3rd National HELLIN Conference, Athlone institute of Technology

December 9th, 2016

Lifelong Learning is the Future and

The Future of Lifelong Learning

Brian Mulligan, Centre for Online Learning,

Institute of Technology Sligo

You’re in the right business.It’s changing – you could lose it!

Demand for Lifelong Learning is Growing

More complex workplace

Availability / Convenience

Cost reduction

Full-time post-secondary education may shrink

Lifelong learning is changing

Part-time learning is moving online

1

3 2

Why?

Cost reductionScale

Cost reductionProduction Methods

• Can assessment and certification be free?– MC Quizzes, Peer assessment

• What’s it worth?

Institutional credit

• Invigilated Online Exams• “Micro-masters” and “Nano-degrees”• Full Programmes

Credit for Prior Learning• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

– Certified courses– Learning on the job– Free online learning

Disaggregation / Unbundling

Learning Assessment

• Competency Based Assessment– Formal and informal learning– Portfolio– Challenge exams

Automation and Artificial Intelligence

Adaptive Learning SystemsPersonalisation - Mastery

A system that “learns”

Adaptive Learning SystemsMonitoring

Human intervention

• 300 AI students• Trained to answer based on prior

responses• Only answers if confidence rate >

97%• Frees humans to do more

complex technical/philosophical inquiries

• Teaching award

BotsAs

Teaching Assistants

ANT text or video

Semantic engine

Active learning

wildfirelearning.co.uk

ANT text or video …then spaced practice

wildfirelearning.co.uk

Can public education change?

• % of US academic officer who believe they are doing a good job at preparing students for employment.

• 96• % of business leaders who agree that graduates have the

requisite skills for success in the workforce

• 11

Are graduates prepared for the workforce?

What if public education does not change?

Alternative Credentials

SupervisedOnline

Examinations

Can they show what they have learned?

Will employers trust online certificates?

The empire strikes back?

Full Programmes?

Could this work for school leavers?

Earn and Learn

My predictions

• Lifelong learning >>> Fulltime education• Mostly online• Costs will come down• Automation and AI will be important• Unbundling and RPL will be big• College accreditation will be less important• Less school leavers will go to college fulltime.

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