Our weekly drip has arrived! It will take on a slightly different format but you’ll still get your fix. Sit back, and enjoy this 3 minute drop 🎙️

the classroom on it’s head? who should be prepared to answer questions?

According to Bard, Google’s conversational chatbot, “It is unlikely that AI will completely replace teachers in the near future.” And I couldn't agree more. While AI systems like Bard and ChatGPT can write essays and even pen elegant poems, they still lag behind humans in most disciplines, especially complex tasks that require a blend of technical competencies and socio-emotional skills.

But that doesn't mean we should ignore the impact of AI on education. In fact, AI has the potential to underpin positive transformation in education. For instance, AI-powered computer vision and voice-to-text apps can significantly boost school accessibility for learners or professionals with visual and hearing impairments. AI can also reduce teacher and trainer workloads, especially in environments where capacity and headcount are low.

However, human educators must remain central to teaching and learning. As machines become better at answering questions, educators/trainers/designers should guide learners to ask better questions. This will go beyond writing good prompts for conversational AI. Today’s programmes should inspire learners to be curious as this is an essential ingredient to conducting primary research, including in frontline environments like call centres and sales areas where humans have an edge over AI, for now…

Additionally, as AI heralds rapid transformation and change in labor markets, socio-emotional skills like adaptability should become central to instructionally designer the curricula. We should aim to plant the seeds of adaptability in the hearts and minds of our learners.

So what does this all mean for Learning and Development professionals? It means it's time to review curricula, syllabi and trainer professional development programs and incorporate objectives and content on AI literacy, risks, ethics and skills. It means it's time to inspire our learners to love lifelong learning.

The future of education is here - let's embrace it together!

Weekly prompt…

"Act as a training and development specialist. Generate ideas on how you can review curricula, syllabi and trainer professional development programs to incorporate objectives and content on AI literacy, risks, ethics and skills that inspires our learners to love lifelong learning."