Re-designing learning spaces: the learning design that meets the needs of future learners!

 

The two main goals of Global Campus project: expanding online learning and conducting innovative and agile EdTech experiments are backed with learning design. We strive to harness pedagogical, technological, and design dimensions of online learning by applying a research-based learning design approach to create engaging and participatory “learning experience”. Using this learner-centered approach, we want to ensure that how learning theories and pedagogical research inform our learning design and that the learner is at the forefront of our development.

Implications from research and practice indicate that the majority of online learning courses and MOOCs lack in terms of pedagogical design and usability. In order to overcome these limitations and to craft pedagogically-informed learning experience ,we employ a learner-centered design framework that makes effective use of appropriate pedagogy and technology.

Learner-centered design framework (Saadatmand, 2017)

The underlining pedagogical principles of this framework are: personalization of learning, social aspects of learning (community and collaborative work) self-paced learning, autonomy, and agency.

The dynamic interplay among pedagogical, technological, and design components help create a learning ecosystem which meets the needs of learners and the essentials of an engaging online learning environment i.e. accessibility, usability, interactivity, flexibility, and multimodality.

 

Harnessing AI – the Midjourney case

AI generated landscape

Let’s discuss AI generated imagery for a second.

What is it?

As an example I use Midjourney. Generating images using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as Midjourney on Discord has the potential to revolutionise the field of visual content creation. Midjourney, an open-source platform, utilises machine learning algorithms to generate images based on user input. In short so called Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) create artistic imagery by separating and recombining image content and style. This process of using CNNs to render a content image in different styles is referred to as Neural Style Transfer (NST). This technology has many practical applications such as in graphic design, digital art, and scientific research. However, the ethical implications of AI-generated images must also be considered, more on this in a bit.

When using Midjourney on Discord, users can input a variety of parameters to generate images. This can include text, numbers, or even other images. The algorithm then processes this input and creates a unique image based on the parameters provided. This allows for a high degree of customisation and creativity when generating images. Additionally, Midjourney also allows the user to generate versions of those images, enabling thus a set of variations of the base image.

Here is a short video on how to use Midjourney via Discord.

One of the key benefits of using Midjourney on Discord is the community aspect of the tool. Users can share their input and generated images with others in real-time, allowing for a collaborative and interactive experience. This is particularly useful for designers and artists working on a project together, as it allows them to quickly and easily share ideas and feedback. Additionally, the Discord integration allows for easy sharing of the generated images, making it easy to share the final output with others.

Are there any issues?

One major advantage of using AI to generate images is its ability to produce a high volume of unique and varied content. This is particularly beneficial in fields such as advertising and graphic design where a steady stream of fresh and engaging visuals is essential. Furthermore, the use of machine learning algorithms in image generation allows for a high degree of customisation and creativity in the final output.

However, there are also valid concerns regarding the ethical implications of AI-generated images. One of the main concerns is the potential for AI-generated images to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and biases. For example, if an AI model is trained on a dataset that contains a disproportionate number of images of a certain race or gender, it may produce images that reinforce these stereotypes. Additionally, the use of AI-generated images in fields such as journalism and news reporting raises concerns about the authenticity and accuracy of the content.

A good example of what consequences training on a specific dataset can mean came up in a recent class action lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco, USA filed by a group of artists – the case is still on-going. Apparently

“text image generators were trained off of a data set called LAION, and they basically are billions of images that help to train the generators. And where artists take issue with it is that our images were put into these data sets and then used to create the generators without our consent.”

Source: NYTimes podcast: Hardfork, Jan 20 2023.

It is important to note that these concerns are not unique to AI-generated images, but rather are issues that have long been present in the field of visual content creation. However, the use of AI does amplify these concerns, and it is crucial that proper measures are taken to mitigate these risks. This can include using diverse and representative training datasets (with consent?), implementing robust ethical guidelines, and providing transparency about the source and authenticity of AI-generated images. In conclusion, the use of AI to generate images has the potential to greatly benefit various fields if implemented correctly.

Overall, Midjourney is a powerful tool for generating images on Discord. Its ability to process input from users and generate unique images, along with its editing tools and collaborative features, make it a valuable tool for a wide range of fields. Whether you’re a designer, artist, or researcher, Midjourney can help you create stunning visual content quickly and easily.

Prompts

Midjourney uses prompts to instruct the NST what the image is suppose to look like. It always starts with a forward slash and IMAGINE (/IMAGINE) and your descriptive text eg. I used the following prompt line for the owl in the right hand side column:

[/IMAGINE logo, funky, scifi, bioluminescence, owl on transparent background]

which resulted in this 4 image square (below). I then chose to Upscale #1 and Version #2 and ended up with a 1024×1024 px sized image of the owl I wanted.

For further reading on how to perfect your prompts to get the result you are happy with I suggest you head over to Midjourney’s Documentation page or check out PromptHero and while you are at it have a look at the Midjourney Community Showcase.

AI generated owl

Exploring the Potential of VR in Group Work

Virtual avatars sitting in a virtual meeting room

The multi-disciplinary sustainability course at the University of Helsinki tested an alternative way of completing the project work using virtual reality (VR) technology.  Students were given the opportunity to use Oculus2 virtual glasses in Meta’s Horizon Workroom application for group meetings where they planned their own course presentation. The goal of the experiment was to evaluate the usability and ease of use of the devices and the efficiency of working in virtual space.

The experiment was part of the University of Helsinki’s Global Campus project, led by EdTech Expert Jussi Wright.  The teacher responsible for the course was the university lecturer Rami Ratvio from HELSUS.  From the tested alternatives, Meta’s Horizon Workroom application was chosen for the actual use test. The program was chosen in part because of the features and its more limited ability to move, which helped to focus on meeting work instead of moving around in free space.

The students who participated in the experiment generally enjoyed the experience and found working in VR mode to be beneficial. The feeling of presence in the virtual meeting was considered to be better than in traditional video meetings, and the meeting atmosphere was felt to be more intense. However, the use of the VR glasses and the program were considered challenging at first, and it was suggested that there should be more time allocated for practice before the course begins.

The Horizon Workroom application also allows for recording meetings, sharing text and image files, and even has the option for one student to act as the organizer and update the agenda on the virtual meeting room’s wall. It’s the perfect blend of technology and organization to enhance the learning experience.

Overall, this experiment demonstrated the potential of VR technology in group work and highlighted the importance of preparing students before using such technology in class. With the right tools and training, VR technology can be a powerful tool to enhance the learning experience, collaboration and improve group work outcomes.

Message from the future

Person looking through a stand-alone window in a dystopian landscape.

Sustainable health course

This is about Global campus’ first project, the Sustainable health course by the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Helsinki.

Conceived and orchestrated by Ilkka Miettinen PhD (pharm.), the course is based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as formulated by the United Nations. Sasa Tkalcan, on behalf of Global campus, assumed the lead in crafting a lightly gamified storyline and after a few tests using drone footage, 360° images and a VR headset Sasa came up with a few mockups which served as a basis for creating a visually striking concept for the course.

Ilkka and Sasa formed a dynamic working partnership as they collaborated on the project. Sasa, having previously worked extensively with ThingLink, was well-versed in the tool’s capabilities and thus elected it as the platform for the VR components of the course. The core concept was to build a VR environment, which nonetheless would also function on a plain screen, for an introduction in which the learner encounters a hologram and is presented with an assignment. Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is reunited with the hologram in a modified environment, where they are presented with a certificate.

Hologram of a person

The project involved filming a professor in a studio to be transformed into the hologram delivering the assignment. However, in the interest of preserving the element of surprise for prospective learners, details shall remain undisclosed. The project was completed on schedule and the course was made available online on the 10th of January, 2023.

Welcome to the Global Campus blog!

In this blog we will share what´s going on in the EdTech development at the University of Helsinki. We´ll tell what we have done – what we tested and what we learned. 

The Global campus project was launched by the rector of the University of Helsinki in 2022 to work for two goals: expanding international online learning opportunities and creating a platform for innovative EdTech experiments. The project is said to be a startup inside the university, and it is being given the freedom to do “risky” EdTech pilots. This is an opportunity to think big and boldly about how the online learning can look like in the future. For this work, the team is taking the best out of the newest technologies like extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI) and combining them with the latest research on digital learning.  

The rector Sari Lindblom encouraged the team by saying:

“We realize that not all experiments succeed, but if we never dare to try bold things and take risks, we will never learn as an organization.”

This inspires us every day to think big, and to challenge the way we think about learning.  We welcome all teachers and students to join us in redefining online learning at the University of Helsinki!