Catedra Universitaria de Inteligencia Artificial Plus (CUIA+)

Opportunities Presented by Artificial Intelligence

Introduction to the Lecture

• The purpose of this lecture is to promote research, specialized talent development, and community engagement, ensuring that UNCH plays a proactive role in shaping a technological future with a responsible ethical focus.

Importance of Ethical Discussions

• In an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing, it is crucial to engage in complex discussions about its development. Today's session holds exceptional relevance for these conversations.

Introducing Dr. Mari Elizabeth Morocho Quesada

Background and Expertise

• Dr. Mari Elizabeth Morocho Quesada holds a PhD in statistics and operational research from the University of Seville, Spain, and an economics degree from Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja in Ecuador. She has over 15 years of experience in quality management and educational evaluation at UTPL.

• She has served as Deputy Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Quality in Distance Higher Education since 2009 and was Director of Institutional Evaluation and Quality at UTPL from 2008 to 2023. Currently, she coordinates global quality focal points for Latin America and the Caribbean with international organizations.

Contributions to Educational Quality

• Dr. Morocho's extensive experience includes working as an international peer evaluator for various accreditation councils across Latin America, focusing on distance education quality assurance. She has authored guidelines and articles on topics such as accreditation, evaluation, accessibility, and certification in higher education distance learning contexts.

Framework Development for Online Education

Evaluation Mechanisms

• Her work involves designing robust evaluation frameworks applicable to virtual environments which are essential for ensuring quality and ethics in educational programs integrating artificial intelligence technologies. This expertise sets the stage for her discussion today on evaluating digital disruption in online education.

Opening Remarks by Dr. Morocho

Acknowledgments

• Dr. Morocho expresses gratitude towards Maestra Gabriela Cermantes for her introduction and acknowledges Dr. Francisco Cermantes for facilitating this collaborative effort within the framework named after him—highlighting his legacy as a mentor and founder of significant educational initiatives like Caled.

Contextualization of Evaluation Processes

• The presentation will reflect on current evaluation practices within the region while providing recommendations relevant to disruptions caused by technology specifically concerning online education methodologies established since 2005 through various accreditation agencies across Latin America including CALID (Calidad en Educación).

Historical Context of Evaluation Practices

Evolution of Accreditation Agencies

• Discussion will include how evaluation processes began within the region influenced by accreditation agencies aiming at continuous improvement—highlighting Colombia’s efforts toward establishing standards that differentiate between traditional classroom education versus distance learning models since 2003 onwards with foundational guides developed thereafter up until recent collaborations with North American organizations around 2015 aimed at enhancing online program quality assurance mechanisms.

Acreditación y Evaluación de la Educación a Distancia en Iberoamérica

Modelos de Evaluación en Educación a Distancia

• La Acreditación de Chile está integrando sistemas de educación a distancia y en línea dentro de sus modelos de evaluación, destacando el sello Calos Virtual.

• La colaboración entre la Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos y Races establece condiciones para la evaluación educativa en América Latina.

• En Paraguay, antes de la pandemia, se implementó un mecanismo para evaluar programas a distancia por parte de la Agencia Nacional de Evaluación para el Aseguramiento de la Educación Superior.

• Las agencias como CASES en Ecuador también están evaluando carreras específicas bajo contextos actuales, considerando criterios como pertinencia académica y currículo.

• Los modelos actuales evalúan diversos criterios que incluyen tecnología e infraestructura, además del desarrollo académico y resultados impactantes.

Innovaciones Tecnológicas en Evaluación Educativa

• Se discute cómo las herramientas tecnológicas como inteligencia artificial (IA), realidad virtual (RV), y aumentada pueden mejorar los procesos educativos.

• La IA tiene el potencial para transformar el aprendizaje al permitir una enseñanza más interactiva y contextualizada.

• El blockchain se presenta como una herramienta disruptiva que garantiza integridad y transparencia en datos académicos.

• La analítica del aprendizaje permite predecir resultados mediante el uso efectivo de big data, fundamentando decisiones futuras educativas.

• Es crucial reflexionar sobre cómo estas tecnologías digitales afectan los procesos evaluativos existentes dentro del contexto educativo actual.

Recomendaciones para la Evaluación en la Era Digital

• Se proponen siete puntos clave para evaluar carreras en esta nueva era digital, enfatizando la necesidad de repensar los perfiles profesionales ante nuevas tecnologías emergentes.

• Es fundamental integrar competencias digitales dentro del currículo que fomenten pensamiento crítico entre los estudiantes frente a las innovaciones tecnológicas actuales.

• Se plantea que las evaluaciones deben adaptarse al nuevo perfil profesional requerido por el avance tecnológico constante.

• Las habilidades blandas deben incluirse en el currículo para preparar a los estudiantes para discernir efectivamente dentro del mundo digital contemporáneo.

• Los resultados del aprendizaje deben alinearse con cambios reales en el sector productivo, considerando análisis regionales complementados por avances tecnológicos.

Rethinking Accreditation Agencies and Curriculum Design

New Horizons in Accreditation and Curriculum

• The discussion emphasizes the need for a new model within accreditation agencies to address evolving labor market trends, focusing on relevant skills that shape graduate profiles.

• Recent evaluations with Colombia's National Accreditation Council highlighted the importance of incorporating feedback from employers and graduates into curriculum design. This ensures alignment with current competency requirements.

• A shift towards a digital curriculum is necessary, integrating artificial intelligence as an essential component to create dynamic content that meets modern educational demands.

Enhancing Professional Practices through Technology

• The integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) into pre-professional practices is proposed as a transformative evaluation method compared to traditional in-person experiences. This approach leverages virtual labs for enhanced learning outcomes.

• Emphasis is placed on adapting assessment methods to reflect differentiated professional profiles, advocating for automated evaluations based on data characterization to support personalized learning trajectories.

Active Learning Methodologies

• Active methodologies such as problem-solving and critical thinking are crucial in redesigning curricula, aiming to equip graduates with competencies that meet societal needs effectively.

• There’s a call for ongoing development of teacher training programs that incorporate advanced digital competencies, ensuring educators can effectively utilize technology like AI in their teaching practices.

Feedback Mechanisms in Digital Learning Environments

• Automated yet personalized feedback strategies are essential for supporting student learning paths; this includes utilizing technology to measure the effectiveness of active methodologies implemented in classrooms.

• Collaboration with institutions like the National Autonomous University of Mexico aims at developing guidelines for evaluating active methodologies specifically tailored for virtual environments, addressing current educational needs comprehensively.

Ethical Considerations in Technology Use

• The necessity of establishing ethical standards and criteria when evaluating emerging technologies within education is underscored, highlighting the importance of responsible implementation across digital platforms.

Academic Integrity and Technological Disruption in Education

Rethinking Evaluation Procedures

• The need to reassess evaluation methods for educators, incorporating elements of ethics and academic integrity into the teaching-learning process.

• Emphasizes the interaction between these evaluation points and student experience, particularly in the context of technological disruption.

Accessibility and Digital Equity

• Highlights the importance of accessible platforms for students, ensuring they can engage with adaptive resources and an active virtual university life.

• Discusses ongoing challenges in Latin America regarding connectivity and public telecommunications policies that hinder access to digital libraries and specialized software.

Academic Risk Management

• Stresses the significance of educational analytics in monitoring academic risk to improve student success rates, aiming for accreditation standards.

• Questions how universities with large student populations can effectively manage academic risks in a virtual environment.

Institutional Transformation

• Calls for higher education institutions to embrace digital transformation across administrative, academic, research, and community engagement processes.

• Underlines the necessity for data security, flexible planning, and AI policies as part of this transformation.

Learning Outcomes and Employability

• Points out that learning outcomes must align with employability in digital environments; curriculum redesign should reflect this integration.

• Notes that graduates' competencies will be crucial indicators of their job market readiness amidst evolving technological demands.

Innovation Integration

• Advocates for fostering systemic thinking among students through technology-driven projects that emphasize analysis, ethics, and resource application.

• Suggests that innovation production must be embedded within evaluation processes to adapt to new digital realities.

Evaluation and Continuous Improvement in Educational Institutions

Importance of Data-Driven Evaluation

• The evaluation process is crucial for continuous improvement within institutions, relying heavily on data analytics to inform academic decisions.

• Effective evaluations should encompass research, community engagement, and risk indicators to provide immediate feedback to educators and administrators.

Technological Integration in Assessments

• Current online evaluation systems are evolving with technologies like facial recognition and iris scanning; however, the content quality of these assessments remains a concern.

• A strong pedagogical foundation must accompany technological advancements to ensure that evaluations accurately reflect student outcomes and competencies.

Systemic Feedback Mechanisms

• Continuous systemic feedback is essential for institutional planning and improving academic programs, despite challenges posed by existing bureaucratic inertia.

• Immediate action plans must be developed based on feedback to enhance educational activities effectively.

Adapting Curricula for a Disruptive Environment

• Academic programs need to align with the changing employment landscape, emphasizing digital curricula that incorporate research and innovation.

• Educators must focus on advanced digital competencies to meet accreditation standards while preparing students for new job market realities.

Institutional Management and Data Utilization

• Institutional management should bridge core functions—teaching, research, outreach—through data-driven processes aimed at enhancing employability in a digital context.

• Graduates' profiles must demonstrate relevant skills aligned with current digital demands to facilitate successful labor market integration.

Reflections on Distance Learning Evaluations

Summary of Key Insights

• The discussion highlighted the significance of distance learning evaluations within modern educational models aimed at internationalization across Latin America.

Opportunities Presented by New Technologies

• Interest was expressed in integrating artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and virtual labs into both distance education and traditional classroom settings as essential tools for enhancing learning experiences.

Critical Questions Regarding Assessment Methods

• A pivotal question raised concerns how we can evaluate new educational models using emerging technologies such as AI while ensuring relevance in teaching practices amidst rapid technological changes.

Revolutionizing Education with Technology

The Role of Adaptive Learning and Technology in Education

• Emphasizes the need for personalized learning paths within curricula, highlighting the importance of adaptive assessments to cater to diverse student needs.

• Discusses how digital education demands more from educators, necessitating the integration of new technologies like artificial intelligence for automated and personalized feedback.

• Addresses misconceptions about distance education being easy; stresses that it requires dedicated time for individual communication to overcome perceived coldness of technology.

• Points out essential infrastructure requirements such as connectivity and electricity for effective distance education, asserting that without these, online learning is impossible.

• Advocates for establishing a technological ecosystem in educational institutions that includes policies on AI usage, ethics, cybersecurity, and data security.

Enhancing Employability through Digital Competencies

• Highlights the necessity of integrating technology into institutional management systems to foster a culture of information technology among students and faculty.

• Stresses the potential impact on learning outcomes and employability by equipping current students with digital competencies relevant to modern job markets.

• Calls for continuous improvement in evaluation systems to adapt educational offerings based on evolving industry standards and student needs.

• Mentions upcoming programs at Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas focused on artificial intelligence as part of their new educational offerings aimed at staying relevant in a changing landscape.

Accreditation and Microcredentialing in Higher Education

• Acknowledges interest from participants regarding accreditation quality standards in computer science programs by international agencies like Calos.

• Explains that Calos' model allows any university or program to undergo evaluation regardless of specific career focus, promoting broad applicability across disciplines.

• Introduces ongoing efforts by UNESCO to establish standards for evaluating microcredentials within Latin America, emphasizing regional collaboration on this initiative.

• Notes limitations faced in developing a comparative framework among countries which is crucial for consistent evaluations across different educational contexts.

Microcredentials and Educational Synergy in Latin America

Establishing Credit Recognition

• The discussion emphasizes the importance of establishing recognized credits between institutions across countries, fostering educational synergy in the region. This process aims to develop evaluation criteria for microcredentials.

European Efforts on Microcredentials

• It is noted that there are existing efforts in Europe regarding microcredential frameworks, highlighted by a meeting of the European Association of Distance Universities held in Haagen, Germany. These discussions focus on credit recognition among universities within Europe.

Curriculum Redesign and Microcredentials

• The conversation touches upon the need for curriculum redesign to accommodate microcredentials, particularly for master's programs. There is an ongoing effort to determine conditions for implementing these changes effectively.

Differences Between Regions

• A key distinction is made between Europe and Latin America regarding the integration of microcredentials; in Latin America, business organizations primarily drive this process rather than academic institutions, which contrasts with Europe's approach.

Active Learning Strategies and AI Integration

• A question arises about linking active learning strategies with artificial intelligence (AI) in both physical and virtual environments. This presents a significant challenge that has prompted research initiatives aimed at creating guidelines for effective implementation.

Challenges in Implementing Active Methodologies

Research Initiatives on Active Methodologies

• Current research indicates limitations in applying active methodologies within simulation environments compared to traditional classroom settings where such methods have been more widely adopted and documented.

Future Guidelines Development

• The speaker expresses hope that a comprehensive guide will be completed by next year, incorporating various application exercises across different institutions and courses to validate new teaching methodologies effectively.

Examples of Methodological Applications

• While some examples of active methodologies exist, they are still largely theoretical at this stage; further validation from experts will be sought during subsequent phases of development to enhance practical applications.

Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Importance of Quality Assurance

• Dr. Cervantes highlights that quality assurance has become fundamental across all modalities of higher education over recent years, especially as doubts about non-traditional education formats arose early on in their adoption processes.

Historical Context

• He reflects on how initial skepticism towards non-presential education led to the establishment of indicators designed to ensure teaching quality regardless of modality—an essential step taken since the 1970s by certain institutions like UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico).

This structured summary captures key insights from the transcript while providing timestamps for easy reference back to specific parts of the discussion.

Evaluating Quality in Education: The Role of Technology

Importance of Evaluation in Education

• The evaluation conducted at the institute aimed to go beyond standard assessments, including interviews with rectors to gauge their involvement in quality assurance.

• Emphasis on non-punitive evaluation methods is crucial; evaluations should help universities identify areas for improvement rather than serve as punitive measures.

Integration of Technology in Education

• The integration of technology into non-traditional education formats has evolved naturally, especially with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).

• There is a pressing need for universities to incorporate technology not only into student education but also into administrative and decision-making processes.

Addressing Educational Gaps

• In Mexico, less than 50% of eligible individuals can access higher education due to physical space saturation and limited faculty resources.

• The role of institutions like CALT is vital in verifying indicators that highlight these educational gaps.

Goals for Higher Education Institutions

• The ultimate goal is to provide relevant education that enables graduates to integrate successfully into society and achieve professional and personal development.

Recognition and Community Engagement

• Acknowledgment was given to Dr. Marie Elizabeth Morocho Quesada for her contributions during a conference on digital evaluation in online education.

• Participants expressed gratitude for the insights shared during the session, highlighting the importance of integrating learned concepts into university practices.