Abstract
Emerging technologies (ETs) will most likely have a strong impact on education (starting with higher education), just like they have already had in so many economic and social areas. This paper is based on the results obtained in the project “My Future Colleague Robot”, an initiative that aimed to improve the competence of university teaching staff regarding the introduction of ETs in teaching practices at university level. In this paper, we identified the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are related to the adoption in higher education of the combination of two ETs: robotics together with artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, we analyzed the perceptions of university-level teaching staff about the potential of introducing ETs in education. The empirical data presented here were collected using written essays from 18 university teachers and students. Deductive and inductive approaches with thematic analysis were used for the data analysis. The findings support the idea that previous ET-related experience can support positive attitudes and the implementations of ETs in university teaching; in this study, university teachers had optimistic expectations towards ETs, accepting them as part of teaching practice development, while discussion about the negative effects of ETs was negligible.
Highlights
Published: 8 September 2021This paper is based on the results of the one-year international development project “My Future Colleague Robot”, a project conceived for raising and developing the competence of Tallin University (TU) teaching staff regarding the integration of some emerging technologies (ETs) into different higher education disciplines
It is important to add that our findings demonstrate that university teachers have positive intentions, attitudes, and common perceptions due to their previous experience related to using ETs which is similar to findings from previous studies [52]
The aim of the paper was to gain a deep understanding of the perceptions and points of view of university teachers and their students on ETs in their future life, as well as their impact on society in general and on their teaching practices
Summary
Published: 8 September 2021This paper is based on the results of the one-year international development project “My Future Colleague Robot”, a project conceived for raising and developing the competence of Tallin University (TU) teaching staff regarding the integration of some emerging technologies (ETs) into different higher education disciplines. Two ETs were selected: artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, through the consideration of complex, AI-enhanced educational robots. The selection of the combination of AI and robotics for the TU study came as a logical consequence of the increased diffusion of robots in many education stages in Estonia, starting at kindergarten level. The concept of “ETs” includes both novel technologies and existing technologies that, combined with new niche contexts, have the potential of becoming mainstream tools in these new niches [1]. Adner and Levinthal [1] point out that ETs are often generated by the Schumpeterian combination of an existing technology with a new context; fitting Schumpeter’s [3] definition of technological innovation. It is reasonable to assume that emerging technologies
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