Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds much promise, provided that well-thought-out learning and teaching practices are in place.
This was the key takeaway of Dragan Gašević’s keynote presentation at the 5th ASEAN University Network (AUN)-TEPL Symposium: Student Engagement and Technology-Enhanced Personalized Learning.
AUN-TEPL is a thematic network within the AUN framework that aims to promote cooperation among ASEAN universities in order to improve student achievement via technology-driven personalized learning methods and strategies.
A professor of learning analytics at Monash University, Gašević discussed Generative AI in Education: Between Promise and Evidence, which was about AI’s great potential and uses in education, and how it is shaping human learning.
Despite AI’s numerous applications, Gašević cautioned against uncritical use of it as a teaching tool. It has been found that AI has some serious concerns with reliability, its use in developing the students’ future-ready skills, and its limitation issues in the assessment process and feedbacks for the improvement of learning. Gašević also underscored the need for strong research to better understand AI’s long-term effects and repercussions on human learning.
Gašević added that the AI is here to stay, thus, we need to engage constructively to understand its ramifications. He also pointed out that the use of technology does not automatically mean it is effective in pedagogy.
He said to some extent, education has been hacked by generative AI.
“No other sector has been so affected as ours. So, we need to lead the change. Nobody else will come to our rescue. I think we have lots of means but we must not forget that what we know about human cognition or human learning still has not change despite the environment that is potentially making some of these things,” said Gašević.
UP Diliman (UPD) Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II echoed Gašević’s points.
“AI is a technology that seeks to equal, if not surpass, human intelligence. The human intelligence that AI is trying to mimic, the brilliance or genius the AI is copying, was developed and achieved without AI or even without technologies. The Da Vincis, the Einsteins, to make it more local, the Amorsolos, the Lea Salongas of our history, all the great minds, artists and talents we have come to know, all became the intelligent, talented beings they are without AI,” said Vistan.
He cited research that found mental processes or foundations of learning have weakened, when there is excessive dependence on digital technologies in the learning process. According to Vistan, these studies emphasized that the time-honored processes and learning methods like rote memorization and other iterative learning methods are important, if not indispensable, in producing highly skilled and talented individuals.
A talk on the impact of technology-enhanced personalized learning (TEPL) on students was presented by Juaridah Hj Musa, PhD from the Universiti Brunei Darusasalam (UBD).
Musa shared insights from the module Digital Learning and Professional Development under their Master of Governance program. The program, offered by the UBD Centre for Lifelong Learning, caters to lifelong learners from diverse background and are already in the workforce. Her presentation explored how personalized learning powered by technology can make education more engaging, flexible, and meaningful.
A panel discussion on the applications of TEPL among network universities followed, where Sityi Rohaiza Binti Ahmad, PhD of the UBD, Jessica Junio-Jimenez of UPD, and Lo Siaw Ling, PhD of the Singapore Management University (SMU) shared the best practices of their respective universities in creating more personalized and engaging learning environments.
The symposium featured the launch of Online Course Exchange initiative of the AUN-TEPL. The online course exchange among the AUN-TEPL member universities, with course credit transfer, is an initiative of the network that aims to create an extensive catalog of online courses offered by the member universities. It also intends to implement a credit transfer system that enables students from each participating university to earn university credits upon successful completion of the courses.
Also recognized at the event were winners of the Great Ideas: Student-driven Technology-Enhanced Personalized Learning Showcase (STEPS) competition. The competition was for undergraduate students of AUN-TEPL members who have showcased exceptional innovation and creativity in utilizing technology in their learning experiences.
The five project-study winners were the AI Study Hacks that Actually Worked for Us by Oh Jun En and Regan Lee Tong En of Singapore Management University; Like Clockwork: Pomodoro by Misha Anne Lumibao, Roanne Frances Arteza, and Zsaneah Patriz De Veyra of UPD; Smarter Learning with NotebookLM: A Personalized Study Revolution by Tan Sing Yee of the Universiti Malaya; Google Sheets, The Free Tool That Keeps You On Track by Ma. Andrea Leonessa Rule, Le Andre Simon, and Zaphia Celisse Sorongon of UPD; and Kaykay’s Learning Journey with Blooket by Alicia Tan Jia Ying, Grezelda Meredith Harijanto, and Kayla Nathania Umarie of the Singapore Management University.
Attended by representatives of the AUN-TEPL network member universities, namely Mahidol University, SMU, UBD, Universiti Malaya, and UPD, the symposium was held on Oct. 2 at the UP Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
