the future of education, and how are our education and training institutions adapting?
Education and learning are facing serious reform as artificial intelligence takes center stage in our daily lives.
Although nothing can replace the personal dynamic between teacher and student, AI-assisted learning now has clear and measurable benefits.
As multiple sectors continue to develop and embrace technology-enabled learning, the inspiring question becomes:
What role will technology play in shaping the future of education, and how can we adapt to it?
We asked our LinkedIn community, who were more than happy to share their insights.
Here's what they had to say about it.
Dr. Sharon Zivkovich
Founder and CEO: Community Capacity Builders
Technology will play an important role in shaping access to education for people with disabilities in the future. The final report of the Disability Royal Commission recommended that all government technology procurement policies and tendering arrangements comply with the current Australian ICT Accessibility Standard (AS EN 301 549:2020 – Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services). This standard includes requirements that WCAG 2.0 Level AA (including Level A) be the standard accessibility requirement for all websites and web content.
Government-funded educational institutions will need to adapt to these requirements. It would be in the best interest of educational institutions to adhere to this standard, given that the number of students with disabilities enrolled in higher education has been increasing annually since 2011.
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Dr. Irina Yashin Shu
CEO: Global Entrepreneurship Institute
For us at the Global Intrapreneurs Institute, technology has made it possible to deliver our educational programs to all sectors of the world using different types of platforms. As a lifelong educator, I get a real thrill from now developing leaders on the other side of the world, in different time zones (even different languages) from our home base in Brisbane; Deliver and attend lectures and tutorials in the metaverse and create asynchronous learning experiences in a variety of ways. It is impossible to imagine this even a few years ago.
AI makes it possible to create personalized and adaptable learning experiences for students at scale. My colleagues at The Ohio State University College of Nursing are using immersive technologies to teach the next generation of nurses to learn about the inner workings of the human body from the inside out. During the global pandemic, educational institutions at all levels, from kindergartens to universities, have discovered how to transcend traditional boundaries of access. We are just at the beginning of all these fundamental shifts in how education is designed and experienced. Innovative, forward-thinking educational institutions are embracing these transformations and proactively experimenting with how to use them to empower learners. Exciting!
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Dr. Dennis Merson
Founder and Director: MCI Solutions
Education is in the midst of an AI and old-fashioned revolution, where traditional institutions are being dragged in whether they fear it or not.
Students benefit greatly from less passive learning and more flipped classrooms where students actively interact with the AI as a personal tutor to guide them.
Why raise your hand and expect a teacher or lecturer to be a fountain of all knowledge when ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini will generally give you quick and accurate answers. Even if they “hallucinate” every now and then, students are encouraged to develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
There is a lot of talk about cheating using AI because this will remain undetectable. However, the breakneck speed of these changes in AI will creep into classrooms in ways that are now difficult to predict—and to the benefit of students as well as faculty.
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Peter Merrill
CEO: XSCALE Alliance
We have been teaching people skills that replace human labor ever since agriculture replaced hunting and gathering. The Industrial Revolution taught us skills that automate agriculture. The information revolution has taught skills that automate industry. But the intelligence revolution means that machines can teach themselves any skill we need. Our educational institutions must change from teaching skills to teaching methods to improve human experiences and human relationships.
To choose an example close to home, my son started a degree in Computing Design at the University of Sydney just before the coronavirus outbreak while working part-time in a bike shop. But design computing can easily be automated by AI, as AI cannot design bikes to fit human experiences and relationships. Only humans can. So my son left that degree to become a mentor in the Australian cycling community and he makes a good living doing that.
Reorienting educational institutions away from automatizable skills toward experiential and human relational skills is not yet a model, but it is the only educational strategy of value in a world in which machines perform skilled labor faster, cheaper, and better than any human. To this end, as the Pope said, the correct study of humanity is and can only be man.
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Wanita Zoghby-Fourie
CEO: Online Business Academy
I believe we are witnessing a revolutionary transformation in education, thanks to the integration of technology and artificial intelligence. We need to prepare people for an increasingly technology-driven world. We're talking about a pressing need here – upgrading networks, expanding Wi-Fi coverage, and ensuring teachers are skilled at leveraging these tools effectively.
It's really cool. We are entering an era where learning is not limited to textbooks and lectures. Imagine virtual labs that make learning how to work feel like an exciting adventure, or interactive simulations that challenge and engage people in new ways.
Additionally, online collaboration platforms bring the dynamics of the modern workplace directly into the classroom. The possibilities are endless! As technology evolves, our approach to education will also evolve.
I see a future where learning is personalized, interactive, and highly engaging. It's about empowering people to take charge of their learning journey and equipping them with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. It's an exciting time to be part of the education revolution.
