We had a great two days of a workshop in Aalto University campus for “AI handbook for and with Teachers” and the project aims at raising awareness among stakeholders interested in the impact of AI on learning, teaching, and education, collect information on actual practices in this area, and generate evidence that would support EU policy initiatives. Vice Rector Ossi Naukkarinen gave us a brief introduction of Aalto University and passed the hosting to Professor Teemu Leinonen. It was a great pleasure to get to know and work together with Teemu which gave awesome support for the whole project!

Our facilitator and enabler Ilkka Tuomi said that “The importance of AI has been widely noticed by policy-makers and that`s why he had invited a wide range of experts from education and AI field to work together. So we had a great opportunity to get to know experts (14) from Finland, England, Spain, Portugal, Netherland, and Greece. The workshop “Gamemaker” and facilitator with Ilkka was also researcher Riina Vuorikari from EC-JRS (The Joint Research Centre is the Commission’s science and knowledge service.)

The JRC employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy. So because the European Commission aims to scale up AI investments in Europe to EUR 20 billion per year over the next decade, with some EUR 7 billion annual public investment, we are on the spot to think what kind of role AI should give us and can we find out common vision to all EU countries, because education systems vary so much.

According to the recent Commission Communication on the Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence:

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help us address some of the world’s biggest challenges. It can enable doctors to improve diagnoses and develop therapies for diseases for which none exist yet; it can reduce energy consumption by optimizing resources; it can contribute to a cleaner environment by lessening the need for pesticides; it can help improve weather prediction and anticipate disasters; and so on. The list is virtually endless. AI will be the main driver of economic and productivity growth and will contribute to the sustainability and viability of the industrial base in Europe. Like the steam engine or electricity in the past, AI is transforming the world.”

Mr. Ilkka Tuomi had prepared us, experts, wide background material and it was a guideline for our work for two days. We hope that Ilkka gets`s “report” out someday because for us educators it will light up the way for future usage of AI in education. We had a rich conversation and we found out that our education systems even in EU area are so different from country to country that we can make rules by EU policy, but more or less guidelines.

One of the interesting Finnish experts with us was CEO Mr. Harri Ketamo from The Headai company. We had great conversations to protect our valuable data and visualize it to all decisions makers to make the right decisions at the right time. One illuminating agreement with Harri and me was that when you open Google, MS O36 or Facebook account, you lose control over your data. So we agreed to keep it here in inside Finnish solid rock somewhere Pori area;-)

OUR impact on the process

We presented our two main projects concerning AI financed by the Finnish National Agency for Education. FinEduAI project which starts from scrats to learn AI and learning by AI. Our new video tells more than a thousand words.

Download PowerPoint presentation by clicking the picture

The second project “Proactive and Learning Analytics” focuses to make big data from our school management system to support student wellbeing. This data seems to be very interesting. After the presentation, all experts were convinced, that if we could get this kind of data pool, it could come game changer in many ways and especially to support young children in their growth!.

Download PowerPoint presentation by clicking the picture

Is there EDUCATION as we have known it 200 years after 20 years?

This question was raised to the discussion and if all goes like all visionaries in the World are expecting with ICT / AI development, “education” will disappear! There is also other hundreds of jobs on the line too, so globally we need to train people again. We need to be training “city flight controllers”, “ethical controller of AI”, “3D medicine printer pharmacists ” and so on. So what will be teachers role in the future? We all agree and major predictions also, that teachers will not become extinct. They will be facilitating teams, enabling sources, build spirit, being friendly, act like a human, inspire learners and most of all they want to change the face of education and through that the future human and build the better world.

“Artificial Intelligence will be disruptive, but few people understand that education is going to be in the first frontline. This brilliantly reflective and forward-looking book helps the education community in navigating the storm.” Dirk Vandamme, Deputy Director, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD.

So, hope the EU commission policy will reveal some guidelines for us all, but I think we are on the first square to be controlled over AI development to education. The conversation will continue…

// Mr. Sormunen