Monthly theme - October 2024 - Education
This October's theme in The Data Lab Community is 'Education'.
Data and AI have the potential to revolutionise education - across schools, higher education, professional development and EdTech. The scope for positive change is enormous, from freeing up teachers’ time, creating enhanced teaching tools, to personalised support for students. However, there are also risks and challenges - from concerns about data privacy, over-reliance on technology, and the risk of widening inequalities between students.
For teachers, while AI can reduce admin work, there are questions about the balance between human interaction and automated systems. In EdTech, innovation is thriving, but ethical considerations and the alignment of AI with educational goals must be considered. Across the board, it’s crucial that these technologies are implemented safely and ethically in order to safeguard both educators and learners.
Meanwhile, as data & AI becomes ever more integrated into both education and industry, equipping students and the existing workforce with data & AI skills has never been more crucial. Knowledge of these technologies is increasingly vital to career development, meaning schools, higher education and employers must prioritise data and AI literacy, as well as ethical considerations, in order to prepare learners for a data and AI driven world.
As always, we're keen to hear from members of the community with interest or expertise in this area - so please share any blogs, resources and/or interesting content that you have that's related to the theme!
Events 🎟️
Data & AI Meetup: Education - 9 October 2024 17:30 - 19:30 BST [Edinburgh, UK & Online]
Join us in-person or online as we hear from experts from across the education sector and EdTech, who will explore the impact of data and AI on education, discussing current uses and future possibilities. We'll hear from:
- Professor Judy Robertson, Chair in Digital Learning - Data Education in Schools
- Kenji Lamb, Delivery & Engagement Partner - College Development Network
- Matt Jenner, Founder - Coursensu
- Kate Farrell, Director of Curriculum Development and Professional Learning - Data Education in Schools
How do we foster data & AI literacy in the workplace? - Interactive group discussion - 22 October 2024 15:30 - 16:15 BST [Online]
Facilitated by Anna Ashton-Scott, The Data Lab’s Head of Skills, in this session we'll discuss the key challenges and opportunities for upskilling data and AI literacy in the workplace, and explore how organisations can make this a strategic priority. We’d welcome contributions from the community, and would love to ensure that there is a broad range of voices and backgrounds represented in the session!