G’day
This posting was created using AI (Authentic Intelligence). Any similarities with the other Ai, are purely coincidental. Unreal as that may seem !
The past few months have been a bit up and down. Sadly in early May, we had our beautiful Golden Retriever , Kay(11.3 yrs) put to sleep because of cancer; a traumatic time for us all losing, what essentially was a member of the family. She will not be forgotten.
Shortly afterwards, we spent 10 days in Portugal on a Viking river cruise. I would thoroughly recommend it. Also gave us time to reflect and think of the future without Kay.
Since returning home (felt very empty without the dog) I have been reading lots of stuff on the great AI (Artificial Intelligence)revolution; there’s a hell of a lot of it! It seems many educational institutions are embracing AI and establishing guidelines for students and staff around its use. That AI is going to alter the learning and teaching landscape is beyond question. How well it will help and support student learning and approaches to teaching, remains to be seen; there are challenges ahead, however already there are positive signs it is making a difference.
[I can remember using AI (Added Incentive) to get students to lunch time meetings by providing Pizza! Same thing really, motivates, engages and feeds the mind.]
For some , AI will forever remain a mythtery.
Although AI has the spotlight, there is still plenty of focus on student learning through traditional means. Integrating/blending these approaches with AI will be inevitable. In the end, the students are still responsible for their learning and hopefully using AI will help then learn and not fool them into thinking that merely producing a comprehensive essay or assignment using AI, means they have actually learnt anything or everything they need to know about their subject.
In the posting this month there are links to AI stuff (of course), working in groups and teams, using Educational technology, new journal review and the odd one out.
Enjoy the rest of summer and leaving winter behind
1. What is AI?. An interesting, informative and useful introduction to AI. {of course you know it all already:-)]
https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence
2. From the open library at okstate: A ‘living’ ebook: Applications of Educational Technology (Author:Susan Stansberry).
A very useful text for those studying or learning abut the use of educational technology. A number of other books on the site that may be of interest; peruse at your leisure
https://open.library.okstate.edu/applicationsofeducationaltechnology/
3. Ethan Mollick is someone you should follow if you are interested in the use of AI in numerous contexts; he is a leader in the field [I mentioned him in the Watch some months ago when he first appeared on the scene] Well worth exploring his guides insights and creations for a better understanding on wht’;s good and what;’s even better in the use of AI
https://www.oneusefulthing.org/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
4. Enhancing Working in Groups and Teams in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
A Report for the Centre for Education Teaching Innovation, University of Westminster, UK
Mick Healey
This is a new report well worth reading if your teaching involves students working in teams or groups. Well written and presented and a useful resource as a guide.
5. AI in Colorado Education: Just published : Colorado Releases Roadmap for AI in K-12 Education:Guidance for Integrating AI into Teaching and Learning.
This is a free downloadable resource. The report may have been written for the K12 students, however, many of the principles, policies and practices outlined in the report could easily be transferred to higher eduction. Worth downloading even if to get a look at some of the frameworks for Ai implementation and use that have been developed.
6.Generative AI for Educators. A short course to enlace you to understand Ai and how to use it effectively an efficiently in education
https://grow.google/ai-for-educators/
7. Artificial intelligence (AI) in the complexity of the present and future of education: research and applications. If you have some time for some serious reading about AI in education research and its application,, this site is the place to be,
8. The awkward AI homework question. A short but interesting article which should make you pause for thought and maybe consider how you would approach the issues identified; it’s a dilemma in some ways and is part of the challenging environment in which Ai is sometimes the elephant in the room.
9. From Tony Bates: New journal on open, distance and digital education: a review. As one should expect from Tony (full disclosure, colleague and friend of some years:-)) an excellent and in many ways a thought provoking review incorporates some significant comment from well known leaders in the field. You have to read it and even contribute to the Journal, I wish it success. Whilst you are there , check out his latest addition to his autobiography {He actually did more in New Zealand through the very successful ‘Shar-e-fest’ event run by myself and Prof John Clayton from Wintec in Hamilton NZ . I think he may have forgotten; it happens as one gets more mature 
The theme of the next World Conference is Ako: Exchanging ideas for inclusive, scalable, and sustainable education. An event not to be missed, so register your interest TODAY
The conference theme is: Navigating the Terrain: Emerging Frontiers in Learning Spaces, Pedagogies, and TechnologiesYou have to be at this one as well!https://2024conference.ascilite.org
Odd one out:
HathiTrust was founded in 2008 as a not-for-profit collaborative of academic and research libraries now preserving 18+ million digitized items in the HathiTrust Digital Library.
There has to be something here to light your fuse. Huge range of books.
I follow the life and times of John Hunter (1728-1793) and the library has heaps of vintage stuff on his life; spend hours pursuing and learning. I also had a look at the Bodelian Libraries of the University of Oxford. Once past the annual reports, there’s lot of interesting publications going back to the 1800’s.
Cheers
Richard
Richard Elliott
The Eternal Macademic
Auckland
New Zealand