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Earlier this month, OISE’s office of the Associate Dean, Research, International & Innovation (ADRII) hosted a faculty Research Café focused on What’s Next for AI in Education. Facilitated by Professor Eunice Jang in collaboration with Associate Dean Michele Peterson-Badali, this interactive session engaged participants in discussion of the implications of the rapid development of AI technology.

Primed in advance with questions such as, what does the transformation of education with AI look like? what are the applications of AI in teaching and learning?, and will AI applications increase access to quality education or deepen existing disparities?, faculty members worked together to explore the complexities of integrating AI in education. Emergent themes included AI in research methodology, ethical and policy implications of AI, and the impact of AI on personalized education pathways and intelligent tutoring systems. 

“There are a number of opportunities and risks associated with the integration of AI, particularly as we consider what education will look like in the near future,” Professor Jang says. 

“Embracing this transformation isn’t simply about understanding the technology; it’s also about understanding profound impact on the classroom, the learner experience, and the teachers as well.  As an institution at the forefront of education innovation, OISE is perfectly positioned to be a leader in this space; but we must do so by bringing together the collective research strengths of our faculty members to really unpack and to understand the implications of AI in education.  This research café is a positive a step in that direction, and I’m confident that we’ll have plenty of opportunities to collaborate on a number of initiatives around this theme.”

OISE’s commitment to exploring issues of AI in education is not simply a technological initiative, but a strategic endeavor to understand and amplify our role in creating a more accessible, equitable, and impactful education for the future. Brian Kalakula, OISE’s Research Partnership Development Officer, is particularly excited about creating follow-up engagement opportunities for the OISE research community to connect with partners and stakeholders, including school boards, foundations, the private sector, and government agencies. 

“These engagement opportunities will inform our understanding of the trajectory of AI within the education ecosystem and support co-construction of innovative research partnership opportunities,” Brian says.

Introduced in 2017, OISE’s research cafés were designed to bring together faculty members across departments and disciplines who don’t necessarily come into regular contact with one another to meet and engage in informal conversation, discussion, and brainstorming around research themes of broad relevance to education and human development. Previous Research Cafés themes have included The Future of Work, Innovation in Education, and Community-Engaged Research. 

“The Research Cafés were paused during the pandemic, so we’re delighted to resume these in-person opportunities for our faculty members to connect informally around themes of mutual interest and importance in education”, says Associate Dean Research, International & Innovation Michele Peterson-Badali. 

“The OISE Office of Research, International & Innovation’s strategic focus on partnership development for impact and innovation will allow us to take these discussions to the next level by connecting faculty members and stakeholders to tackle big education questions via cutting edge research. We’re excited to see OISE contribute to evidence-based policy and practice in this critically important space of AI in education.”