My call with Reza was an illuminating discussion around trends in our respective professions and industries (workplace safety and sustainability; marketing) and trends/challenges we are noticing in our respective classes. Reza discussed that while safety had established regulations for 100 years, the topic of sustainability was a new trend, with differing levels of development across the world (e.g. Canadian regulations on sustainability were quite advanced, compared to the United States). Both Reza and I discussed the increasing growth of artificial intelligence in our respective fields; particularly, when it comes to workplace safety, generative AI will often hallucinate information or cite incorrect information, and it is on the educator to inform students about how to double- and triple-check information provided by generative AI. In digital marketing, there is a rise in the use of AI to create marketing campaigns, emphasizing the need for students to grow their critical thinking and creativity.
The topic of AI came up also in our observations around adult education; there is a growing dependency on the use of AI in schoolwork, especially if adult learners have numerous responsibilities (e.g. childcare, family, full-time jobs). Educators must therefore adapt and learn how to incorporate AI, and re-evaluate how they assess students; Reza and I discussed our changes to weigh presentations and reflection assignments more heavily than before, along with the use of paper-based exams to circumvent cheating or the inappropriate use of AI. I felt Reza used a particularly poignant example with his memory of the introduction of Google, and how there were fears around how students would conduct research, or the potential loss of librarians in light of Google making research easier. As we now know, Google has evolved to being a tool, and while our way of working has changed since its introduction, society has adapted and evolved to include Google in our day-to-day lives.
Additionally, in both of our programs, our classes are mostly international students who have yet to work in the Canadian job market, or are adult learners who are hoping to upskill and diversify their knowledge in order to stay competitive in the Canadian job market. In both cases, there may exist a gap in students’ knowledge about the Canadian workplace context, and how course materials are relevant to their careers. One significant trend, therefore, has been the incorporation of more relevant workplace examples and simulations that students can apply immediately upon graduation, echoing Malcolm Knowles’ observation that adult learners have a change in time perspective, from future application to immediacy.
1 comment
Thank you, Kevin, for your time. I found our meeting and discussion topics very insightful.