From Digital Native to AI-Empowered: Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Digital native skills will continue to be necessary. In addition, learners will need to stack AI literacy skills on top of those to succeed in the workplace of tomorrow. These AI literacy skills must be mapped into their curriculum from K-12 through higher education, as AI literacy may eventually become as critical to learners as reading and writing. To further combat the digital divide, educators will need to increasingly advocate for initiatives that promote digital equity, ensuring both access and adaptability. Ultimately, true AI empowerment will come as learners bridge from AI literacy skill sets to the human-AI partnership model.
Keeping the Learner at the Center and Top of Mind
Advances in learning design and technology have the potential to reduce unnecessary friction in the learning experience thereby improving learning outcomes. LxD tenets place learner empathy at the center of the design process, borrowing heavily on advances in cognitive science, online learning research, and product development. The adaptive learning environment, long discussed as a "North Star" for increasing equity and opportunity, is conceptualized to guide learners toward attaining new competencies by adjusting to learning preferences seamlessly. AI can be embedded in adaptive learning platforms, providing features like intelligent pedagogical assistants, just-in-time tutoring, and even study-group formation.
In an ideal scenario, after being immersed in a digital equity environment throughout their education, the upcoming generation of learners will enter higher education empowered by AI. Adaptive learning platforms will be fully developed, and LxD strategies will be prevalent in most institutions, streamlining the learning process. Educators will establish strong AI competencies, as well as teach skills that AI can't replicate for professionals in specific fields. Moreover, learners will be acutely aware of the importance of independent thought, understanding that they should never fully surrender their cognitive autonomy. Such learners would carry with them remarkable critical thinking capabilities, ethical judgment, and interdisciplinary insights, thereby propelling innovation. We aren't there yet, but this can and should be our goal for creating learner-centered environments in the age of AI.
This vision captures the promise of AI when synergized with other pivotal advancements. Yet, numerous steps remain to realize this potential: