A taster.
There are numerous potential areas where AI can significantly benefit VET providers, but there are also considerable risks if its implementation is not well understood. AI will undoubtedly impact every aspect of life in ways that are currently difficult to predict. Therefore, it is essential to stay informed about these developments. Over the coming months and years, QVET Australia will focus on investigating and reporting on the implications of AI, particularly regarding quality in VET.
While AI presents exciting opportunities, it is crucial not to get caught up in the hype cycle and prematurely invest scarce resources in the latest trends. Private VET providers must be aware of ongoing changes to avoid being left behind, but early adoption of AI may not be the best strategy for most.
To help conceptualize the potential impact of AI in VET, we can categorize its applications into several broad areas, which we will explore in greater detail in future posts.
GenerativeAI as an assistive writing tool
When asked about the potential uses of AI in VET, ChatGPT, a generativeAI technology, provides a robust starting point and an example of the potential for AI to assist students, teachers, admin and management in VET.
ChatGPT Prompt “What will be the most useful examples of AI in vocational education and training?”
1. Personalized Learning Pathways
- Adaptive Learning Platforms: AI can analyze a learner’s progress and tailor educational content to their individual needs, ensuring they receive the right level of challenge and support.
- Skill Gap Analysis: AI can assess a learner’s skills and knowledge, identifying gaps and recommending specific courses or modules to address them.
2. Intelligent Tutoring Systems
- Virtual Tutors: AI-powered chatbots and virtual tutors can provide instant feedback, answer questions, and guide learners through complex topics.
- Simulations and Practice Environments: AI can create realistic simulations for hands-on training in fields like healthcare, engineering, and trades, allowing learners to practice skills in a safe, controlled environment.
3. Automated Administrative Tasks
- Scheduling and Enrollment: AI can automate the scheduling of classes and manage enrollment, ensuring optimal class sizes and resource allocation.
- Grading and Assessment: AI can grade assignments and assessments, providing consistent and objective evaluations, and freeing up instructors to focus on teaching.
4. Predictive Analytics
- Student Retention: AI can analyze data to predict which students are at risk of dropping out and identify interventions that might help them stay on track.
- Performance Monitoring: AI can track and analyze student performance over time, providing insights into trends and areas needing improvement.
5. Career Pathway Guidance
- Job Matching: AI can match learners with potential job opportunities based on their skills, interests, and training history.
- Career Advising: AI can provide personalized career advice, helping learners understand the job market and what additional skills or certifications they might need.
6. Content Creation and Curation
- Automated Content Generation: AI can create educational content, including quizzes, tutorials, and interactive modules, based on current curriculum standards.
- Curating Learning Resources: AI can curate and recommend learning resources, such as articles, videos, and courses, based on a learner’s interests and needs.
7. Enhancing Engagement
- Gamification: AI can integrate gamified elements into training programs, making learning more engaging and motivating for students.
- Interactive Learning Experiences: AI can create interactive and immersive learning experiences using technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
8. Language and Accessibility Support
- Language Translation: AI can provide real-time translation and language support, making vocational training accessible to non-native speakers.
- Accessibility Tools: AI can offer tools for learners with disabilities, such as speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and other assistive technologies.
9. Data-Driven Decision Making
- Institutional Insights: AI can analyze institutional data to provide insights into program effectiveness, resource utilization, and areas for improvement.
- Strategic Planning: AI can support strategic planning by forecasting trends and helping educational institutions adapt to changing demands in the job market.
Not bad for a short sentence prompt that took three seconds to come up with the above.
We will use this list above as a starting point to delve deeper into these specific categories over the next few months, to better understand what opportunities, and threats, there are for private VET providers and determine what are genuine opportunities and which at this stage are hype.
For VET to remain relevant the sector also must ensure its students are prepared for the AI-influenced workforce they will join. In a nut shell VET students will need AI-related skills to succeed in their industries but what these skills are is still very much up in the air as industries try to figure out how this technology can improve productivity and customer outcomes.
General Purpose Technology
AI is a general-purpose technology, much like electricity, and it will impact nearly every facet of life. Just as electricity transformed industries and daily life, AI will bring about immense changes at an accelerated pace.
As a thought experiment, consider the impacts of electricity on various VET-supported industries and vocational jobs within agriculture, environmental management, retail, tourism, energy, mining, mineral exploration, aviation, marketing, accounting, IT, cybersecurity, childcare, aged care, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, food processing, automotive, logistics, construction, and civil infrastructure.
This gives a sense of the vast potential impact of AI.
Moving forward, QVET Australia aims to be a trusted source of independent insights into these AI technological developments and their practical implications for private VET providers, with a strong focus on maintaining and enhancing quality.
