Learning Design in 2033 (LDT 523 Final Reflection)

My friends tell me I’m a genuine optimist.

I hope a lot occurs by 2033. Near the top of my list:

• I’ll be teaching in a classroom. Somewhere.

• The ‘ol relationship status will be married.

• Our beloved Phoenix Suns will have won a championship.

• My parents will be retired and healthy.

I also hope the learning design and technology field will include innovative ideas and a plentiful job market. One of the reasons I chose this master’s program is because of the rapid rate that technology is growing, particularly in the education space. Here are my predictions for what the future could hold for learning design and technologies in 2033:

ChatGPT will still be a thing.

I first heard of ChatGPT about a month ago during Saturday brunch with my friends. We went to Snooze near Scottsdale. The food was delicious, and the conversation was enlightening. Although I was in waffle heaven, I couldn’t help but hear my friend’s summary of an article he read about ChatGPT. For better or worse, I don’t see ChatGPT and its technology going away. In fact, I think the technology is going to make gradual improvements over the next decade. Rather than ignore the technology or have school districts ban it, I think that we as learning designers will embrace the app. I am concerned about how users can download the app with hopes of plagiarizing an essay. I guess it’s the high school English teacher in me. Just as pressing, I’m worried about how deepfake videos could misinform citizens ahead of major elections. Deepfake machine-learning and synthesizing technology creates what are known as “voice skins” or “clones'' that enable someone to pose as a prominent figure (Hot to Spot Deepfake Videos — 15 Signs to Watch For, n.d.). As learning designers, we will need to figure out how this innovative technology can be used for ethical purposes in our various settings. The technology is still so new, but we would be wise to not dismiss it as inherently nefarious without conducting more research.

Mobile learning will be more in-demand than ever.

We’re addicted to these minicomputers in our pockets. Cell phones have simultaneously made life more convenient and more complicated. Our attention spans are shorter than ever, but I can also order a new sofa in less than two minutes. Give and take. Although the demand for online and hybrid courses are growing across the world, we’ve learned in LDT 523 that there is not a truly ideal model for how to design courses for a mobile device. The needs of our learners are ever changing. Our marketplace needs to as well. I use my phone every so often for Zoom meetings when I’m on the go. As a student recruiter for our teachers college at Arizona State University, you can often find me presenting to classes or tabling at local high schools and community colleges. I sat in the parking lot of Apollo High School last week, Zooming with my supervisor for our weekly 1:1 meeting. She was difficult to see on my screen and I needed a magnifying glass to see the chat. User experience is crucial. Zoom is just a beginning. Our learning design community must embrace mobile learning as our most pressing challenge of the decade. If we can figure out how to design meaningful learning that users can access from their cell phones, we will unlock so many new opportunities. For learners. For aspiring learning designers. We can do it by 2033. We must.

Augmented and virtual reality needs to be... cooler.

2033 has to be the year that augmented and virtual reality feels cool again. The technology currently feels less GoPro, more 3D movie theater glasses. From what I’ve read and heard, users are largely enjoying their experiences with the technology. However, those experiences seem fairly limited to university students or people living in more affluent areas across the country. By 2033, accessibility needs to be emphasized. I envision that major strides will be made within the next decade to increase awareness and the reach of this technology. Style is also an important factor. Most of the current virtual reality headsets look weighty and clunky. Learning designers must ensure their technology works but. also, looks appealing to the marketplace. It doesn’t right now.

“As a learning designer, I want to help children learn HOW to convert information to knowledge.”

This quote from Eli Ghazel’s 2017 TED Talk entitled Here Comes: The Learning Designer showcases my goal as a learning designer. We will have so many new technologies at our disposal in ten years. We must decide which are worth implementing into our design plans, ultimately making that decision by figuring out the technologies that will help students have the greatest learning outcomes. If our design plans are purposeful, this is an incredibly doable task. My goal is for long-term retention of information and students, regardless of socioeconomic status, having access to innovative learning experiences requiring the use of technology. 

References

Film Major. (2022, August 16). John Oliver Demonstrates Artificial intelligence on Last Week Tonight HD [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7CrOTMmzO4

How to spot deepfake videos — 15 signs to watch for. (n.d.). NortonLifeLock. https://us.norton.com/blog/emerging-threats/how-to-spot-deepfakes#

TEDx Talks. (2016, April 6). Here Comes: The Learning Designer | Eli Ghazel | TEDxLIUBeirut [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1W4SlXpoEU