The Office of Educational Technology and the Department of International Affairs organized a workshop on “Challenges and Evolving Learning Design for Sustainable Education” on June 11-14, 2024, at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU). We had the pleasure of Prof. Dr. Michele Notari from the Bern University of Teacher Education (PHBern), Switzerland, as a lecturer for the workshop titled “AI Meets Learning Design Developments in Distance and Blended Learning” held in the 2605-2605/1 meeting room on the 6th floor of Academic Building I at STOU. The Office of Educational Technology welcomed him with a visit to the Educational Broadcasting Production Center (EBPC).
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gan Chanyawudhiwan, Acting Vice-President for Academic Services, Cultural Preservation, and International Affairs presided over the opening session of the workshop “Challenges and Evolving Learning Design for Sustainable Education,” joined by faculty and administrators from the Office of Educational Technology. The workshop was divided into two rounds. The first round was for faculty members, and the other was for staff. The Lecture session focused on learning in an active and collaborative space. The practical training session covered Graasp.org and the application of using open educational resources.
Key takeaways:
- Leveraging collaborative and participatory technologies to enhance learning: Professor Notari highlights the significance of technology in fostering learner engagement and collaboration, leading to better learning outcomes.
- Artificial intelligence for teaching and assessment: The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education can contribute to refining the teaching and assessment process, making it more efficient and effective.
- Open Educational Resources (OER) for educational institutions and universities: Professor Notari promotes the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER), enabling educational institutions and universities to access high-quality teaching materials at no cost.
Practical training session on Graasp.org and open educational resources:
The training session focused on Graasp.org, an online platform that facilitates the creation, sharing, and discovery of OER. Participants gained hands-on experience in:
- Integrating AI with collaborative and participatory technologies: Participants practiced integrating AI with collaborative and participatory technologies to enhance course design.
- Applying Graasp.org for knowledge sharing and creating learning experiences: Participants explored the use of Graasp.org for knowledge sharing and designing diverse learning experiences.
- Developing AI-bots: Participants experimented with developing AI-bots tailored to address the unique learning needs of diverse learners.
Overall objectives:
The lecture and training session aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to:
- Utilize technology to promote effective learning.
- Implement AI in educational settings.
- Access and utilize OER effectively.
- Design effective courses using Graasp.org.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and create diverse learning experiences.
- Develop AI-bots to cater to individual learner needs.
In essence, the lecture and training session emphasized the promotion of effective learning through the strategic use of technology, AI, and OER.
