AI as a Methodology for Supporting Educational Praxis and Teacher Metacognition

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is of critical importance in education where emphasis is placed on the need to equip educators with an ability to independently generate and reflect on evidence of their practices in situ – a process also known as praxis. This paper examines existing research related to teachers’ metacognitive skills and, using two exemplar projects, it discusses the utility and relevance of AI methods of knowledge representation and knowledge elicitation as methodologies for supporting EBP. Research related to technology-enhanced communities of practice as a means for teachers to share and compare their knowledge with others is also examined. Suggestions for the key considerations in supporting teachers’ metacognition in praxis are made based on the review of literature and discussion of the specific projects, with the aim to highlight potential future research directions for AIEd. A proposal is made that a crucial part of AIEd’s future resides in its curating the role of AI as a methodology for supporting teacher training and continuous professional development, especially as relates to their developing metacognitive skills in relation to their practices

Bridging the gap between high and low performing pupils through performance learning online analysis and curricula

Metacognition is a neglected area of investment in formal education and in teachers’ professional development. This paper presents an approach and tools, created by a London-based company called Performance Learning Education (PL), for supporting front-line teachers and learners in developing metacognitive competencies. An iterative process adopted by PL in developing and validating its approach is presented, demonstrating its value to real educational practices, it’s research potential in the area of metacognition, and its AI readiness, especially in relation to modelling learners’ non-cognitive competencies

AI-Driven Dynamics: ChatGPT Transforming ELT Teacher-Student Interactions

In the rapidly evolving educational domain, where artificial intelligence (AI) is pivotal, English Language Teaching (ELT) witnesses profound transformations. This study, focusing on integrating ChatGPT, an AI-driven language model, illuminates its substantial impact on the dynamics between teachers and students within ELT. Pertinent to this research is the inquiry into how ChatGPT reshapes teacher roles, responsibilities, and pedagogical practices, an area previously overlooked in the realm of AI in education. Employing a theoretical lens, the study scrutinises active learning models, technology integration theories, and paradigms of teacher professional development. Such analysis is crucial in comprehending teachers' shift from traditional methodologies to more facilitative and supportive roles, emphasising the urgency of this investigation for active learning's progression. Utilising diverse analytical approaches, ChatGPT propels pedagogies encouraging active learning, notably blended, collaborative, and project-based learning, while accentuating the necessity of professional development and institutional support for teachers' successful transition to these novel roles. These findings offer pivotal insights for the higher education sector, underlining the imperative of embracing AI's transformative potential, particularly tools like ChatGPT. By delving into ChatGPT's influence on teacher-student interaction and pedagogical methods, the study carves a significant path for future exploration and application in technology-enhanced ELT

An Analysis of the Suitability of Philosophy as a Core K-12 Public School Subject

In 2005 Michael Katz invited philosophers of education to reinvigorate the inquiry into what is required to provide a proper education for everyone to lead a productive life. In the literature review, I analyze the suitability of philosophy in teaching K-12 students how to think and reason logically—essential abilities for a productive life. I also examine the educational landscape through the philosophy of Nicholas Rescher’s Cognitive-Values Theory and address the value of learning philosophy. I present a Philosophical Dialectic that shows how epistemic diversity (aporetic clusters) justifies making philosophy a K-12 core subject while analyzing philosophers’ reasons for including philosophy as a core K-12 public school subject. Finally, I assess the Philosophical Dialectic by applying the Heuristic-Systematic Model. Because cognition and metacognition require training the mind, I show how philosophy is most suited to provide this systematically. I assess how Artificial Intelligence (general and generative) is interrupting pedagogy and how a K-12 philosophy curriculum can both mitigate and harness this positively. I demonstrate the importance of neuroscientific research and why this must inform curriculum construction. In Chapter Three, I provide a Scope and Sequence for a Philosophy K-12 curriculum to demonstrate how logic, reasoning, and critical thinking develop students’ cognition and metacognition. I present reasons why philosophy has become the elephant in the room, even though it is the subject best suited to teach children systematically how to think well. I present a rationale for why colleges of education must recruit trainee teachers educated in philosophy to be trained as philosophy teachers and why philosophy should be a core K-12 subject

Methodology for Research with Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals

This open access book addresses the growing trend in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) research named collaborative knowledge building in which researchers and ECEC personnel collaborate. This kind of research encompasses a number of approaches, such as design studies, action studies, Learning Studies, Lesson Studies, and combined research and development studies. There are important differences between these approaches, but they also share some features, which makes it possible to see them as examples of a particular tradition of knowledge building. Collaborative knowledge building constitutes close ties between developing practices of early childhood education and care, and generating empirically grounded theoretical knowledge. This book contributes to the methodology of practices-developing research by mapping this movement through exemplifying themes actualised in such studies, and through conceptualizing important and recurring gains and challenges. It also describes how the latter can be taken on

Self-directed learning research and its impact on educational practice

This scholarly book is the third volume in an NWU book series on self-directed learning and is devoted to self-directed learning research and its impact on educational practice. The importance of self-directed learning for learners in the 21st century to equip themselves with the necessary skills to take responsibility for their own learning for life cannot be over emphasised. The target audience does not only consist of scholars in the field of self-directed learning in Higher Education and the Schooling sector but includes all scholars in the field of teaching and learning in all education and training sectors. The book contributes to the discourse on creating dispositions towards self-directed learning among all learners and adds to the latest body of scholarship in terms of self-directed learning. Although from different perspectives, all chapters in the book are closely linked together around self-directed learning as a central theme, following on the work done in Volume 1 of this series (Self-Directed Learning for the 21st Century: Implications for Higher Education) to form a rich knowledge bank of work on self-directed learning

Accountability in human and artificial decision-making as the basis for diversity and educational inclusion

Accountability is an important dimension of decision-making in Human and Artificial Intelligence (AI). We argue that it is of fundamental importance to inclusion, diversity and fairness of both the AI-based and human-controlled interactions and any human-facing interventions aiming to change human development, behaviour and learning. Less well debated, however, is the nature and the role of biases that emerge from theoretical or empirical models that underpin AI algorithms and the interventions driven by such algorithms. While, the biases emerging from the theoretical and empirical models also affect human-controlled educational systems and interventions (e.g. hindsight and unconscious biases), the key mitigating difference between AI and human decision-making is that human decisions involve individual flexibility, context-relevant judgements, empathy, as well as complex moral judgements, missing from AI. In this chapter, we argue that our fascination with AI, which pre-dates the current craze by centuries, resides in its ability to act as a ‘mirror’ reflecting our current understandings of human intelligence. Such understandings also inevitably encapsulate the biases emerging from our intellectual and empirical limitations. We make a case for the need for diversity to mitigate against biases becoming inbuilt into systems (in both Education and AI) and, with reference to specific examples of AI approaches and applications, we outline one compelling future for inclusive and accountable AI and Educational research and practice

Towards a digital learning ecosystem within a community of inquiry : design-based research in ICT engineering education

Yhteiskunnan lisääntyvä digitalisaatio on muuttanut oppimistapojamme ja työskentelyämme merkittävästi. Tieto- ja viestintätekniikan insinöörikoulutuksen alalla uusien digitaalisten teknologioiden ilmaantuminen ja teollisuuden vallankumous ovat synnyttäneet tarpeen kehittää uusia pedagogisia lähestymistapoja, jotka integroituvat saumattomasti alan menetelmiin ja käytäntöihin. Tämä väitöskirja keskittyy digitaalisen oppimisen ekosysteemin suunnittelukehyksen sekä sitä tukevien suunnitteluperiaatteiden luomiseen, missä verkko-oppiminen integroidaan insinöörikoulutukseen huomioiden sekä koulutuspoliittiset näkökulmat että yhteisön sidosryhmien kokemukset ja odotukset. Sidosryhmiksi tässä tutkimuksessa käsitetään opiskelijoiden lisäksi teollisuuden edustajat, sekä ohjaajina tieto- ja viestintätekniikan insinöörikoulutuksen opettajat ja yksikön tutkimus- ja kehityshanketoiminnan henkilöstö. Tutkimus sijoittuu Lapin ammattikorkeakoulun tieto- ja viestintätekniikan insinöörikoulutukseen. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on varmistaa opiskeluun sitouttavan ja mielenkiintoa ylläpitävän ekosysteemin toteutuminen, jotta opiskelijoille tarjoutuu mahdollisuus hankkia tarvittavat tiedot ja taidot todellisten ongelmien ratkaisemiseen sekä valmistautumiseen digitalisoituvaan elinkeinoelämään ja teollisuuteen. Design-tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on syventää tietämystä alan tekniikan koulutuksen suunnittelusta sekä toteutuksen vaatimuksista ja toimintaperiaatteista. Tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi päätutkimusongelmaa: Mitkä ovat digitaalisen oppimisen ekosysteemin suunnitteluperiaatteet ja ominaisuudet, jotka vastaavat sidosryhmien tarpeisiin ja tieto- ja viestintätekniikan insinöörikoulutuksen linjauksiin sekä ohjaaviin asiakirjoihin? lähestytään tässä tutkimuksessa kaikkiaan kolmen osatutkimuksen avulla, joista kukin on raportoitu omana artikkelinaan. Ensimmäiset kaksi osatutkimusta kattavat design-tutkimuksen ensimmäisen syklin ja kolmas osatutkimus kattaa toisen syklin. Ensimmäisessä osatutkimuksessa tutkittiin tietoja viestintätekniikan insinöörikoulutuksen sen hetkisen oppimisen ekosysteemin sidosryhmien ajatuksia ja kokemuksia. Laadullisen tutkimuksen aineisto koostui opiskelijoiden haastatteluista sekä ohjaajilta että teollisuuden ja elinkeinoelämän edustajilta kerätyistä web-kyselyn vastauksista. Tulokset analysoitiin laadullisella sisällönanalyysilla. Toisessa osatutkimuksessa pilotoitiin tiimiyhteistyöalustaa hyödyntävää projektiperustaista oppimista integroidussa opetussuunnitelmassa, käyttäen sulautettua oppimista tutkivan yhteisön (Community of Inquiry, CoI) kontekstissa. Opiskelijoiden kokemuksia arvioitiin CoI-kyselytutkimuksella ja tiimityöalustan käyttöä analysoitiin palvelimen logitietojen perusteella. Kolmas osatutkimus keskittyi opiskelijoiden oppimiskokemuksiin verkossa hyödyntäen myös CoI-instrumenttia. Sekä toisen että kolmannen osatutkimuksen CoI-kyselyn vastausten analyysimenetelmänä oli Rasch Rating Scale Model -malli. Syvemmän ymmärryksen saavuttamiseksi kolmannessa osatutkimuksessa opiskelijoilta pyydettiin myös sanallisia kokemuksia ja ajatuksia. Kunkin osatutkimuksen tulokset muodostivat perustan seuraavien vaiheiden suunnittelulle ja interventioille, tukien design-tutkimuksen etenemistä ja syventäen ymmärrystä. Tämän väitöstutkimuksen tuloksena ehdotetaan digitaalisen oppimisen ekosysteemin suunnittelukehystä tieto- ja viestintätekniikan insinöörikoulutukselle. Kehystä tukevat seuraavat suunnitteluperiaatteet: 1) tiimiyhteistyöalustan käyttöönotto, 2) kaikkien sidosryhmien aktiivinen osallistuminen yhteistyöhön, 3) ekosysteemin kulttuurin luominen, 4) sulautetun oppimisen hyödyntäminen, 5) ohjaajatiimin perustaminen, 6) online-resurssipoolin luominen, 7) projektiperustaisen oppimisen soveltaminen ja 8) toimialakohtaisten menetelmien ja konseptien hyödyntäminen. Nämä suunnitteluperiaatteet voidaan edelleen tiivistää suunnittelukehyksen ominaisuuksiksi, joita ovat: 1) koheesio, 2) yhteistyö, 3) jakaminen, 4) virtuaalisuus, 5) integrointi, 6) työkalut, 7) ongelmanratkaisu ja 8) teknologia. Tämän insinööritieteitä ja kasvatustiedettä yhdistävän tutkimuksen tulokset ovat laajentaneet insinöörikoulutuksen tietämystä ja tuottaneet teoreettisesti ja empiirisesti perustellun uuden suunnittelukehyksen ICT-insinöörikoulutuksen digitaalisen oppimisen ekosysteemin suunnittelulle. Tämä tutkimus paikkaa aukon kansainvälisessä tutkimuskentässä ja luo vankan perustan jatkokeskusteluille, tutkimushankkeille ja edistysaskeleille globaalissa digitaalisessa muutoksessa. Lisäksi se edistää korkeakoulujen ja teollisuuden välistä yhteistyötä, mahdollistaen tiedon ja asiantuntemuksen vaihdon tällä nopeasti kehittyvällä alalla.The increasing digitalisation of society has significantly transformed our learning methods and work processes. In the field of information and communication technology (ICT) engineering education, the emergence of new digital technologies and the industrial revolution have created a need to develop new pedagogical approaches that seamlessly integrate with industry methods and practices. This dissertation focuses on creating a design framework for a digital learning ecosystem and supporting design principles that integrate online learning with engineering education, taking into account both educational policy perspectives and the experiences and expectations of community stakeholders. In this research, stakeholders include students, industry representatives, instructors in ICT engineering education and personnel involved in research and development projects in the ICT unit. The research is situated in the context of ICT engineering education at Lapland University of Applied Sciences. This study aims to ensure the realisation of an engaging and meaningful digital learning ecosystem, providing students with the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to solve real-world problems and prepare for the digitising industry. The purpose of this design-based research (DBR) is to deepen our understanding of the design and implementation requirements and principles of ICT engineering education. To achieve the research goals of this study, which addresses the main research question, ‘What are the design principles and characteristics of a digital learning ecosystem that align with the needs of stakeholders and the policies in ICT engineering education?’, three sub-studies were conducted, each reported as a separate article. The first two sub-studies covered the first cycle of the DBR, and the third sub-study covered the second cycle. In the first sub-study, the thoughts and experiences of stakeholders within the current learning ecosystem of ICT engineering education were investigated. The qualitative research data consisted of interviews with students and web survey responses collected from instructors and industry representatives. The results were analysed using content analysis. The second sub-study piloted project-based learning supported by a team collaboration platform in an integrated curriculum, utilising blended learning in the context of a community of inquiry (CoI). The students’ experiences were assessed through a CoI survey, and the usage of the team collaboration platform was analysed based on server log data. The focus of the third sub-study was on students’ experiences in a fully online environment, which were examined using the CoI instrument. The results of the CoI instrument in the second and third sub-studies were analysed using the Rasch rating scale analysis method. To gain a deeper understanding, the students were also asked to provide verbal accounts of their experiences and thoughts in the third sub-study. The results of each sub-study served as a basis for planning subsequent phases and interventions, supporting the progress of the DBR and enhancing the understanding of the topic. As a result of this doctoral research, a design framework for a digital learning ecosystem is proposed for ICT engineering education. The framework is supported by the following design principles: 1) adoption of a team collaboration platform, 2) active participation of all stakeholders in collaboration, 3) creation of an ecosystem culture, 4) utilisation of blended learning methods, 5) establishment of an instructor team, 6) creation of an online resource pool, 7) application of project-based learning methods, and 8) utilisation of industry-specific methods and concepts. These design principles can be further condensed into the characteristics of the design framework, which establishes a connection between the framework and the emerging ideologies of the present era. The characteristics of the framework include 1) cohesion, 2) collaboration, 3) sharing, 4) virtual, 5) integration, 6) tools, 7) problem-solving, and 8) technology. The results of this research, which combines the disciplines of engineering and educational sciences, have expanded the new knowledge of engineering education and generated a theoretically and empirically justified design framework for a digital learning ecosystem in ICT engineering education. This research is significant because it fills a gap in the international research landscape and provides a solid foundation for further discussions, research projects, and advancements in the global digital transformation. In addition, it promotes collaboration between higher education institutions and industry, enabling the exchange of knowledge and expertise in this rapidly evolving field

Fundamental Principles of Metacognition: A Qualitative Study of Metacognition, Pedagogy and Transformation

This study investigated the transformative quality of a metacognitive education. It examined a transformative metacognitive education from both the subjective personal perspective of the student who has gone through the process of transformation and the more objective pedagogical perspective of the professors who work to bring forth such transformational experiences in their students. Through interview and analysis these perspectives were integrated to produce a pedagogical theoretical framework derived from experience and grounded in observations about metacognition across various scientific disciplines. The personal elements of metacognition that promote educational transformation from within the students were contrasted with the pedagogical approaches of the educators from the program that stimulated the transformation. The study compared and contrasted the theoretical and pedagogical insights gained from interviews of eight senior professors from Curry College’s Program for the Advancement of Learning (PAL), with this writer\u27s lived transformative experience years before as a student at that program. The study identified core pedagogical elements for teaching transformative metacognition and self-regulation. The findings ground metacognitive educational approaches to foundational neuropsychological elements of learning and perception. These findings suggest metacognitive education could be applied widely across educational environments, ages, and skill levels to support human development, productivity, and regulatory behaviors. It was found that one of the chief attributes of a metacognitive education was that it empowered self-authorship, particularly in those students traditionally disempowered by disability, disadvantage or prejudice. Future inquiry into educational approaches that improve and promote transformative self-directed learning are needed to broaden the scope of these findings beyond this study\u27s small and highly targeted sample. Findings suggest that a metacognitively focused educational pedagogy produces a student teacher relationship capable of promoting the self-regulatory behaviors needed to develop self-authorship and personal transformation

Preparing tomorrow\u27s teachers today

This portfolio documents the learning journey of a preservice teacher educator in Western Australia. The problem investigated is how should we best to prepare preservice teachers for teaching in future contexts. This document has several sections, firstly the literature review discusses topics that have relevance for teacher educators preparing teachers of the future to work in a knowledge-based economy. Then four phases of research both quantitative and qualitative are presented interlinked by a personal narrative. The narrative describes how the studies and research impacted on the teaching practices of the researcher. The powerful findings of the research with teachers in phase 1 and preservice teachers in phase 2 precipitated the reconceptualisation of a number of courses for preservice teachers co-ordinated by the author. This lead to the transformation of the instructional model used and the incorporation of a range of flexible delivery modes to support student learning styles and needs and foster student engagement and retention. The portfolio also contains descriptions and results of a number of small research projects, five peer reviewed and published papers. Reference is made to a number of peer reviewed academic conference papers presented by the researcher linked to the theme of the portfolio. The portfolio culminates with two peer reviewed publications which describe the current state of preservice teacher education in Western Australia as well as presenting a future vision of how we could prepare our preservice teachers to work in a future digital world. The overriding conclusion reached in this portfolio is that preservice teacher educators need to experiment with flexible modes of delivery to meet the learning needs and styles of our students. In this way we will be modelling flexible modes of teaching to our students to prepare them to teach in future contexts