Media & Learning 2024 – Back to the Future?

• Back to the Future? by Zac Woolfitt, Inholland University, The Netherlands.
• Media and Learning 2024 by Maaike Wessels, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands.

Meet our keynote speakers!

Piet Desmet, KU Leuven, Belgium

Going digital. Staying human. Artificial intelligence and other Edtech challenges@KU Leuven

The responsible use of multimedia and educational technology stands as a pivotal strategic imperative within the policy framework of KU Leuven. Under the banner of Going Digital, Staying Human, our institution is steadfastly committed to the seamless integration of technology in learning and assessment, alongside the digital transformation of our educational approach. Within this context, the integration of VR/AR/XR technology into simulation-based education emerges as a prominent focal point of our agenda.

It goes without saying that artificial intelligence represents the technological frontier that currently commands our foremost attention at KU Leuven, particularly in terms of its impact on our educational concept. From a realistic perspective, we explain why AI is crucial in empowering both the learner, the teacher, and the institution. We focus primarily on what AI specifically means for these three key actors in formal education. For the learner, this includes adaptive learning apps, open-ended tasks, and advanced forms of learner support. For the teacher, we address content creation, content recommendation, and classroom monitoring. Regarding the institution, we consider the monitoring of students at risk, student coaching, and the impact on administrative processes. We conclude with some reflections on what’s next, in which we pay attention not only to further application possibilities, but also to the valid concerns associated with AI in education (AIED).

Amanda Murphy, Storyfutures, UK

Sensation, hype cycles and the struggle of HE to keep up with innovation technologies

This presentation discusses the benefits and challenges of XR in education at a time when AI has gripped the world and access to XR through increasingly democratised tools is radically changing how we interact with the real world. What does this mean for future generations and for universities seeking to integrate XR into the curriculum? How to disrupt old ways of teaching in order to seize the opportunities this transformational technology presents? It draws on the work of StoryFutures at Royal Holloway University of London where we developed cutting edge research & development programmes working with world leading industry partners to forge new models of industry facing challenge led research, and teaching programmes using a human-centred approach to inform best practice in inclusive innovation; and an interdisciplinary UK wide Train the Trainer initiative sought to build skills capacity in collaboration and partnerships with other HE institutes. It refers to a case study of StoryTrails developed an innovative participatory storytelling model using democratised tools, bringing industry and community partners together to address the digital public realm. While there is huge appetite for XR in teaching, there is much work to be done if we are to developing best practice guidelines, open source educational resources, standardised cost-effective tools and platforms for example. Research, collaboration, partnerships and inclusion sit at the heart of it.

Maarten Lamers, Leiden University, The Netherlands

When Machines Learn Too… A How and Why of AI

Learning unlocks intelligence. And for as long as we can oversee, learning was something uniquely human, or animal, just as creativity. But machine learning artificial intelligence enables machines to create pictures more realistically than we can, to compose songs in mere seconds, and to write texts about any topic imaginable. So, what is AI really, and broadly, how does it work? What role does machine learning play and are there limitations to its capabilities? In fact, why do we even have AI? Without going into technical depths, Maarten discusses the why and how of machine learning AI, and what it generally can and cannot do.

Lizzy Bleumers,  Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium

Education (Em)powered by Generative AI

The ongoing advancements in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) simultaneously evoke excitement, bewilderment and apprehension. And this is no different in the field of education. Much of the delight stems from GenAI-driven tools promising to save us time when creating educational resources. And while these certainly address a critical need, it is essential that we also consider how generative AI can uniquely promote the quality of learning, and what is needed to tap into this potential effectively and responsibly. In my presentation, I will share concrete examples of how GenAI is applied to optimize and transform educational media production and teaching practice, discuss the potential pitfalls we need to navigate, and reflect on how we can support competent GenAI use in education. These insights draw from the research in the (Em)powered by AI project, my colleagues and I are conducting at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences within the Sustainable Business and Digital Innovation Centre of Expertise.

Gary Burnett, Loughborough University, UK

Understanding the power of immersive technologies for enhanced student engagement and learning

Immersive technologies (such as virtual and augmented reality, mixed reality, hologram displays, etc.) have the potential to significantly enhance the engagement and learning of students – providing magical, gamified and memorable experiences that would otherwise be unsafe, impossible or expensive in real-world settings. Nevertheless, there are considerable challenges to maximise the benefits whilst minimising potential drawbacks in educational contexts. Professor Burnett has taught hundreds of students about immersive technology as avatars within fantastical virtual worlds and is also now exploring the use of advanced hologram technology in university environments. In this talk, he will outline the fundamental arguments for immersive technology and describe the research he has conducted in partnership with his students to understand how best to utilise immersion for enhancing and extending learning outcomes.

Maya Georgieva, Innovation Center, XR, HCI, AI & Quantum Labs, USA

New Frontiers: The Convergence of Creativity, Technology, and Ethics in Learning

This keynote will explore the future of learning at the dynamic intersection of creativity, technology, and ethics. As we stand on the cusp of a creative renaissance, we will dive into the profound impacts and opportunities presented by new media and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Extended Reality (XR), and Quantum Computing.

These technologies are not merely tools; they are catalysts for innovation, pushing the boundaries of what it means to learn and create. We will showcase pioneering examples where technology amplifies creativity, fostering a culture of innovation that inspires new models of learning, student engagement, and resilience.

The talk will critically examine the ethical dimensions of integrating these frontier technologies into learning environments. We will discuss the imperative of maintaining privacy, ensuring equitable access, and fostering an inclusive learning atmosphere amidst these technological advances.

20 June

21 June

📸Arnaud Absil

Media & Learning 2024: Back to the Future? conference themes:

1. Defining expertise amongst educational technologists, educational media producers and audiovisual personnel – what does it mean to be an expert in educational media in this day and age?  and what is the relevant skill-set required? What does it take to up-skill technicians to be pedagogically proficient and pedagogues to be technically proficient? 

2. Plotting the future for Centres for Teaching and Learning – services exist under many different names and play a variety of different roles from basic production and service provision to research and innovation, how best can they influence decision-making in relation to both teaching practice and the planning and allocation of resources and what role does the increasing drive towards internationalisation play? 

3. Enhancing the skills of teaching staff in the use of educational media in all its manifestations – how best to improve staff engagement and generate more useful tools and training opportunities? 

4. Ensuring pedagogical quality in media-rich teaching and learning materials and processes in higher education – what principles should apply in putting in place media supported services to support effective delivery and assessment of learning materials and opportunities?   

5. Navigating educational technology trends – whose opinions count when it comes to allocating scarce resources? How best to select from the latest developments in educational media technology that suit the teaching and learning needs and expectations of the higher education community and how can members of our community ensure they have a seat at the table when it comes to decision-making? 

6. Immersive learning experiences – what approaches, tools and services best serve institutions keen to produce the best possible educational material on a budget? Meet those people introducing XR and other innovative approaches successfully to teaching practices and hear their stories for getting XR into the learning offer made to students across a range of faculties. 

7. Power podcasting – share and discuss the tricks, skills and principles backed up by experience that make podcasting a masterful tool in higher education as well as the services that can best support teaching staff in podcast production.  

8. Re-thinking teaching and learning spaces in higher education – is hybrid the way to go? How are university administrations re-thinking their use of space in this post pandemic era and what impact is this having on our community? What does research tell us?  

9. AI’s impact on the use of media in synchronous and asynchronous learning support – what is the potential and experience of using AI tools to provide summaries, provide guides, ensure accessibility, enhance audio and video quality, support localization, etc. Practitioners and producers are invited to share their experiences of different tools and how they use them to make the overall quality of their outputs more intuitive, effective and engaging. 

10. Policies in practice for adopting AI – what has been the experience of implementing policies on the use of AI in Higher education and how are universities changing their educational delivery and assessment practices based on experience. Does AI have a role to play in helping make Higher education more accessible? 

11. Campus-wide approaches to XR – what strategies and tools can help make the transition to the large-scale uptake of XR, what is the role of industry?  up-scaling for who – students, researchers, institution? 

12. Educational media in teacher education and training – how best to support teachers in training in terms of their use of traditional and innovative multimedia in the classroom of tomorrow? 

13. Bridging the Gap – exploring effective transfers of media-enhanced Higher Educational practices to Vocational Training contexts and vice-versa . 

14. Enhancing staff and students’ skills in using AI – the importance of building prompting skills in the use of AI in helping to improve student employability for post university careers in technology operation and production, not just in video and audio production but to be more employable with a full set of communication, creativity and collaboration digital skills.  

Two half-day pre-conference workshops took place 19 June.

10:00-13:00 CEST, 19 June 2024 Unlocking engagement: exploring social presence and telepresence in online learning

14:00-17:00 CEST, 19 June 2024 Navigating educational multimedia: strategies for success