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The Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport hosted the ET 2020 Peer Learning Activity, and its Working Group’s second PLA in 2019, entitled “Artificial intelligence and its implications for education’”, which explored AI-related practices in the education sector, shared current or upcoming initiatives in different Member States, and explored how to contribute to the EU’s coordinated plan on AI.
As the ministry is an X5GON partner, it has taken the opportunity and hosted a workshop at the PLA, which crucially employed a non-formal questionnaire with European policymakers on the subject of open education, artificial intelligence and the 5x dimensions in X5GON, including Cross Modal, Cross Cultural, Cross Lingual, Cross Domain aspects of AI in education.
The results of the survey are by no means official Governmental stands, and have been tailored specifically for the X5GON workshop at the PLA meeting.
Figure 1 shows the response regarding the years in service and thus hints at ICT competence of the participants. It can be seen that the overwhelming majority of participants (70%) are seniors in the field.
Another important question which can influence the perception of the project results is presented in Figure 2: the majority of the participants is acquainted with basic EC policies on open education and OER.
The main Open Education dimensions presented in the EC report on support framework for higher education institutions (HEIs) to open up education were listed in Figure 3. More than 60% of participants are most interested in Pedagogy and Strategy dimensions. One quarter believes Research (25%).
The vast majority of participants were familiar with OER and its online identity.
Figure 9 shows the matching of OER and the Open Education dimensions: the majority of the answers points to Content and Pedagogy and Technology (60%), followed by Access (43%) and Research (15%) and closely matched by Strategy and Collaboration.
This is the part of the survey where we start addressing AI. Figure 6 shows the results for the policymakers’ feelings about the use of AI in devices connected to education reflecting that 50% believe that implementation is positive.This is the part of the survey where we start addressing AI. Figure 6 shows the results for the policymakers’ feelings about the use of AI in devices connected to education reflecting that 50% believe that implementation is positive.
Figure 11 shows that policymakers are interested in having more control and understanding of AI in practice (56%).
In Figure 12 we inquire about the benefits of AI in education. More than 87% of participants are most interested in learning analytics. Half of them believe automatic assessment being important (50%) One quarter believes Grouping (25%) is important.
Figure 13 shows the main general fears and drawbacks concerning AI in education are quality vs. quantity and personal engagement (56%) followed by AI assistants (46%).
Figure 14 shows the X5GON technologies and OER connections to AI interests. Results show that technologies for multimodality and domain are most relevant (60%).
The participants were also asked about OER dimensions and benefits from AI. Figure 15 represents a high feedback on content. Pedagogy and Quality are also to benefit (40%).
The next question deals with whether the Governments had a plan on policy in AI and education, with a potential half-half response.
Participants believe there are no definitive working implementation in AI and education their Government.
Perhaps the most surprising reply to any of the questions is presented in Figure 17 where participants overwhelmingly support the idea of testing X5GON technologies (84%).
Figure 17 shows the response regarding a potential dynamic coalition of Governments uniting into understanding the potential of OER with AI. It can be seen that more than three quarter of participants (78%) regarded this as a potential future activity.
The Asian and European participants of the conference Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and AI: The Role and Readiness of Teachers in Tokyo, Japan were briefed about the basics of AI and especially its connection with education via our findings in the X5GON project. The double keynote featured three partners, and two UNESCO Chairs in AI and OER.
The X5GON coordinators at UCL Computer Science, recently hosted the first hackathon in the series AI for The Common Good: A F’AI’R Education Hackathon. The Hackathon Series is organised jointly between UCL’s Industry Exchange Network (UCL IXN), the British Embassy in Paris, the United Nations ANCSSC, and X5GON partners from France, Slovenia and Germany.
The X5GON partner at the University of Nantes, has released in his role of UNESCO Chair in teacher training technologies with OER and international report for UNESCO. The report argues that as Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking an important part in our lives, the question of educating towards AI becomes increasingly relevant. The report showcases X5GON as a potential solution forwards mainstreaming OER. Download the report here.
As part of the Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020) Open Method of Coordination, the Commission and Member States cooperate in the form of Working Groups. The primary focus of the ET2020 Working Group on Digital Education: Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) is to benefit the Member States in the work of furthering policy development through mutual learning and the identification of good practices. On this meeting we presented X5GON through the lenses of the 5Xs, and discussed and exchanged experiences and opinions on Artificial Intelligence and its implications for education.
The UNESCO OER Recommendation was approved by UNESCO member states on 28th May, by consensus. Its final step for approval will take place at the UNESCO General Assembly in November, 2019. X5GON partners had two representatives in the meeting (and in multiple side meetings) for the last two days, and we are pleased with the outcome. Creative Commons, the UNESCO OER Chairs, and many other IGOs and NGOs in the meeting were able to work with UNESCO members states to significantly edit some of the unhelpful definitions and improve other text in the document. The final text of the document will be now coordinated and translated by UNESCO and they will publish it prior to the November meeting.
The Slovenian Rectors’ Conference, a body entitled to represent universities and to protect their interests, was deliberating about Open Education and how to introduce new technologies supporting OER in the higher education system. X5GON was presented in the main dabate and showcased in a workshop for librarians to make an impact for university decision-makers or those in charge of preparing decisions.
X5GON was presented as one of the main platforms using Wikipedia as it base technology with the Wikifier at its core. The presentation followed Jan Gerlach, from the Wikimedia Foundation at the Slovenian Open Knowledge Day, organised to celebrate the establishment of Creative Commons Chapter Slovenia @Aksioma. The Slovenian community argues that Open knowledge is knowledge that one is free to use, reuse, and redistribute without legal, social or technological restrictions. Open Data and Open Content, Open Science and Open Education, Open Hardware and Software are all building blocks of Open Knowledge and consequently an open society.
Pošta Slovenije, in cooperation with the Jožef Stefan Institute, both partners in X5GON handed over part of new office spaces in Ljubljana to four high-tech startups. X5GON was showcased as a unique project connecting the two partners. According to the Post’s Director General Boris Novak, the company is innovating as well as researching in open education and using artificial intelligence, which is also part of the digital transformation of Pošta Slovenije which is in charge of the exploitation WP in X5GON.
X5GON is contributing to the upcoming report on the use of AI and frontier technologies for OER, together with UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector. The report is an initial scoping study trying to understand how similar technologies to X5GON can be suited to further the development and expansion of OER in achieving United Nations SDG 4.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 761758.