Last Friday, e-learning professionals from FE colleges around London converged at London South Bank Technical College (LSBTC) for a meeting centered on one major topic - the role of artificial intelligence in further education. The purpose? To engage in a comprehensive discussion on the utilisation of AI in the realm of further education, sharing insights, successes, challenges, and innovative ideas that are shaping the future of education. The atmosphere was buzzing as attendees gathered to share their experiences, insights, and ideas about effectively integrating AI into the classroom.
The meeting commenced with attendees advocating for AI tools and approaches they've found successful so far. An educator from Stanmore College described using AI language models to automatically generate personalised writing feedback and suggestions for students' drafts. However, she stressed the importance of clear policies to prevent misuse and plagiarism.
This sparked a lively discussion around setting expectations and guidelines when it comes to AI usage - for both staff and students. Reskilling staff was emphasised as crucial to ensure they understand not just how to use AI tools, but also taking an ethical approach to this emergent technology.
Conversations also centered on AI's capabilities to enhance accessibility and create a more inclusive learning experience. Attendees shared examples of using AI transcription, translation, and text-to-speech tools to better support learners with disabilities or those for whom English is a second language.
As the meeting progressed, one overarching theme became clear - a college-wide, unified approach is essential for successful AI adoption. Consistency in implementation, from senior leadership to educators, was highlighted as paramount.
The meeting may have raised more questions than answers at times. But for the FE community of e-learning professionals, it represented an important step - coming together, learning from diverse perspectives, and collectively forging a path towards an AI-empowered future of further education.
