Vocational education and training - VET

The pandemic disrupted education and resulted in learning losses, but it also helped kickstart adoption of generative AI such as ChatGPT. Now, we have the opportunity to mobilize AI to help bolster the education sector—especially those regions hit hardest by learning losses,

Proponents of AI say that tools like ChatGPT will bring significant benefits. It can assist teachers, personalize learning with AI-powered tutoring systems and automate administrative tasks, allowing educators to focus more on teaching and mentoring students. However, current educational challenges in access, equity and inclusion in education can be significantly magnified by digital exclusion, lack of connectivity and the digital readiness of countries. On top of these challenges, we have many education systems still attached to teaching methods based on memorization, lack of relevance and engagement as well as poor and short-sighted standardized assessments that can hamper the effective integration of AI for an inclusive and quality education.

Artificial Intelligence–AI–has been around a long time, but caught everyone’s attention with the launch of generative AI, ChatGPT, and DALL-E. These made using AI easy enough for …

In the evolving landscape of education, one topic has taken center stage: generative AI. As educators, we tend to be on a continuous quest for innovative edtech tools that will enhance the learning experience for students. The potential of generative AI is both promising and profound, but it raises critical questions: How can this transformative technology be harnessed not only to educate but to empower inclusively and equitably?

In the second part of their series looking at 100 ways to use ChatGPT in higher education, Seb Dianati and Suman Laudari share 25 prompts for such AI tools to assist with teaching and assessment

Potential to undermine the status of teachers and the necessity of schools
The paper underscores that education should remain a deeply human act rooted in social interaction. It recalls that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when digital technology became the primary medium for education, students suffered both academically and socially. The paper warns us that generative AI in particular has the potential to both undermine the authority and status of teachers, and to strengthen calls for further automation of education: Teacher-less schools, and school-less education. It emphasizes that well-run schools, coupled with sufficient teacher numbers, training and salaries must be prioritized.

Education spending must focus on fundamental learning objectives
The paper argues that investment in schools and teachers, is the only way to solve the problem that today, at the dawn of the AI Era, 244 million children and youth are out of school and more than 770 million people are non-literate. Evidence shows that good schools and teachers can resolve this persistent educational challenge – yet the world continues to underfund them.

What role does vocational education and training play in countries’ education systems?
Vocational education and training (VET) is a key component of most education systems in OECD countries. About one in three 25-34 year-olds have a vocational qualification as their highest level achieved, whether at upper secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary or short-cycle tertiary level.

The bulk of vocational training is delivered at upper secondary level. More than two-thirds of students pursuing vocational education are enrolled in an upper secondary programme.

VET programmes also serve learners who are no longer in initial education. VET provision includes occupational training for adults, upskilling and reskilling, and second chance programmes that are part of the formal education and training system. For this reason, students enrolled in vocational programmes are often older than those in general ones. On average across OECD countries, the average age of enrolment in upper secondary education is higher for students in vocational education (21 years) than for students enrolled in general education (17 years). About two-thirds of the 20-24 year-old upper secondary level students are in VET programmes.

As professors grapple with new technologies in the classroom, a report from Cornell offers suggestions for best practices and policies related to generative artificial intelligence.

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the battle between blended learning and traditional learning approaches continues to rage on. These two educational paradigms represent distinct methodologies, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. As the digital age progresses, the conversation about which is superior intensifies, leaving educators and learners pondering which path to choose. In this comprehensive exploration, we will dissect the concepts of blended learning and traditional learning, weighing their merits, and attempting to discern the most effective route to academic success.

EdTech has been a hot button topic for some time now, and the focus on generative AI in 2023 has only amplified interest in EdTech. Proponents see a plethora of ways that AI can improve education outcomes. AI’s potential for transforming education is real, but so are the dangers—so we must move forward with care and intentionality. It is with an eye toward care and intentionality that members of W2050’s Senior Fellows committee on education and work met to discuss how AI could—and how it should—impact education in 2024 and beyond.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence – qualification recognition – higher education – credential evaluation – ethics – education fraud – Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC) – equity – recognition
workflow – learning outcomes – European regulations – internationalisation – Bologna Process.

The rapid developments of artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly posing questions about the ethical and practical implications of their use in the learning, teaching and assessment
processes.

This publication reflects on the relation between artificial intelligence and recognition of qualifications. Whether this relation may result in an opportunity or a threat, will be developed in the text through a set of questions concerning the possible implications of the use of artificial intelligence in the recognition sector. These questions arise from CIMEA’s experience and have been framed in the context of existing literature and policy documents on the subject, considering five dimensions: equity, recognition workflow, learning outcomes, European framework and regulations and international academic mobility. Moreover, the document attempts to explore the impact on credential evaluation, both in the perspective of recognition workflow, as well as the impact on credential evaluators’ daily work.

The document is targeted at higher education institutions, ENIC-NARIC centres, authorities with jurisdiction in the field of recognition and other entities who, for various reasons, are involved in the recognition of qualifications.

When artificial intelligence went mainstream with the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022, it immediately sent ripples through the world of education. Concerns about equity in AI, data privacy, and how to teach ethical AI skills became heated topics at faculty meetings and in classrooms. Two things have become clear: This technology is already transforming education—and people have many questions.

Science Friday hosted a virtual conversation with experts in AI and education in October 2023 to understand the potential AI holds for education and some of the pitfalls to be confronted as it comes to schools across the country. While the path forward may be challenging and occasionally confusing, our guests suggest that by allowing students to lead and guiding them to use AI responsibly, education stands to benefit from innovative tools that will, no doubt, change our world. Here, we recap some of the ideas and insights that came out of that conversation.

The global talent gap is long-lamented and continues to grow — in the U.S. alone, there are currently 9.6 million job openings compared to 6.5 million unemployed. 

This has many calling for upskilling and re-skilling of existing workforces. However, while many business leaders recognize that need, they are hampered by a lack of time, resources and funds to develop materials on which to train their workers. 

This is another area that — like so many others — where generative AI offers transformative promise, according to Cypher Learning. The learning management system provider released a study this week exploring leaders’ challenges with upskilling, their exploration of gen AI in building training materials and the promise the technology holds in repairing the schism between the number of workers and available jobs. 

“Generative AI is already transforming employee training,” CYPHER Learning founder and CEO Graham Glass told VentureBeat. “In 2024, the focus will be on reimagining education with AI at its core.”

The transformative potential of AI in enhancing learning experiences is recognized by academia and international organizations. However, we need more AI in education literacy, research on its impact, and a truly ethical AI implementation to ensure fairness, transparency, and respect for human rights.

The international education community’s commitment to fostering AI education should remain alert, creating a future where AI-powered learning promotes inclusivity, quality, and equity for all learners and an education centred around human interaction rather than seeking to replace it – keeping in mind Paulo Freire’s vision on the importance of a dialogical approach to education, where teachers and students engage in mutual learning and co-construct knowledge.

Frontier technologies are usually heralded and surrounded with promise, their advantages to the fore, with little consideration of the wider societal implications in their ethical and inclusive adoption or use. A cautious approach to the integration of AI in education is needed where further research, diverse multi stakeholders’ engagement and informed decision-making to navigate the complexities of an AI-driven world should be at the highest level of an inclusive education policy agenda.

Education at a Glance is the definitive guide to the state of education around the world. It analyses all levels of education and provides data on topics such as attainment, enrolment, finance and the organisation of education systems. The 2023 edition focuses on vocational education and training (VET) - a vital part of a country’s education system that offers students an alternative to academic-focused education. Readers interested in a summary of the main findings on VET are referred to the accompanying Spotlight on VET (OECD, 2023).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming one of the disruptive factors in the educational area. AI in the education market has been forecasted to grow by 45.12% annually and reach $10.38 billion by 2026.

In general, e-learning makes education available anytime and anywhere, which has become crucial in the pandemic and remote work era. Corporations, education tech startups, training companies, universities, schools and students — all parties get a lot of prominent benefits from online learning, like covering larger audiences online. At the same time, AI boosts e-learning to a new level by addressing challenges that are not obvious at first glance.