In this episode, we speak to Associate Professor Erica Southgate about the importance of teacher involvement in the design and implementation of AI in schools, and some potential benefits and risks of emerging technologies in classrooms.Erica is a teacher-educator, researcher and Associate Professor of Emerging Technologies for Education at the University of Newcastle. Erica is the lead author of the recent Australian Government commissioned report: ‘Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Schools’ (2019) and a maker of award-winning computer games for literacy learning. To find out more about Erica’s research please visit www.ericasouthgateonline.wordpress.com. If you are a teacher, school leader or policymaker who would like to be interviewed for Erica’s research into the ethics of AI in education, Erica invites you to connect with her via email (Erica.Southgate@newcastle.edu.au). Transcript available at https://bit.ly/edspressosouthgate.
How can educators help prepare learners to thrive in world augmented by artificial intelligence? And should education be preparing to disrupt technology design rather than being disrupted by it? In this episode, now-retired department Deputy Secretary Leslie Loble speaks with Professor Genevieve Bell and Dr Amy McLennan from the 3A Institute (3Ai) at the Australian National University. Together, they discuss how education might help to shape technology design and how the education system can create and support the next generation of designers.Genevieve Bell is the Director of 3Ai and a cultural anthropologist, technologist and futurist. Amy McLennan is a Research Fellow at 3Ai and brings knowledge of medical anthropology to work on the intersections of technology, society and wellbeing. Leslie Loble led strategy, reform and innovation in Australia’s largest and most diverse education sector for nearly two decades, until her recent retirement as Deputy Secretary.Transcript available at https://bit.ly/edspresso3Ai
How could teachers, from a variety of disciplines, develop students’ computational thinking skills? In this episode Matt Bower spoke to us about a variety of ways to develop students computational thinking skills, beyond teaching students to code. Matt is an Associate Professor from the Department of Educational Studies at Macquarie University, and he is currently focused on effectively developing the computational thinking capabilities of children and teachers. Transcript available at http://bit.ly/edspressobower.
How could teaching philosophical inquiry to primary school students enable them to develop confidence and quality reasoning skills? In this episode we spoke to Kate Kennedy White who makes the case for using philosophical inquiry in the classroom, as early as possible, to teach reasoning skills and empower young learners with the confidence to speak out and say what they think, supporting their development into democratic citizens. Kate is a specialised philosophy teacher at Bondi Public School, and Director of Kinder Philosophy. Transcript available at http://bit.ly/edspressokennedywhite.
Which practices could best teach all students how to think and learn? In this episode we spoke to Professor Anat Zohar who shares her insights into how teachers in Israeli schools approach teaching critical thinking. Early in her career, Anat completed a teacher’s certificate in biology and through her research she became an expert in the education system in Israel; she is the Director of the Center for Teachers’ Learning and Development at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Transcript available at http://bit.ly/edspressozohar.
We bid a fond farewell to Leslie Loble as Deputy Secretary in the department in this special episode recorded before Leslie's retirement in July. In conversation with Kelly Stephens, Director of Strategic Education Reform and Policy, Leslie reflects on some highlights and key learnings from 20 years driving education policy reform in New South Wales. Leslie also reflects on some key lessons education could take from responses to COVID-19, and her hopes for the future of education in Australia. Transcript available at https://bit.ly/Edspresso_14.
Why is it so rare to hear people use the words ‘love’ and ‘maths’ in the same sentence? And why might teaching computational thinking be a key to reinvigorating students’ love of maths? To find out we spoke to Professor Richard Buckland. Richard’s research focuses on developing strong learning environments using non-mark based motivation, to support students to excel at school and university. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressobuckland.
How young is too young to develop metacognitive skills? And how can we foster environments in the classroom to enable metacognitive skill development? To find out, we asked Dr Shirley Larkin, a Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter. Shirley discusses her research in educational psychology, which focuses on how primary aged students develop metacognition to enable them to learn in their own way, for their own purposes throughout life. Transcript available at http://bit.ly/edspressolarkin
How could the magic of picture books be used to enable the development of critical thinking skills? Mary makes the case for using children’s picture books to teach critical thinking skills to younger learners. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoroche
This special episode features a conversation between Leslie Loble, Deputy Secretary, External Affairs and Regulation, and Simon Longstaff, Executive Director of the Ethics Centre. They discuss the importance of ethics in an age of rapid technological advancement and how education can help to develop strong ethical reasoning skills in young people. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep10
Are ‘21st-century’ skills generic, or are they different for each subject? Can learning content develop deeper thinking skills? In this episode, we ask Daisy Christodoulou her views on these important questions. Daisy is the Director of Education at No More Marking in the UK, and the author of Making Good Progress?: The future of assessment for learning. Daisy makes the case for why thinking skills are gained through learning content, and provides some lessons learned from the UK context. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep9
Some media reports suggest that industry values 21st-century skills, such as collaboration, over technical expertise. But is that really the case? Is it becoming harder for industry to predict the skills it will need? And why should education in Australia be thinking now about AI and its potential effects? To get some answers to these questions, we speak to Sato Sandy Plunkett, a leading commentator and analyst of the global technology sector. Drawing on her experience as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, Sandy talks about why studying the humanities alongside building technical expertise is a smart investment. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep8
What is creativity, and how can we prepare all students to think creatively? Why might creative thinking be valuable in an AI future? In episode, we speak to Ronald Beghetto, a Professor of Educational Psychology, and Director of Innovation House at the University of Connecticut. Ron has authored several popular books, including most recently: Beautiful Risks: Having the Courage to Teach and Learn Creatively. Ron explains why all students need to be creative thinkers. He talks about whether creativity is a generic skill, and how – or if – we should assess it in school. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep7
How can creative thinking support improved student learning? What does best practice in teaching and assessing it look like? In this episode we hear from Christine Cawsey, the Principal of Rooty Hill High School in Western Sydney, which was recently recognised as one of the 40 Most Innovative Schools in Australia. Christine is a life member of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council and the co-author of Learning for Leadership. Drawing on her experience at Rooty Hill, Christine provides insight into how teachers can incorporate creative thinking into their pedagogies, and foster creativity amongst diverse groups of students. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep6
Why might an AI future require students to have stronger ethical reasoning and critical thinking skills? How can learning philosophy support this? And is there value in focusing on these skills in the early years? We ask Sandra Lynch why critical thinking might be important to preparing young people for an increasingly complex world, and how schools might approach it through teaching philosophy. Sandra is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame Australia who works to deepen students’ active engagement with ethics and critical thinking skills through the Philosophy in Schools Association of NSW. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep5
We regularly hear that critical thinking is a key 21st-century skill. Of course, it has always been highly valued in education. Yet debate continues about what critical thinking is, and how education can best support its development. In this episode, we hear from Peter Ellerton, the founding Director of the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project, and a former Head Teacher of Experimental Sciences. Peter explains why critical thinking will be valuable in an AI world, and what educators should be aiming for when teaching their students to be critical thinkers. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep4
Should AI algorithms decide who gets bail or a bank loan? How is big data changing our world? And how can education prepare young people to design and challenge smart technology? To find out, we ask Lyria Bennett Moses, a Professor and Director of the Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation at UNSW Sydney. Lyria has written extensively about the dangers of AI bias in the legal system, and why it’s crucial for everyone to understand how smart machines are impacting on our society. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep3.
So, why is artificial intelligence such a big deal? How urgently do we need to prepare for it? What might it mean for school education? To learn more, we interview Toby Walsh, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW Sydney. Toby is a leading global expert on AI and its ethical implications, and author of the new book titled 2062: The World that AI Made. In this episode, Toby describes how AI and related technologies are changing our society, and what this could mean for how education prepares young people for this future. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep2.
Why should education systems be thinking about developments in artificial intelligence (AI)? What can education do to ensure students are given the best chance of success in work and life whatever the next few decades bring? In this introductory Edspresso episode, Leslie Loble, Deputy Secretary of External Affairs and Regulation in the NSW Department of Education, explains the Education for a Changing World agenda and outlines the challenge for education reform in Australia. Leslie has led strategy, reform and innovation in Australia’s largest and most diverse education sector for nearly two decades, and has shaped and delivered many of the most important education reforms in NSW and Australia, including the ground-breaking ‘Gonski’ needs-based funding system. Transcript available at: http://bit.ly/edspressoep1.