Artificial intelligence, once the stuff of futuristic books and films, is finding its way onto college campuses. How is American higher education adapting to the digital age

Davis, Laura

Nelson, Scott Bernard, \u2794

English

DigitalCommons@Linfield

Linfield Magazine Volume 14 Number 1 Fall 2017 - #THETECHISSUE Article 6 Fall 2017 Classroom 4.0 Laura Davis Linfield College Scott Bernard Nelson '94 Linfield College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine Recommended Citation Davis, Laura and Nelson, Scott Bernard '94 (2017) "Classroom 4.0," Linfield Magazine: Vol. 14 : No. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine/vol14/iss1/6 This article is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@linfield.edu. Fa l l  2017    |    L i n f i e l d  Magaz ine  -  9	 One-on-one,	personalized	education	is	the	hallmark	of 	Linfield	College	–	small	classes,	attentive	faculty	and	even	the	ability	for	students	to	shape	their	own	majors	and	minors.	The	tailored	style	is	why	students	(especially	first-generation	students)	graduate	from	Linfield	at	higher	rates	than	at	larger	schools,	why	nearly	all	students	participate	in	extracurricular	activities,	why	students	have	individual	relationships	with	faculty	mentors.	 A	different	kind	of 	personalization	is	at	the	heart	of 	techno-logical	changes	looming	in	higher	education.	After	being	essentially	unchanged	since	the	concept	of 	colleges	and	universities	surfaced	a	millennium	ago,	industry	experts	say	higher	education	is	on	the	cusp of  a new chapter. 	 “Universities	have	not	changed	for	centuries,	but	they’re	going	 to	have	to	if 	they	want	to	survive,”	says	Joseph	Qualls,	chief 	exec-utive	of 	RenderMatrix	Inc.,	which	works	with	defense	companies,	entertainment	companies	and	others	researching	ways	to	use	artifi-cial	intelligence	(AI).	Qualls	believes	that	in	a	world	accustomed	to	personalization,	classes	in	which	a	group	of 	students	gather	to	listen	to	a	lecturer	may	not	be	effective	for	much	longer.		 “It’s	time,”	Qualls	says,	“to	rethink	how	education	works.”	 A	former	clinical	assistant	professor	and	researcher	at	the	Classroom	4.0University	of 	Idaho’s	college	of 	engineering,	Qualls	believes	 AI	–	where	machines	learn	by	recognizing	patterns,	classifying	data	and	adjusting	to	mistakes	–	has	the	potential	to	revolutionize	learning.	He	points	to	Siri,	chatbots	and	autonomous	cars	as	ways	AI-based	systems	are	becoming	more	common	in	day-to-day	life.		 Already,	schools	use	crowdsourcing	programs	that	allow	students	to	interact	electronically	with	classmates	and	professors	in	virtual	classrooms,	a	supplement	to	face-to-face	class	time.	At	Linfield,	Blackboard,	a	learning	management	system,	enables	professors	and	students	to	post	homework	assignments,	watch	videos	and	collaborate	on	class	conversations.	 Beyond	Linfield,	AI-based	software	is	also	used	to	evaluate	the	skills	and	interests	of 	students,	then	customize	a	course	that	makes	the	most	of 	their	potential.	Students	learn	at	their	own	pace,	instead	of  the pace of  the class. 	 “AI	can	monitor	student	work	and	detect	that	50	students	made	the	same	mistake,”	Qualls	explains.	“We	can	learn	from	that.	We	can	anticipate	the	mistakes	students	will	make	and	steer	them	in	a	different	direction.”		 Qualls	predicts	that	one	day	students	will	interact	with	an	AI	system	that	will	provide	a	unique	educational	path	for	each	person.	Artificial intelligence, once the stuff of futuristic books and films, is finding its way onto college  campuses. How is American higher education  adapting to the digital age?Fa l l  2017    |    L i n f i e l d  Magaz ine  -  9	 One-on-one,	personalized	education	is	the	hallmark	of 	Linfield	College	–	small	classes,	attentive	faculty	and	even	the	ability	for	students	to	shape	their	own	majors	and	minors.	The	tailored	style	is	why	students	(especially	first-generation	students)	graduate	from	Linfield	at	higher	rates	than	at	larger	schools,	why	nearly	all	students	participate	in	extracurricular	activities,	why	students	have	individual	relationships	with	faculty	mentors.	 A	different	kind	of 	personalization	is	at	the	heart	of 	techno-logical	changes	looming	in	higher	education.	After	being	essentially	unchanged	since	the	concept	of 	colleges	and	universities	surfaced	a	millennium	ago,	industry	experts	say	higher	education	is	on	the	cusp of  a new chapter. 	 “Universities	have	not	changed	for	centuries,	but	they’re	going	 to	have	to	if 	they	want	to	survive,”	says	Joseph	Qualls,	chief 	exec-utive	of 	RenderMatrix	Inc.,	which	works	with	defense	companies,	entertainment	companies	and	others	researching	ways	to	use	artifi-cial	intelligence	(AI).	Qualls	believes	that	in	a	world	accustomed	to	personalization,	classes	in	which	a	group	of 	students	gather	to	listen	to	a	lecturer	may	not	be	effective	for	much	longer.		 “It’s	time,”	Qualls	says,	“to	rethink	how	education	works.”	 A	former	clinical	assistant	professor	and	researcher	at	the	Classroom	4.0University	of 	Idaho’s	college	of 	engineering,	Qualls	believes	 AI	–	where	machines	learn	by	recognizing	patterns,	classifying	data	and	adjusting	to	mistakes	–	has	the	potential	to	revolutionize	learning.	He	points	to	Siri,	chatbots	and	autonomous	cars	as	ways	AI-based	systems	are	becoming	more	common	in	day-to-day	life.		 Already,	schools	use	crowdsourcing	programs	that	allow	students	to	interact	electronically	with	classmates	and	professors	in	virtual	classrooms,	a	supplement	to	face-to-face	class	time.	At	Linfield,	Blackboard,	a	learning	management	system,	enables	professors	and	students	to	post	homework	assignments,	watch	videos	and	collaborate	on	class	conversations.	 Beyond	Linfield,	AI-based	software	is	also	used	to	evaluate	the	skills	and	interests	of 	students,	then	customize	a	course	that	makes	the	most	of 	their	potential.	Students	learn	at	their	own	pace,	instead	of  the pace of  the class. 	 “AI	can	monitor	student	work	and	detect	that	50	students	made	the	same	mistake,”	Qualls	explains.	“We	can	learn	from	that.	We	can	anticipate	the	mistakes	students	will	make	and	steer	them	in	a	different	direction.”		 Qualls	predicts	that	one	day	students	will	interact	with	an	AI	system	that	will	provide	a	unique	educational	path	for	each	person.	Artificial intelligence, once the stuff of futuristic books and films, is finding its way onto college  campuses. How is American higher education  adapting to the digital age?Fal l  2017   |    e ighteen58 Magaz ine -  4Fa l l  2017    |    L i n f i e l d  Magaz ine  -  10 Fa l l  2017    |    L i n f i e l d  Magaz ine  -  11Michael Hampton, senior program director in the Offi ce for Career Development	 But	the	animated	series	also	foreshadowed	a	longstanding	fear	about	automation:	that	it	would	inevitably	steal	human	jobs	and	leave	people	struggling	to	fi	nd	work	in	a	technological	world.	George	was	forever	battling	his	workplace	nemesis,	Uniblab	the	robot,	and	regularly	getting	fi	red	and	re-hired	by	his	curmudgeonly	boss,	Mr.	Spacely.	 It	was	smartly	subversive	comedy,	and	captured	themes	that	continue	to	resonate	to	this	day.	The	loss	of 	manufacturing	jobs	to	automation	was	a	signifi	cant	talking	point	in	the	2016	presidential	election,	and	fears	about	technology	turning	over	entire	industries	has	spread	far	beyond	factory	workers.	 So	what	can	you	do,	as	an	employee	beginning	a	work	life	or	already	mid-career,	to	reduce	the	odds	of 	being	replaced	by	technology?	Be	more	human,	focusing	on	traits	and	skills	that	can’t	easily	be	replicated	by	a	computer.	These	are	the	sorts	of 	soft	skills	that	liberal	arts	graduates	tend	to	excel	at,	career	surveys	show.–	Michael	Hampton	 Imagine	an	art	student	sketching	a	building,	her	electronic	pencil	moving	across	her	tablet.	As	the	drawing	develops,	she	receives	messages	about	architecture,	the	type	of 	brick	she’s	chosen,	vegetation	and	water	necessities.	She’s	acquiring	information	specifi	c	to	her	work	as	she	goes	along.	It’s	an	overly	simple	example,	but	suggests	ways	in	which	an	entire	curriculum	can	be	built	around	learning	outcomes	–	that	technology	helps	students	achieve	without	being	on	a	pre-determined	course	list.		 Alex	Freeman,	senior	director	at	The	New	Media	Consortium,	analyzes	trends	in	education	and	agrees	AI	will	be	increasingly	important	on	college	campuses	of 	the	future.		 “We’re	seeing	the	cutting	edge	of 	it	now,	but	within	10	years	deeper-learning	approaches	will	be	very	important,”	he	says.	“These	will	drive	higher	education	for	decades	to	come.”	 Freeman	says	trends	include	fl	ipped	classrooms,	currently	being	used	at	Linfi	eld,	where	students	watch	a	presentation	before	com-ing	to	class,	then	use	class	time	itself 	for	hands-on	or	collaborative	instruction.	He	notes	the	classic	“sage	on	a	stage”	model,	with	a	professor	lecturing	to	a	class,	is	transitioning	to	a	“guide	on	the	side,”	where	students	work	independently	and	professors	off	er	advice.		 Adaptive	courseware	–	applying	algorithms	like	those	used	by	Netfl	ix	and	Amazon	–	is	also	becoming	more	common.	It	pinpoints	areas	where	individual	students	will	be	likely	to	succeed,	and	then	helps	teachers	shape	the	most	eff	ective	ways	for	students	to	learn,	based on data from thousands of  others.	 “With	a	textbook	there	are	the	same	fi	ve	questions	at	the	back	of 	the	book	for	everyone,	regardless	of 	their	level,”	Freeman	says.	“With	AI,	the	fi	ve	questions	at	the	back	become	personalized	based	on	how	the	student	responds.	How	many	questions	should	a	student	have?	That	depends	on	the	student.”	 Laura	Brener,	Linfi	eld’s	Online	and	Continuing	Education	(OCE)	director,	says	these	days	the	same	digital	tools	used	in	online	education	are	increasingly	being	implemented	in	traditional	classrooms,	too.		 “We’re	preparing	students	to	live	and	work	in	a	digital	age	and	our	education	should	refl	ect	that,	both	in	online	and	face-to-face	classes,”	she	says.	 Whatever	the	details	turn	out	to	be,	the	transition	ahead	will	no	doubt	be	unsettling	for	many	in	higher	education.	But	the	digital	shift	fi	ts	hand-in-glove	with	Linfi	eld’s	commitment	to	agile	education,	says	Susan	Agre-Kippenhan,	vice	president	for	Academic	Aff	airs	and	dean	of 	faculty.	Professors	are	already	continually	adapting	curriculum	to	present	relevant	material	to	students,	she	says.	That’s	a	process	that	will	continue,	even	if 	it	is	in	new	and	diff	erent	ways.		 “Linfi	eld	faculty	care	passionately	–	not	just	about	teaching,	but	about	teaching	and	learning,”	she	said.	“Even	our	most	eff	ective	lecturers	make	use	of 	a	range	of 	teaching	tools	to	engage	students.”	 Among	those	tools	are	computer-simulated	scenarios,	hand-held	electronic	polling	devices	that	produce	immediate	data	for the class to see and cloud-based software or databases that allow	students	to	work	simultaneously	on	problems.		 “These	tools	give	faculty	and	students	more	information	about	learning	and	open	up	time	for	robust	discussion,	collaboration	and	hands-on	work	that	ignites	learning,”	Agre-Kippenhan	says.		 The	same,	she	predicts,	will	be	said	for	whatever	digital	changes	come	next.	–	Laura	Davis	and	Scott	Bernard	Nelson	’94“Universities have not changed for centuries, but they’re going to have to if they want to survive. It’s time to rethink how education works.”– Joseph Qualls, chief executive, RenderMatrix Inc. The Jetsons	imagined	a	futuristic	world	where	a	typical	work	week	was	a	single	hour,	two	days	a	week.	Technology	took	care	of 	the	rest	for	George	Jetson	and	his	co-workers	–	representing	the	great	hope	that	technology	would	make	human	lives	easier.•	 Employers	want	people	who	are	warm,	friendly,	easygoing				 and	cooperative	with	others.	Empathy	shows	employers	you			 are	a	team	player	and	part	of 	the	work	family.	•	 Good	employees	plan,	set	priorities,	use	common	sense	and			 adjust	to	day-to-day	challenges.	Follow	your	curiosity.•	 Focus	on	continuous	learning.	Whatever	you	do,	don’t	stand			 in	place	while	the	world	around	you	changes.		•	 The	courage	and	willingness	to	speak	up	and	accept	new		 challenges	is	highly	valued	by	managers.	Employers	appreciate		 individuals	who	speak	their	minds	and	ask	direct	questions			 about procedures and company operations.•	 Writing	in	the	workplace	has	to	be	coherent,	logical	and		 compelling.	Excellent	writers	will	excel	in	most	settings	and			 remain	a	valuable	asset	in	advancing	the	company	mission.

Classroom 4.0

Name not available

https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1667&amp;context=linfield_magazine

Classroom 4.0

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@Linfield

Name not available