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The Augmented Learner

Derek Woodgate of the Faculty of Engineering and Science at the University of Agder has submitted his thesis entitled «The Augmented Learner. The pivotal role of multimedia enhanced learning within a foresight-based learning model designed to accelerate the delivery of higher levels of learner creativity» and will defend the thesis for the Dr.Philos.-degree Thursday 1 and Friday 2 September 2022. (Photo: Private)

The dissertation launched a new, foresight-based learning system driven by the concept of immersive spatial narratives, enhanced with student-created multimedia learning tools. The system demonstrated how this approach helps to increase learner creativity and generate implementable, innovative, future-relevant projects. In the research study.

Derek Woodgate

Dr.Philos Candidate

You may follow the disputation online. Link for registration as an online spectator at the bottom of this page.

 

Derek Woodgate of the Faculty of Engineering and Science at the University of Agder has submitted his thesis entitled «The Augmented Learner. The pivotal role of multimedia enhanced learning within a foresight-based learning model designed to accelerate the delivery of higher levels of learner creativity» and will defend the thesis for the Dr.Philos.-degree Thursday 1 and Friday 2 September 2022.

Woodgate are defending his thesis through the Open doctoral degree: Dr. Philos at the University of Agder,

Summary of the thesis by Derek Woodgate:

The Augmented Learner.

The pivotal role of multimedia enhanced learning within a foresight-based learning model designed to accelerate the delivery of higher levels of learner creativity

Purpose

In developed economies, the workforce structure and skill requirements have dramatically changed over the past 25 years. This has led to a significant growth in the need for the creative class - a trend projected to be maintained over the next 15 years. Current projections foresee a major shortfall of creative talent to meet the projected growth levels. The ability to be creative is considered a critical component of the emerging skill repertoire required to meet these future workforce needs. Another 2016 WEF report cites that 65% of the jobs existing in 2030 do not exist today. The present learning systems of the developed economies are considered non-conducive to the development of creative skills. This represents the gap between the current education system and the needs for the future.

This gap demonstrated the need for an accelerated effort to develop a new learning system that is capable of increasing learner creativity levels while contributing to the future of the education system.

This dissertation seeks to answer the key question of how to deliver increased levels of learner creativity to meet the growing needs of the future workforce. Therefore, three main research questions arise.

(1) How are jobs, skills, and workforce structures, projected to change over the coming decade? 

(2) What type of education system and learning approaches would be best suited to meet the changing needs of the future workforce, especially in terms of delivering increased creativity? 

(3) How can we apply such a system to the design of future courses to increase learner creativity? 

Design/methodology/approach

To leverage the inherent benefits of the knowledge integration framing of the critical components of this dissertation, combined theoretical and methodological approaches were applied that included: the foresight process, auxiliary projects, multiple modeling approaches, mapping, and quantitative and qualitative research, as well as several expert and Frontline Panels and interviews. These helped to determine the critical criteria, parameters and qualifiers for the potential influence sand future drivers presented within the knowledge enquiry.

The author designed a foresight-based course on the Future of Mobile Learning underpinned by a new learning system, tiled The Living Learning System that embraced the concept of based upon 8 contributing pillars.

Practicing was carried out on 50 students who had completed the course during the preceding three years through a questionnaire and interviews to establish increased levels of creativity in a simulated future landscape.

Findings

The thesis demonstrated via case studies that both the learning system and its application to the Future of Mobile Learning course that especially the addition of multimedia learning environments and tools together with foresight-based learning created a significant increase in learner creativity. The increase was measured by comparing previous student work in the same course and that submitted under the newly-developed LLS, using the Creative Solution Diagnosis Scale (CSDS) and the Creativity Assessment Criteria, established for the course.

The increased creativity was also measured by means of quantitative research involving a Questionnaire (47 responses) 5 individual face-to-face interviews.80% of respondents either strong agreed or agreed that the course increased their level of personal creativity. applied, 49% through the fact that they were motivated to try new things, 75 per cent of the respondents stated that having to think about the future and place themselves in a practicing landscape increased their creative skills significantly.

Originality/value

The dissertation launched a new, foresight-based learning system driven by the concept of immersive spatial narratives, enhanced with student-created multimedia learning tools. The system demonstrated how this approach helps to increase learner creativity and generate implementable, innovative, future-relevant projects. In the research study.

 

Disputation facts:

The trial lecture and the public defence will take place in Auditorium C2 040, Campus Grimstad and online via the Zoom conferencing app - registration link below.

Associate Professor Morgan Konnestad, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Agder, will chair the disputation

Trial lecture over theme by own choice Thursday 1 September at 12:15 hours

Trial lecture over assigned theme Friday 2 September at 10:15 hours

Public defense – disputation – Friday 2 September at 12:15 hours

 

Trial lecture over theme by own choice«FutureScaping -The Remix. Applying alternative thinking techniques»

Trial lecture over assigned theme«Learning Analytics - Approaches, Methods and Applications»

Thesis Title«The Augmented Learner. The pivotal role of multimedia enhanced learning within a foresight-based learning model designed to accelerate the delivery of higher levels of learner creativity»

Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder.

The thesis is available here:

The Candidate: Derek Woodgate  is Senior Futurist and President of The Futures Lab, Inc. and was previously an Assistant Professor at the Department of Information- and Communication Technology (ICT), Universitetet i Agder and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Houston and the University of Dubai, where he is also and Executive Board member of the Center for Futures Studies. In addition, he is an Associate Professor and Advisor to the VP of Academic Affairs at the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia.

He teaches Masters’ classes in a variety of futures-related topics ranging from an into to the Science of Foresight, Futures Skills the Future of Mobile Learning and The Future of Multimedia and Entertainment, as well as a senior undergrad class in The Future of Energy and the Environment.

Derek’s research covers the future of education and learning technologies and multimedia and sensory engagement. His most recent publications have included “Developing a Future Vision Landscape for Technology Enhanced Learning”[1], “Foresight as a Tool for Increasing Creativity in the Age of Technology-Enhanced Learning”[2], his award-winning article “Immersive spatial narratives as a framework for augmenting creativity in foresight-based learning systems”[3], “Exploring the Future of Universities Through Experimental Foresight”[4].

  1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323900168_DEVELOPING_FUTURE_VISION_LANDSCAPE_AND_MODELS_OF_TECHNOLOGY_ENHANCED_LEARNING
  2. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-00825-3
  3. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/OTH-11-2018-0033/full/html
  4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1946756720976714?journalCode=wfra

Opponents:

First opponent: Professor Sirkka Heinonen, University of Turku, Finland

Second opponent: Professor Arnold Pears, KTH - Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, Sweden

Professor Emeritus Jose Gonzalez, University of Agder, is appointed as the administrator for the assessment committee.

What to do as an online audience member:

The disputation is open to the public, but to follow the trial lecture and the public defence digitally, transmitted via the Zoom conferencing app, you have to register as an audience member on this link:

Register for the first trial lecture over theme by own choice (1 September): https://uiano.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5MrdeqvqTgjG9SwqixfktTNxA_m3ySYh2z1

Register for the second trial lecture over assigned theme and disputation: https://uiano.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Ypcuusqj8vGdHV_VdsAfHcWYNNDL-OMH3_

A Zoom-link will be returned to you. (Here are introductions for how to use Zoom: support.zoom.us if you cannot join by clicking on the link.)

We ask online audience members to join the first virtual trial lecture at 12:05 at the earliest, the second virtual trial lecture at 10:05 at the earliest, and the public defense at 12:05 at the earliest. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time. Further, we ask audience members to turn off their microphone and camera and keep them turned off throughout the event. You do this at the bottom left of the image when in Zoom. We recommend you use ‘Speaker view’. You select that at the top right corner of the video window when in Zoom.

Opponent ex auditorio:

The chair invites members of the public to pose questions ex auditorio in the introduction to the public defense. Deadline is during the break between the two opponents. The person asking questions should have read the thesis. For online audience the Contact Persons e-mail are available in the chat function during the Public Defense, and questions ex auditorio can be submitted to Kristine Evensen Reinfjord on e-mail kristine.reinfjord@uia.no