Research Article
Nicole L. Weber, Corine McCarthy, Katie Campbell, Hannah Bauer
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 3, Article No: ep510
ABSTRACT
As new technologies and learning practices emerge, the way instructional design and learning technology (IDLT) professionals conduct their work evolves. With this constant evolution comes a change in employer expectations of IDLT professionals. This convergent mixed methods study analyzed 130 IDLT-related position descriptions and interviewed 12 IDLT leaders from the K12, nonprofit, higher education, and corporate sectors to identify current expectations related to degree qualifications, knowledge, skills, and abilities expected from IDLT professionals. Results included a preference for a master’s degree-level qualification, at times due to bureaucracy, and an interest in the combination of academic preparation with instructional design experience. Additionally, employers shared that they were interested in an advanced understanding and adaptable application of IDLT theories, models, and frameworks, as well as a need for non-specific IDLT skills (e.g., communication and collaboration) and familiarity with IDLT-related technologies (e.g., learning management system and course authoring software). These results provide valuable insight for those looking to join IDLT field, current IDLT professionals interested in upskilling, and educational programs preparing future IDLT professionals for the workforce.
Keywords: instructional design, learning technology, K12, higher education, corporate, non-profit, KSAs, knowledge, skills, abilities
Research Article
Raúl Alberto Garcia Castro, Nikole Alexandra Mayta Cachicatari, Willian Máximo Bartesaghi Aste, Martín Pedro Llapa Medina
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 3, Article No: ep511
ABSTRACT
The introduction of ChatGPT into basic education is progressing rapidly, generating impacts that, in many cases, are unknown. Its impressive capability profiles it as a tool that will revolutionize teaching and learning processes, creating gaps that need to be understood and evaluated. The research aims to explore the advantages, disadvantages, and its impact on school tasks. It is an exploratory qualitative study; data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 110 participants from five schools in Tacna, Peru. The results reveal that ChatGPT provides information quickly and easily, with a variety of content and pedagogical strategies. Additionally, it serves for evaluation, knowledge consultation, and scheduling school tasks. Eight related disadvantages were identified: Easy access to information may encourage the habit of copying and pasting, fostering academic dependence that would affect the development of skills, such as inquiry, argumentation, analysis, and critical thinking. Also, students may misuse information, cheating on school tasks and affecting their quality and suitability, making them no longer useful for education, including synthesis, essays, monographs, organizers, summaries, and mathematical exercises.
Keywords: ChatGPT, advantages, disadvantages, school tasks, basic education
Research Article
Lu Ding, Sohee Kim, R. Allan Allday
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 3, Article No: ep512
ABSTRACT
With the exponential development and vast interest in artificial intelligence (AI), the global economic impact of AI is expected to reach $15.7 trillion by 2030. While AI has infiltrated everyday life, a lack of knowledge of what AI is and how AI works is ubiquitous across all ages and professions. Teaching AI literacy to non-technical individuals has become imperative and requires immediate attention, however, assessing AI literacy has heavily relied on subjective measurements such as qualitative assessment and self-reported surveys, which may lead to biased results. This study contributes to the field by developing and validating an assessment created based on a well-established AI literacy framework. A total of 196 responses were collected from pre-and in-service teachers in the United States, and 186 responses were included in the analysis to validate the assessment. The final assessment comprises 25 objective-based items reduced from an originally 31-item assessment. Both experts’ insights were sought, and statistical methodology was employed to ensure the validity of the assessment. The results indicate that pre-and in-service teachers have a moderate level of AI literacy and in-service teachers performed slightly better than pre-service teachers on our assessment. Inconsistent answers across various AI concepts indicate that teachers may possess an even more ambiguous understanding of certain AI concepts.
Keywords: AI literacy, assessment, non-technical, teachers, objective-based