About Dr. David Guralnick

David Guralnick envisions a new approach to education and workplace learning. His vision integrates progressive learning theory, advanced technology, and creative, entertaining storytelling to create learning experiences that help people learn to think critically, reflect, and make thoughtful decisions. David holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the past 30 years, he has designed and evaluated a variety of simulation-based training applications, performance support systems, online courses, mobile applications, and authoring tools for corporate, non-profit, and university audiences.

David holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science/artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the course of his thirty years in online learning, he has designed and developed simulation-based training applications, electronic performance-support systems, and specialized authoring tools which allow non-technical people, such as writers and trainers, to build e-learning sites.

Among David’s most notable achievements are the creation of the first learn-by-doing simulation for corporate training purposes and the first authoring tool for a non-technical audience that was specific to e-learning. He has been the recipient of over 200 e-learning design awards, and his work has been featured in Wired magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Training magazine (as an Editor's Choice). He has been a regular speaker at both industry and academic events since 1991. He is also the author of the recent book How Organizations Can Make the Most of Online Learning.

David is the current President and CEO of Kaleidoscope Learning. He is also the current president of the International E-Learning Association; founder and chair of The Learning Ideas Conference; Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal on Advanced Corporate Learning; Chair of the International E-Learning Awards; and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University.

From Traditional AI to LLMs: A Shift to AI-Supported Dialogue?

Imogen Casebourne

What role might Language Learning Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT play in the future of education? This talk will consider this question, highlighting the differences between LLM-based AI and more traditional AI architectures that have been more prevalent in education until recently and considering what role each might play in education going forward.

The potential for creating customized educational dialogue bots using LLMs will be explored, with a practical demonstration of the applications of this technology. The talk will also present concepts from a forthcoming book chapter co-authored with Professor Rupert Wegerif, which considers education facilitated by LLMs as a dialogic process. This perspective involves circulating collective knowledge through individual minds, potentially expanding our collective understanding. The focus is on how AI can foster and support creative dialogue, contributing to this circulation of knowledge.

About Dr. Imogen Casebourne

Dr. Imogen Casebourne leads the Digital Education Futures Initiative’s (DEFI) Innovation Lab at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. She’s interested in the design, development, deployment, and evaluation of educational technology, especially artificial intelligence, as well as in the role technology might play in supporting experiences of community, dialogue, and serendipity in learning. She is also interested in educational futures and works on DEFI’s futures and horizon-scanning initiatives. Previously Dr. Casebourne spent many years leading the design of learning technology projects at an educational technology company.

JeepyTA and Qualitative Coding: Recent Work with Large Language Models in Education at the Penn Center for Learning Analytics

Contemporary large language models (LLMs), though the culmination of a years-long effort, have exploded into much greater use in education in the last year.

LLMs provide a wide range of opportunities, as seen in tools like Khanmigo, and present unique challenges compared to previous-generation technologies, such as hallucinations, irreproducibility, and perspective-switching.

In this talk, I will discuss ongoing efforts at the Penn Center for Learning Analytics to leverage large language models for educational research and development. On the development side, we have used LLMs to create an AI teaching assistant and to provide feedback for introductory computer programming. On the research side, we have used LLMs to enhance the process of qualitative data coding. In this talk, I will discuss the successes and (sometimes hilarious) failures of these approaches.

About Dr. Ryan Baker

Dr. Ryan Baker is Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Director of the Penn Center for Learning Analytics. Dr. Baker has developed models that can automatically detect student engagement in over a dozen online learning environments, and led the development of an observational protocol and app for field observation of student engagement that has been used by over 150 researchers in 7 countries. Predictive analytics models he helped develop have been used to benefit over two million students, over a hundred thousand people have taken MOOCs he ran, and he has coordinated longitudinal studies that spanned over a decade. Dr. Baker was the founding president of the International Educational Data Mining Society, is currently serving as Editor of the journal Computer-Based Learning in Context, is Associate Editor of the Journal of Educational Data Mining, was the first technical director of the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center DataShop, and currently serves as Co-Director of the MOOC Replication Framework (MORF). Dr. Baker has co-authored published papers with over 400 colleagues and has been cited over 25,000 times.

What Happens When You Blend AI and Neuroscience?

As a learning professional, you won’t have missed the story of how AI is changing how we work. What are you already doing differently? With AI you can do many jobs faster - but often it’s only used to design more learning content faster.

What about quality and impact? GIGO is a well-known term in the technology sector – Garbage In, Garbage Out. If we aren’t doing the right things in the first place, then AI will make us more efficient at being ineffective.

We still have a huge challenge in the learning world because up to 80% of training isn’t transferred into the workplace – wasting time, money, productivity and goodwill.

First of all, we need to define what learning really means and how we can boost transfer. Neuroscience is at the foundation of an evidence-based framework to create learning journeys that ensure people adopt new behaviors and skills in the workplace. But doesn’t that require more work from L&D, the learners and the organization? You’re right - and until now it’s been hard to do at scale.

AI comes to the rescue because we can create activities and learning journeys that do transfer skills into the workplace, we can personalize learning to make it more relevant and upscale the whole process faster; leaving more time to do the things that deliver impact.

Ensure your foundations are sound and then use AI to do it faster.

About Stella Collins

Stella Collins is co-founder and Chief Learning Officer at Stellar Labs and an evangelist for effective evidence-based learning. She and her team deliver world-class learning solutions with impact, including a Learning Transfer platform fueled by neuroscience and optimized by AI.

Stella is an acknowledged expert on the practical application of science-based learning to business performance and has trained thousands of professionals in more than 25 years in L&D. Her popular book Neuroscience for Learning and Development is in 4 languages and its 3rd edition. Her Linkedin Learning course has more than 30,000 participants. Stella engages and inspires audiences at international conferences, round table discussions, webinars, podcasts and blogs. She’s host of the “Mind the Skills Gap” podcast.

Stella has a BSc in Psychology, an MSc in Human Communication, is a Fellow of the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning, founder of the Brain Friendly Learning Group and one of the Brain Ladies.

Stella says “There’s no such thing as a boring topic – just boring training!”

Navigating the Future of Academic Learning and Teaching: Opportunities and Challenges of GenAI Integration in Higher Education

Gila Kurtz

The breakthrough of Generative Artificial Intelligence platforms (often referred to simply as Generative AI or GenAI) such as ChatGPT, Bard, Midjourney, and others is leading to far-reaching changes in the employment market, learning, and humanity in general. On one hand, there is the promise of potential for enhancing the efficiency, comfort, and quality of academic education, such as by introducing innovative methods that tailor learning experiences to individual students based on their unique needs, knowledge gaps, and prior understanding. Additionally, GenAI can offer novel ways to extend an academic education to underserved populations and equip students for the future job market.

On the other hand, this transformative shift presents significant prospects and unique challenges for higher educational institutions. In this presentation, I will examine the latest developments in GenAI and the possibilities of leveraging it to benefit academic learning. I will map the opportunities that GenAI application integration offers academic learning, such as providing students with an AI buddy to study with and shortening the time needed teaching and learning. Further, I will elaborate on challenges and note some dangers relating to the use of AI to acquire academic skills and knowledge, such as issues of transparency, fairness, integrity, inclusion, and equality. Finally, I will introduce my recommendation for a "hybrid intelligence" approach that can merge human and machine capabilities in higher education.

About Dr. Gila Kurtz

Dr. Kurtz is the Dean of the Faculty of Instructional Technologies at the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) in Israel. She has a wealth of experience, having served as the Academic Vice President at a company specializing in e-learning solutions for the corporate sector for several years. Other positions: a member of the Steering Committee of the European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) and the Editor-in-Chief of The Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Skills and Lifelong Learning (IJELL). Dr. Kurtz has been a visiting scholar at the University of Maryland University College, University of California Berkeley, Syracuse University and University Roma, TRE.

About Dr. David Guralnick

David Guralnick envisions a new approach to education and workplace learning. His vision integrates progressive learning theory, advanced technology, and creative, entertaining storytelling to create learning experiences that help people learn to think critically, reflect, and make thoughtful decisions. David holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the past 30 years, he has designed and evaluated a variety of simulation-based training applications, performance support systems, online courses, mobile applications, and authoring tools for corporate, non-profit, and university audiences.

David holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science/artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the course of his thirty years in online learning, he has designed and developed simulation-based training applications, electronic performance-support systems, and specialized authoring tools which allow non-technical people, such as writers and trainers, to build e-learning sites.

Among David’s most notable achievements are the creation of the first learn-by-doing simulation for corporate training purposes and the first authoring tool for a non-technical audience that was specific to e-learning. He has been the recipient of over 200 e-learning design awards, and his work has been featured in Wired magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Training magazine (as an Editor's Choice). He has been a regular speaker at both industry and academic events since 1991. He is also the author of the recent book How Organizations Can Make the Most of Online Learning.

David is the current President and CEO of Kaleidoscope Learning. He is also the current president of the International E-Learning Association; founder and chair of The Learning Ideas Conference; Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal on Advanced Corporate Learning; Chair of the International E-Learning Awards; and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University.

About Dr. Diana Andone

Dr. Andone is Director of the Digital education & eLearning Department at the Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania, where she's responsible for planning and implementing digital education. She is an associate professor in multimedia, interactive and web technologies, an EDEN Senior Fellow, an IEEE Education Society 2021 Distinguished Chapter Leadership Award winner, and the IEEE Education Society Vice President (2024-2025), with extensive research and publication experience and more than 30 research and educational international projects. Dr. Andone teaches course modules in universities from the UK, France, USA, Finland, Italy, and Greece.

About Bruce Cronquist

Bruce Cronquist has over forty years of experience helping people become proficient at using software tools, software engineering, testing computer software, training dogs, snowboarding, starting a new career, and more. He is presently a Product Owner at Dell Technologies creating learning experiences for employees, partners, and customers who use Dell tools. He also teaches through the local community college. Previously he was on the Engineering Excellence team at Microsoft Corporation where he onboarded testers and developers. Bruce enjoys presenting at industry conferences and has won various industry awards including Brandon Hall Technology Excellence Award, Globee Business Excellence, Stevie Great Employer Award program, and International E-Learning Association award. He also enjoys sharing his experiences with, and learning from, fellow Learning and Development professionals through journal articles, at conferences and the local coffee shop.

In his spare time, Bruce enjoys spending time with his wife, Valerie, and their adopted "foster failure" dog Harlow Quinn. He enjoys woodworking, laser engraving and geocaching.

About Todd Stone

Todd Stone, Senior Program/Project Manager at Dell Technologies, boasts over two decades of LD&D experience in business and education. With a focus on integrating technology into learning, his diverse background includes Hollywood visual effects, university online program development, adjunct professor, and teacher training. At Dell, Todd is currently shaping training content strategy, exploring AI integration for enhanced efficiency and as a valuable learning tool.

AI Is Joining the Workforce: Are You Ready?

John Hack

A year after ChatGPT leapt into our lives, AI is already performing tasks across the organization. Unlike previous tech revolutions, these aren’t merely tools of automation: people are interacting with intelligent agents to research markets, understand new technology, collaborate on proposals, brainstorm solutions, create business plans, generate videos, and more.

In short: AI is joining the workforce.

This session will first examine the ways Intelligent Software will impact how people work and learn. We’ll explore what a workplace populated with both people and active software agents might require. In that context, the conversation will then shift to what Learning and Development professionals can do to prepare themselves and their constituencies for this rapidly changing workplace.

Attendees will take away:

• The three key learner personas and how AI will affect them differently.
• The skills needed to thrive in that new environment.
• What AI-native learning systems might look like.
• What an L&D professional can do now to prepare.

About John Hack

A long-time performance management software innovator, John Hack started his career in the Natural Language Processing R&D group at Wang Labs in the 1980’s. His early work in natural language processing, data visualization and real time risk analysis led to delivering predictive and automated analysis of organizational performance, for which he earned three patents. At SAP, he led the Performance Management Innovations team as they developed new ways to analyze individual performance, visualize the workforce, and help people tackle new problems. He is the CTO and co-founder of Interflexion, leveraging AI to help aspiring professionals develop their conversational skills. He holds a bachelor’s degree from MIT and a master’s from NYU.

Navigating AI's Imperfections in EdTech: Developing Literacy for Educators

When learning about AI, educators are often given lots of prompt engineering courses, some general warnings about limitations and dangers, and…that's it. AI is now starting to show up in products in ways that go beyond prompt engineering. How are educators expected to evaluate these more sophisticated uses of very new and unpredictable capabilities?

This talk describes a novel approach for cultivating AI literacy among practitioners--in this case, learning designers--that will enable them to build lasting and useful skills for integrating AI into their work and lives as the technology evolves. Through a collaborative design/build workshop series, teams of learning designers receive a prototype AI-powered learning design application. They build lessons with it, provide feedback, and test the next iteration. As they go, they learn the fundamentals of how AI works and where they are likely to encounter subtle "gotchas" with AI-powered systems. The application we will be building supports work that they're intimately familiar with, enabling them to leverage their existing skills.

This project-based learning course is intended to be a model for professional development in the confusing and ever-changing world of AI. While we are hopeful that the end project will be very useful, the greatest value is in the participants learning what is easy and what is hard to make easier or better using AI. Because of generative AI's remarkable ability to lower the cost of building applications, this hands-on approach can be duplicated with other projects to help build literacy and fluency among your team.

About Michael Feldstein

Michael Feldstein is a seasoned EdTech professional with an unparalleled understanding of the vendor landscape. His consulting portfolio boasts strategic engagements with a spectrum of EdTech entities, from major Online Program Managers (OPMs) and Learning Management System (LMS) giants to innovative startups and leading textbook publishers. This breadth of experience has also seen him provide incisive due diligence analysis for private equity firms on potential acquisitions, ensuring astute and informed investment decisions.

As the driving force behind the e-Literate blog, Michael offers deep insights into vendor strategies, market dynamics, and technological innovations, positioning him as a trusted voice in the industry. His blend of hands-on commercial experience and analytical acumen provides a unique perspective, enabling him to navigate the complexities of the EdTech sector with finesse.

Michael's journey is further enriched by roles in academia and the private sector, granting him a 360-degree view of the challenges and opportunities in digital education. His active engagement with the EdTech community, through conferences and workshops, underscores his commitment to fostering growth and innovation in the field.

In a rapidly evolving industry, Michael Feldstein stands as a beacon of strategic insight and vendor expertise, making him an invaluable asset for any strategic initiative or investment venture.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Create Meaningful Learning Experiences

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) provide the opportunity for the creation of new approaches to learning. Progressive educational methods such as personalized, project-based learning have been effectively used for many years, but are labor-intensive for teachers and expensive to provide. With the aid of artificial intelligence, we can create personalized, engaging, active, meaningful learning experiences that can easily scale up and be made available to large audiences.

Learning experiences that take advantage of AI can put learners in realistic environments where they can explore, make decisions, and receiving coaching guidance—for example, a student who wished to learn about ancient Greece could potentially explore a simulation of ancient Greece, with an AI coach guiding them. AI-based approaches to learning have the potential to create educational systems that foster creativity and critical thinking skills, and can change the structure of both traditional education and workplace learning. In this session, I’ll discuss how we can use AI to help us reimagine learning experiences to help us create personalized, active learning on a large scale.

About Dr. David Guralnick

David Guralnick envisions a new approach to education and workplace learning. His vision integrates progressive learning theory, advanced technology, and creative, entertaining storytelling to create learning experiences that help people learn to think critically, reflect, and make thoughtful decisions. David holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the past 30 years, he has designed and evaluated a variety of simulation-based training applications, performance support systems, online courses, mobile applications, and authoring tools for corporate, non-profit, and university audiences.

David holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science/artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the course of his thirty years in online learning, he has designed and developed simulation-based training applications, electronic performance-support systems, and specialized authoring tools which allow non-technical people, such as writers and trainers, to build e-learning sites.

Among David’s most notable achievements are the creation of the first learn-by-doing simulation for corporate training purposes and the first authoring tool for a non-technical audience that was specific to e-learning. He has been the recipient of over 200 e-learning design awards, and his work has been featured in Wired magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Training magazine (as an Editor's Choice). He has been a regular speaker at both industry and academic events since 1991. He is also the author of the recent book How Organizations Can Make the Most of Online Learning.

David is the current President and CEO of Kaleidoscope Learning. He is also the current president of the International E-Learning Association; founder and chair of The Learning Ideas Conference; Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal on Advanced Corporate Learning; Chair of the International E-Learning Awards; and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University.

Developing AI Literacy for Learning Professionals

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a research topic; it's a revolutionary force changing the way industries function. For learning professionals, understanding AI is a necessity. But what does it mean to be AI literate in the context of education and workplace learning? What areas do we need to focus on? How do we go about assessing our competencies and skills in AI? What resources are available to use?

In this interactive session, we will:

• Define AI Literacy: Understand what it means to be AI literate, and how AI literacy is different from other forms of technology literacy.
• Introduce the AI Literacy Framework: Explore the comprehensive framework developed specifically for educators, focusing on seven key areas of AI literacy. This framework will serve as a roadmap to navigate the complexities of AI and its applications in education and workplace learning.
• Explore the competencies associated with each area of AI literacy. Ideas on activities and resources will also be provided.

Whether you're just starting your journey or are well-versed in the AI education landscape, this session will provide you with the tools to effectively develop and implement AI literacy for yourself as well as your organizations.

About Dr. David Guralnick

David Guralnick envisions a new approach to education and workplace learning. His vision integrates progressive learning theory, advanced technology, and creative, entertaining storytelling to create learning experiences that help people learn to think critically, reflect, and make thoughtful decisions. David holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the past 30 years, he has designed and evaluated a variety of simulation-based training applications, performance support systems, online courses, mobile applications, and authoring tools for corporate, non-profit, and university audiences.

David holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University, where his work synthesized concepts from the fields of computer science/artificial intelligence, instructional design, and cognitive psychology. Over the course of his thirty years in online learning, he has designed and developed simulation-based training applications, electronic performance-support systems, and specialized authoring tools which allow non-technical people, such as writers and trainers, to build e-learning sites.

Among David’s most notable achievements are the creation of the first learn-by-doing simulation for corporate training purposes and the first authoring tool for a non-technical audience that was specific to e-learning. He has been the recipient of over 200 e-learning design awards, and his work has been featured in Wired magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Training magazine (as an Editor's Choice). He has been a regular speaker at both industry and academic events since 1991. He is also the author of the recent book How Organizations Can Make the Most of Online Learning.

David is the current President and CEO of Kaleidoscope Learning. He is also the current president of the International E-Learning Association; founder and chair of The Learning Ideas Conference; Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal on Advanced Corporate Learning; Chair of the International E-Learning Awards; and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University.