Artificial intelligence in teacher education – Perspectives on Bildung in a post-digital society

Synnøve H. Amdam, Ann-Therese Arstorp, Mari-Ann Letnes, Ilka Nagel, Cathrine E. Tømte.

Symposium discussant: Neil Selwyn, Monash University

Bildung generally revolves around understanding oneself within society (Hegel & Elster, 1967) and being able to critically contribute to society’s development (Kant & Zehbe, 1975). This entails being aware of oneself, one’s social role, power relations and ethical and democratic responsibilities in different contexts. Bildung has been an explicit goal of Nordic education but has received less focus since measurable individual learning outcomes and competences have been emphasized in curricula in the Nordic countries (Biesta 2020, Erstad & Voogt, 2018). We argue that Bildung is of outmost importance in a post-digital society where digital technologies have become intertwined and embedded in existing economic, political, and social practices, and borders between humans and technologies are blurred (Knox, 2019), where interfaces are ever changing and we collaborate with digital tools as partners (Lund & Aagaard, 2020).

In this symposium we address the question:  How can teacher educators promote Bildung in a world of generative AI? Building on experiences and examples from teacher education, we highlight several perspectives on how generative AI challenges Bildung. Teacher education is not only responsible for fostering Bildung within the individual student but also for providing meta perspectives which enable the future teachers to foster Bildung in their pupils. The presentations will address aspects that are crucial to emphasize in teacher education such as technocultural perspectives (Løvlie, 2003), digital citizenship (Tømte et al. 2024), ontological perspectives (Ejnavarzala, 2019), 21st century skills and media literacy (Erstad & Amdam, 2013; Erstad & Voogt, 2018), agency  (Nagel, 2021) and technoethics/ technoskepticism (Heath et al. 2024). 

Presentation 1: Technocultural perspectives (Mari-Ann Letnes, NTNU)
Technocultural perspectives explore how the intersection of the self and culture is transformed in the age of the internet, where traditional concepts of Bildung are challenged by rapidly evolving technology (Løvlie, 2006, 2003). While classical Bildung emphasized transformation through the cultivation of the self in relation to culture, today’s technocultural landscape. Drawing on Donna Haraway's (1987) concept of the cyborg, which blurs the boundaries between human, machine, and nature, we see today's technocultural landscape as characterized by hypertransformative experiences, with constant online presence and an intensified sense of self and others.  This interface, characterized by restlessness and transition, redefines Bildung as it navigates the meeting point of human creativity, critical thinking and artificial intelligence. Rather than focusing on specific educational practices in response to AI, we aim to reconsider how Bildung can be fostered in an educational landscape shaped by hypertransformation and the pervasive presence of artificial intelligence.

Presentation 2: Digital citizenship (Cathrine Tømte, UiA)

Digital Citizenship is a relatively new concept that builds upon existing research on citizenship (Gisbert Cervera & Caena, 2022). In a recent systematic review, Richardson and colleagues uncovered that, despite growing international interest in digital citizenship, research remains limited in terms of how digital citizenship is integrated into primary and secondary education. There are few empirical studies, and only a small number include specific measures of digital citizenship (Richardson et al., 2021). Norway introduced a new national curriculum in 2020, and the subject social science included elements of digital citizenship, yet little is said about what this means. In 2016, based on a review of previous research, Choi suggest different dimensions of digital citizenship. These are ethics, media and ICT skills, the ability to participate and engage in society, and critical distance (Choi, 2016). Inspired by Choi's four dimension, we have adapted and developed a model suited to Norwegian education. Choi’s four categories—ethics, media and ICT skills, participation and engagement, and critical use—form the structure for our empirical review of responsible and effective use of digital technology for teachers. In this presentation, we first present Choi's approach to these categories and our further interpretation of them, and how they may align with AI.

Presentation 3: Ontological perspectives (Ann-Therese Arstorp, USN)

This conceptual paper explores how an ontological turn in the field of educational technology might contribute with an expansive perspective on digital technology. At the base of the argument are three perspectives on technology in education as we find them across existing research and frameworks: 1) Digital skills/competences perspective, 2) Pedagogical perspective, 3) Societal/humanistic perspective. We add to this an epistemological view as an undercurrent to the other three. We argue that these perspectives do not reflect a pressing influx of double bind situations, created particularly by generative artificial intelligence (AI). Double bind situations are ontological in their nature, requiring an ontological turn in how we view technology in education. Generative AI challenges us on what is true, what is trustworthy, but also on what is essentially human. As AI is becoming widespread it will most likely continue to position us in double bind situations with no immediate escape or solution. Thus, we argue for an ontological turn in how we articulate, position and relate to technology. We believe that discussions focusing solely on the more practical and epistemological aspects of digital technology in education are insufficient.

Presentation 4: 21st century skills and media literacy perspectives (Synnøve Amdam, HVO)

21st century skills have been an educational focus through the last decades, seemingly emphasizing a shift in focus in education from individual academic achievement towards digital competence and meta competences such as collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving (Erstad & Voogt, 2018). However, the focus on Bildung in 21st century skills frameworks often reduce societal engagement and democratic participation to so-called life skills such as knowledge of individual duties and rights (Amdam, 2022). With generative AI simplifying and amplifying the spread of misinformation throughout the post-digital society, measures to not only protect pupils from misinformation but also to teach pupils how to engage with and counter misinformation are needed (Erstad & Amdam, 2013). In this presentation, media literacy perspectives on societal engagement and participation focusing on analytical knowhow and structural and systemic understandings are presented as broader perspectives that may provide pre- and in service teacher education with understandings and tools for promoting Bildung in the age of generative AI.

Presentation 5: Agency and technoethics/ technoskepticism (Ilka Nagel, HiØ)

The nuanced and complex partnership between people and AI in education (and life in general) raises broader societal, ethical, and epistemic questions. Critical awareness of digital technologies including AI and their (unintended) consequences for and impact on pupils is vital (Coker, 2020). This presentation highlights the importance of extensive critical analysis, reflection and heightened awareness related to the use of AI in teaching and also when fostering student’s digital competences. An approach addressed is critical technoethics or technoskepticism, which involves considering the social implications of technology and evaluating not only the pros and cons of using digital tools but also their embedded values and unintended consequences (Heath et al. 2024). Furthermore, teachers and teacher educators have to be able to reflect on epistemic questions, such as the nature of knowledge and how it is acquired when using AI (Nagel et al., 2023). These critical reflections are considered the foundation for empowerment and human agency, steering away from technology determinism in teaching and learning as well as everyday life (Nagel, 2021).

References

Amdam, S. (2022). Media teachers’ discursive understandings in developing 21st century education: Are we the tugboat, the satellite, or the terror cell? Doctoral thesis, University in Oslo. URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10852/96730

Biesta, G. (2020). Have we been paying attention? Educational anaesthetics in a time of crises. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1792612

Choi, M. (2016). A concept analysis of digital citizenship for democratic citizenship education in the internet age. Theory & research in social education, 44(4), 565-607. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2016.1210549  

Coker, H. (2020). Why does digital learning matter? Digital competencies, social justice, and critical pedagogy in initial teacher education. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 14(1), 133-141. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1289980&site=ehost-live

Gisbert Cervera, M., & Caena, F. (2022). Teachers’ digital competence for global teacher education. European Journal of Teacher Education, 45 (4), 451-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2022.2135855

Haraway, D. (1987). A manifesto for cyborgs: Science, technology, and socialist feminism in the 1980s. Australian Feminist Studies, 2(4), 1-42.

Heath, M.K., Krutka, D.G., Jarke, J. et al. Critique Needs Community: On a Humanities Approach to a Civics of Technology. Postdigital Science Education 6, 369–382 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-023-00448-y

Ejnavarzala, H. (2019). Epistemology–Ontology Relations in Social Research: A Review. Sociological Bulletin, 68(1), 94-104. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022918819369

Erstad, O., & Amdam, S. (2013). From Protection to Public Participation: A Review of Research Literature on Media Literacy. Javnost - The Public, 20(2), 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2013.11009115

Erstad, O., & Voogt, J. (2018). The twenty-first century curriculum: issues and challenges. Springer International Handbooks of Education, 19-36.

Hegel, G. W. F., & Elster, J. (1967). Åndens fenomenologi : (i utvalg) (p. 199). Pax.

Kant, I., & Zehbe, J. (1975). Was ist Aufklärung? : Aufsätze zur Geschichte und Philosophie (2. erw. und verb. Aufl., Vol. 1258, p. 146). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Knox, J. (2019). What does the ‘postdigital’ mean for education? Three critical perspectives on the digital, with implications for educational research and practice. Postdigital Science and Education, 1(2), 357–370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-019-00045-y

Lund, A., & Aagaard, T. (2020). Digitalization of teacher education: Are we prepared for epistemic change? Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE), 4(3-4), 56–71. https://doi.org/10.7577/njcie.3751

Løvlie, L. (2003). Teknokulturell danning. In Slagstad, R., Korsgaard, O., & Løvlie, L. (ed.) Dannelsens forvandlinger (p. 347–371). Pax.

Løvlie, L. (2006). Technocultural education. Seminar. Net

Nagel, I. (2021). Digital Competence in Teacher Education Curricula : What Should Teacher Educators Know, Be Aware of and Prepare Students for? Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE), 5(4), 104-122. https://doi.org/10.7577/njcie.4228

Nagel, I., Guðmundsdóttir, G. B., & Afdal, H. W. (2023). Teacher educators’ professional agency in facilitating professional digital competence. Teaching and Teacher Education, 132, 104238. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104238

Richardson, J. W., Martin, F., & Sauers, N. (2021). Systematic review of 15 years of research on digital citizenship: 2004–2019. Learning, Media and Technology, 46(4), 498-514. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.1941098  

Tømte C.E., Skotte Wasmuth, M., Stav Graasvoll, S. (2024). Å utdanne til digitalt medborgerskap. In Tømte, C.; Lien, A,; Trysnes, I. Smith-Gahrsen, M. (ed.) Lærerrollen i endring. Studentaktive læringsformer og profesjonsfaglig digital kompetanse (p. 120-144). Universitetsforlaget. ISBN 9788215064727.