Forum discusses the future of learning

As artificial intelligence brings rapid change to the world, a recent education event brought together experts from China and abroad to explore the ways AI will reshape education in the future.

The Yidan Education Forum 2023, held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Nov 25, included one keynote forum and three sub-forums.

Carey Jewitt, a professor at the UCL Knowledge Lab at University College London, said that advances in technology have had a significant impact on how people communicate and interact. Saying that it could shape people's thinking, actions, imagination, and learning, she added: "How we use technology is, therefore, a fundamental force shaping pedagogy and its future."

Hannele Niemi, a professor and former vice-president of the University of Helsinki, said that AI is changing the world radically, with its impact extending to society, organizations, work, and education.

"AI is a powerful tool for providing new user interfaces for creating high-quality text, graphics, and videos in seconds," said Niemi, adding that she believes the revolutionary technology will affect national curriculum planning, assessment systems, and lifelong learning strategies at the macro level.

Bo Stjerne Thomsen, the vice-president and chair of Learning through Play at the LEGO Foundation, said that today's educational challenges, characterized by declining student well-being, advanced technology and evolving workforce demands, necessitate an innovative approach to teaching and learning.

He added that "learning through play" has proved to be a vital strategy in fostering high levels of engagement, holistic skills development, and deeper learning that extends well beyond the early educational years, and into lifelong learning.

Mike Petrich, co-founder of the Tinkering Studio at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, emphasized the importance of developing the ability to imagine creatively, think reflexively, and act experimentally to prepare for and experiment with future learning technologies.