phd proposal

I am beginning to work on reframing my focus, here: phd-proposal-thoughts-and-reframing

current working title: After Intelligence - building possibility spaces for learning and making with and through generative systems

• rework in progress: phd-title-and-subject-area
• rework in progress: research-questions

research-summary
abstract-work-in-progress --> for confirmation-draft-document

[OLD] Proposal as submitted on June 2024 for the AfR (Application for Registration)

Reimagining Learning: Speculating on the Future of Educational Environments as 'Possibility Spaces’

Subject Area

This practice-based PhD research operates at the interdisciplinary junction of Creative Computing, Speculative Design, and Education. The project is concerned with how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can augment education, transforming traditional learning environments into ‘possibility spaces’ that promote the development of 21st century skills.

Research Questions

• How will utilizing Generative AI change teaching and learning within the context of both my experience as a PhD researcher and as Lecturer in MSc Creative Computing.

• More broadly, what changes can be anticipated in learning environments based on the current socio-political and technological landscape?

• How can a ‘playful’ methodology, informed by speculative design and play theories, be utilized to innovate and create future learning experiences?

• How can the speculative process be structured as a participatory activity, involving stakeholders in the generation of these future 'possibility spaces’?

Aim

This research aims to speculate on the future of learning, operating under the assumption that AI will increasingly permeate society and educational settings. Grounded in principles of imagination and play, this research seeks to experiment with novel approaches to learning. Through participatory research involving learning communities both within and outside academia, the objective is to co-create and assess learning environments that integrate AI technologies. By gaining valuable insights into the effects of these environments on learning experiences and outcomes, this research enhances our understanding of AI-integrated learning environments and their implications for future educational practices.

Objectives

• Critically examine the potential implications of AI on teaching and learning.
• Use speculative design to envision and construct scenarios that explore alternative learning and pedagogical approaches situated in possible futures.
• Embed AI technology into interfaces or novel devices to create interactive environments that serve as speculative representations of future learning infrastructures.
• Develop practical experimentation within these 'possibility spaces’ to test and evaluate the effectiveness of these speculative tools within pedagogical practice.

Research Contexts:

Historical context

Traditional educational models increasingly face criticism for their rigidity and failure to meet diverse student needs, often favoring rote memorization over practical skills (Belas, 2019).

Simultaneously, technology has been significantly reshaping higher education since the mid-1990s, with a notable trajectory of EdTech integration, including E-Learning Platforms, blogs, online videos, and MOOCs (Weller, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 increased the adoption of online learning, with changes further catalyzed by the proliferation of generative AI tools around the same time (Abunaseer, 2023). While these technologies offer new learning opportunities, their implementation always exists within existing structures of inequity (UNESCO, 2023).

This historical trajectory of educational models and technological influence underscores the imperative to envision alternative future learning approaches. Speculative and critical design methods serve as valuable tools in this endeavour, facilitating exploration of potential future scenarios and critical examination of current contexts (Mitrović et al., 2021, p. 69).

Contemporary Context

In today’s uncertain global landscape, education increasingly emphasizes 21st-century skills, championed by organizations like Battelle for Kids and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. These skills encompass critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and vital life and literacy competencies (Battelle for Kids, 2019). Similarly, the UK’s Institute of Imagination focuses on fostering these skills in children through interdisciplinary STEAM education, with a strong emphasis on play as a fundamental learning tool (Institute of Imagination, 2024). However, while these initiatives mainly target children, this research seeks to extend their principles to adult learners, guiding the project’s focus on a ‘playful’ methodology.

The emergence of large language models like ChatGPT prompts a re-evaluation of traditional learning and teaching methods (Hulick, 2023). With these models offering direct access to subject knowledge, educational institutions face questions about their existing structures and the role of educators.

In this evolving landscape, there’s a pressing need to rethink ways of learning. As AI integration becomes more pervasive, places of learning must offer more than being mere repositories of knowledge. They should encourage experiential engagement, practice, experimentation and personal growth. This research endeavours to create such environments, termed ‘possibility spaces,’ which foster immersive learning experiences.

Theoretical Context

The research is framed with the concept of ‘possibility spaces,’ as expanded on by Ian Bogost in his book ‘Play Anything.’ Bogost connects places of play with scientific and mathematical conceptions of ‘possibility spaces,’ where one can explore and test all potential directions a solution might take, rather than making assumptions about likely outcomes (Bogost, 2016b, chap. 6). Informed by this thinking, play and experimentation will be foundational in the approach - this research aims to create possibility spaces through the medium of speculative design artifacts and prototypes. These will serve as devices to investigate the research questions and objectives. Moreover, Bogost emphasizes that ‘possibility spaces’ merge physical and conceptual realms. In the context of evolving learning environments, including hybrid and remote learning, this notion of transcending physical boundaries becomes crucial. Therefore, this research challenges traditional notions of physical learning spaces to suggest other forms of potential spaces.

Methodology

Aligning with the research aims and RQ3-playful-methodology-as-way-to-speculate, speculative-design will inform the methodology.

Design probes and artifacts will be created, integrating existing AI technology where feasible to prototype scenarios (see: design-interventions). Visual representations, narratives (visual-and-narrative-representations), and physical props will facilitate discourse and participatory co-creation in workshops, especially where speculative exploration is hindered by current technological limitations. autoethnography will reflect on both my experience teaching as a lecturer and studying as a PhD student, incorporating my learning journey into the research. Observations, interviews and focus groups will capture the experience and effectiveness of speculative methods in teaching contexts. Engagement will include learning communities at UAL and non-academic settings (such as South London Makerspace and Antiuniversity Now) ensuring more inclusivity and accessibility.

Acknowledging the inherent contradiction of studying inclusion in higher education (Halabieh et al., 2022), this research critically examines existing structures and biases in institutions. Despite higher education’s association with exclusivity, the aim is to explore the potential for inclusive learning environments within this context.