Ed3 Weekly Issue #104: Take the Pedagogy Back
Refocusing on the foundations of teaching and learning in an AI world
Hello Ed3 Community!
As the tech hype cycle ebbs and flows, we often find ourselves reevaluating our priorities. Currently, the allure of AI's efficiency is diverting our attention from the essentials of effective instruction.
This pattern is not unprecedented. We've witnessed similar dynamics with each new technological innovation, whether it was the overhead projector, the calculator, the internet, or the iPad. In designing technology to address our challenges, we consistently overestimate its immediate impact and underestimate its long-term effects. This phenomenon is encapsulated in Amara’s Law, which states: “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.”
Amid the clamor of promises like “use AI to cut your workload in half” and “let AI solve all your problems,” it’s crucial to discern the true value of these tools in enhancing teaching and learning.
This week’s resources aim to recalibrate our understanding of emerging technologies, specifically AI and the metaverse, offering insights from educational experts on how to integrate these tools effectively into educational frameworks.
📰 Featured Articles:
Integrating Generative AI within Emerging Learning Theories
Explore the enhancement of progressive learning theories—Situated Cognition, Distributed Cognition, and Socially-Shared Cognition—through Generative AI, emphasizing its role in creating personalized, context-rich, and collaborative educational experiences.
Meta wants to put students and teachers in Quest VR headsets
Meta aims to revolutionize education by integrating its Quest VR headsets into classrooms, allowing students to experience immersive virtual trips and lessons, though this raises concerns about increased screen time and the practicality of VR in educational settings.
The AI Teacher: A Rebel With a Cause?
The article reflects on the initial overhyped promises of AI in education, discussing the realistic integration and benefits of AI tools in enhancing teaching methods without the need for drastic systemic changes, emphasizing a balanced approach to using technology while maintaining essential traditional educational elements.
🏄 Weekly Deep Dive:
Whatever Happened to Building a Metaverse for Education?
The initial excitement around using the metaverse for educational purposes has significantly diminished, with experts reflecting on the shift from hype to practical applications and calling for more interactive, socially engaging, and education-focused developments in virtual reality technology.
Check out more in the deep dive below!
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Whatever Happened to Building a Metaverse for Education?
Image by Halfpoint / Shutterstock
This article explores how two years after the hype surrounding the metaverse's potential in education, interest has waned, revealing challenges and a refocus on practical applications rather than the initial excitement.
Greg Heiberger from South Dakota State University notes a decrease in funding from Meta, expressing disappointment over the drying up of resources that initially supported educational VR projects. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek from Temple University acknowledges ongoing advancements in VR technology, such as Apple’s Vision Pro, which improves user immersion but remains primarily entertainment-focused with limited educational interactivity.
Despite these setbacks, both experts still see valuable educational applications for VR and advocate for more input from educators to develop VR technologies that genuinely enhance learning.
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