Cambrian Explosion of AI
Unlocking New Possibilities for Education with Neural Network-Based Models
The 2023 SITE conference provided a great opportunity to launch a short paper into publication that had been bubbling up since late 2022. Generative AI - a topic that is never far from the top of news feeds at the moment. Specifically, this paper was intended to approach the conversation in way that aims to cool the wild speculation around the hyperbole of Generative AI in education - and remind ourselves that with all new and emergent technology innovations and disruptions comes an ecological change… and while this change may have lots of affordances and constraints that need to be examined, explored, and deeply considered… we have existing technological, pedagogical, content knowledge frameworks that can help us navigate this new era of Generative AI in education.
TPACK and the Cambrian explosion of AI
Sean Leahy, Punya Mishra
Abstract
The Cambrian explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) powered tools has raised important questions about their use in education. The TPACK framework address the knowledge and skills that educators need to effectively integrate such emergent technologies into their current and future learning environments. As technologies continue to rapidly evolve, TPACK must likewise adapt to new eco-technological changes. The recent emergence of freely available AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionize education. In this brief paper we examine the use of AI powered tools using neural network-based models in education and how the TPACK framework can be applied to consider the implications of these technologies on teaching and learning. We also explore the opportunities for educators to create new, authentic, and deeper learning experiences in their learning environments using AI tools, while also considering the potential risks and challenges.