An exploration of AI and analytics, blockchain, robotics and 3D printing, 5G and immersive technology, gamification, video based learning and their likely impact on learning in the medium term. Also has some cautions. Developed for a series of presentations across Canada.

1. Understanding Emerging
Technologies and their Implications
for Online and Blended Learning
Stephen Murgatroyd, Phd
CONTACT NORTH | CONTACT NORD

2. What We Will
Explore
 This is all about teaching and learning and how
technologies can enable (and sometimes disable)
engaged learning and effective learning.
 We will look briefly at each of:
 Artificial Intelligence and Analytics
 Blockchain
 Robotics and 3D Printing
 5G and Immersive Technologies
 Gamification and Serious Games
 Video Based and Competency Based Learning
 New Forms of Credentials – Modular, Stackable
 Cautions – Privacy, Cybersecurity, Surveillance,
Algorithmic Bias

3. It’s All About
Pedagogy!
TECHNOLOGY AS AN ENABLER

4. Some Think..
Devices and AI will replace teachers – it will
change how teachers-learners and technology
interact, but teaching is what makes learning
meaningful and provides purpose and
connection
Technologies will lower the costs of
– yet, technology is expensive and must be
renewed (e.g. 5G requires new devices) and has
significant environmental impacts.
Personalized learning (learnification) will
replace collaborative and peer learning –
some aspects of learning can be pursued in
isolation of others, but evidence suggests that
peer to peer learning and the co-creation of
learning resources are key to effective
outcomes.
Data will drive better decisions (dataficaton)
data never speaks for itself, data always has to
be interpreted (even if by machine) and it is the
interpretation that raises concerns.

5. Five Things to
Keep in Mind
 Technology aids teaching and learning, rarely does it
replace teaching – it changes what teachers do and how
they interact with knowledge, students and collaborators.
 Many technology “solutions” are technologies in search
of a problem – designed by teams with little/no experience
of teaching.
 No one size technology fits all – each program / course /
group of learner/learner presents unique challenges.
 There is no such thing as “free” – time costs, people cost,
activity costs – e.g. open source software (Moodle) still is an
expensive proposition.
 Increasingly, LMS systems are components of a learning
eco-system not “the system” – all LMS systems have API
“hooks” enabling them to be added to so as to build a
learning eco-system.

6. Also…
Broadband is not available to all.. Hence
Aptus
The digital divide is real
Literacy remains a challenge for a
significant number of college and
university learners

9. Artificial
Intelligence &
Analytics

10. Key Uses of AI
& Analytics in
Education
(Current)
 Using data to create personal learning pathways
 Chatbots – virtual assistants / instant tutoring
 Analytics for smart intervention – predicting
needed action at key touch points, identification
key interventions and their impacts
 Planning and data mining for decision-making -
e.g. admission, development priorities
 Assessment – item generation, marking
 Improving course design

11. Uses of AI &
Analytics in
Education
(Future)
Automation of content curation
Creating content
Instant translation of learning materials,
learner contributions – making globalization
easier, cost-effective and efficient

12. Blockchain

14. Three Key Uses
 To store activity and records – an active,
decentralized ledger and e-portfolio – an ideal
way of capturing competencies and enabling
stacking
 Enabling the Expansion of MOOC’s –
universally accessible, instantly transferable
credit for credit-based MOOCs and MOOC
degrees and Micro-Credentials (now 50+
degrees and over 820 micro and nano
credentials).
 Enabling the Creation of Uber-U (Open
Source Colleges and Universities) – such as
LiveEdu, OS University and Gigamesh

15. Limitations of
Blockchain
 Cost – especially “transfer” costs from Banner /
SAP to blockchain.
 Trust levels in 100% technology solutions not
yet 100%
 Lack of agreed standards as to what an
equivalence looks like

16. 3D
Printing
&
Robotics

18. Uses of 3D Printing in Education
Developmental activities
using a 3D “jig saw” –
students print components of
the jig saw at home (body
parts, engines, chemical
components) and then have
to assemble them. See
mysetemkits.com for
examples.
Design challenges – students
have to design something,
manufacture it and share their
designs with others.
Solving mathematical and
geological problems using
pre-printed or self-printed 3D
“kits”.

19. Robotics & Education
 Robots can take many forms – forget R2D2!
 Robots enable remote connectivity and
participation – engaged students unable to
attend a session or participate in activity can be
“present” and active in labs.
 Powerful robotics in work with students with
autism
 Robot design challenges – Robot Wars, writing
scripts for robots to be used in agriculture,
engineering, health, etc.
 Drones (a form of robot) used in a range of
activities – agriculture studies, geology,
geography, science, social studies

20. 5G &
Immersive
Learning

21. What is 5G
Next generation broadband network – replacing 4G
100x faster than 4G (100 gigabits/second) – 6x faster
than LTE
Lower latency (time between request for a download
and action) – from waiting to instant (3x lower latency)
Will work on some current devices but will generally
require 5G enabled devices (chip speed).

22. What Will 5G
Enable
 Driverless cars and the Internet of Things (IoT) –
pver 1 million devices fully downloading
simultaneously per square kilometer
 Very fast access to downloaded images, videos,
immersive experiences – mini-seconds rather than
minutes.
 Complex simulations and immersive learning
 Faster robots, AI and 3D printing
 Greater and faster connectivity with peers

23. When Will 5G
Be Available?
 Rogers intends to be the first Telco to provide
substantial access to 5G – Toronto, Ottawa,
Montreal and Vancouver in 2020, with other
markets to follow in 2021.
 Bell’s fibre network is 5G “ready” – undertook first
trial (with Nokia) in 2016 and intends to launch
from 2020 through 2022
 Telus intends to begin its launch in 2020
 TeraGo will also begin its fixed line 5G network in
2020
 Nationwide access will be complete by 2024

24. Immersive Learning
 Imagine video glasses (or contact lenses) which provide
key information as you undertake a task – an
apprentice completing a weld, a science student
conducting an experiment at home.
 Imagine a student exploring the Louvre or British
Museum “live” at home.
 Imagine being able to look at and repair any car engine
from your living room
 Imagine having a conversation with Abraham Lincoln or
Mahatma Gandhi
Augmented and Virtual Reality Makes These Things
Possible and 5G makes them Realistic

26. Gamification
& Serious
Games

27. Games Are
Good For
Learning..
Neuroscientists say gamification elements cause
feel-good chemical reactions, and improve learning
and problem-solving
79% of participants in a recent study say they'd be
more productive and motivated if their learning
environment was more game-like
Interactive games help adult learners increase
skills-based knowledge by 14% and retention by
9%

28. Some
Examples..
 Games which help learners understand
compliance – e.g. health and safety, building
codes
 Games which immerse learners in a situation –
e.g. a nurse in a health challenge, a IT
technician in a call centre
 A timed quiz that challenges the learner to
respond at the same time as millions of others
(Open University, UK)
 A sales simulation used by BMW
 Lifesaver Crisis Simulator – 3 emergency
simulations developed by the UK Resuscitation
Council (e.g. CPR).

29. Video Based Learning & Competencies

30. Video Based
Learning
Mentoring through video review of activities – e.g. financial
advisors, doctors, nurses.
Review of apprenticeship competencies – Valid-8 video
assessment of competencies.
Peer to peer co-creation of resources – project-based
learning, shared assignments.
Global learning activities – connecting learners around the
world to complete challenges, collect data (e.g. climate data,
food waste data), or engage in shared learning.
Connecting experts to learners anywhere and at anytime
Microlearning - short skills-based videos available anytime,
anywhere-

31. New Forms
of
Credentials

32. Six Examples
 Microlearning – 10’, 25’ and 1 hour-based learning activities leading to a competency
assessment / badges.
 Assessment only credentials – University of Wisconsin, Western Governors
 Micro and Nano Degrees – MOOC providers (edX, Coursera, FutureLearn) all offer
micro-credentials
 MOOC based degrees – over 50 now available.
 LinkedIn Learning skills testing (and also Triplebyte for engineers) – linking skills
assessment to available jobs.
 Degree Apprenticeships (UK) – automatic enrollment in degree for advanced
apprenticeships.
Key emerging trend: Modular, Stackable Credentials

33. Some
Cautions!
CYBERSECURITY, PRIVACY, ALGORITHMIC
BIAS AND SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM

34. We Need to Be
Conscious of…
 The Hype Cycle – the difference between “promise” and
reality
 Privacy issues – who owns what and how can data be
used?
 Security issues – how safe and secure is the data I make
available?
 Abuse issues – using facial recognition software to
determine the level of my engagement with an online
activity?
 Algorithmic Bias – how do algorithms create inappropriate
decisions – e.g. for indigenous learners, understanding the
complexity of the learner…
 Bad decisions – “we think you are about to drop out….” or
only admitting students to a program with a 95% chance of
success according to the model…

36. Security
Challenges
Between January and
March 2019, 4.63
billion personal data
records were hacked
worldwide from public
health and education
institutions. In a full
year some 20 billion
personal data records
will be accessed by
individuals /
organizations not
authorized to do so.
At Arizona State
University, hackers
accessed the
computers of online
learners and installed
software which
enables them to
access these
computers at anytime.
Most people have very
poor password habits
and not use password
generators. Also, they
do not have constant
monitoring of malware
and their “dark-web”
presence.
The University of
Alberta’s entire web-
site was cloned
(including registration
and payment systems)
and those using the
cloned sites were
actually sharing data
and sending money to
Russia.

37. Privacy and
Ethics
 When a student completes an activity (a test, a
project, an essay) who owns it and what can
happen to it?
 If the student search data is made available to
“the system” what can be done with these
data?
 Who owns the grade data for a student?
 If a college / university is using a reporting
system / analytics – are 3rd parties able to
access these data? (They are for many school
reporting systems).
 Can a college / university sell anonymized data
and if so, what permissions do they need?
(Thing 23&Me).

38. Conclusions

39. My Conclusions
 Colleges and universities are slow to adopt and
adapt to emerging technology – costs, skills,
“converting” from one system to another ..
 What is happening is that the eco-system for
learning and teaching is changing – keep an eye
on AI, Analytics and Immersive learning in
particular.
 The key to all of this is DESIGN THINKING – how
we design powerful, memorable, quality learning
that is highly engaging and effective – and
DEPLOYMENT – how we make it happen across
Ontario, not just in Ottawa, Toronto (first places
to deploy 5G).