How Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing E-learning for Learners 60+
E-learning has turned traditional learning on its head in recent years. From interactive online courses to customized learning paths, digital education is now more flexible and diverse than ever. The advent of artificial intelligence has recently opened up further innovative possibilities for the design of online learning opportunities, bringing e-learning back into the spotlight in research. However, this development not only brings benefits but also presents us with new challenges.
E-learning is Changing Our Educational Landscape
In recent years, e-learning has permanently changed the educational landscape. Companies, universities and organizations increasingly use digital learning methods to make education more flexible and accessible. E-learning encompasses the use of technology to support learning and teaching. It offers a wide range of possibilities – from online courses and blogs to interactive learning games.
Survey data from 2023 in Switzerland illustrates the existing high quality of educational services, but also reveals a significant gap in the capacity to meet the educational needs of people aged 65 and over (U3 & VSV, 2023). A comparison with data from 2012 concerning the same target group shows that the demand for individually tailored educational offers has almost quadrupled from 25% to 94% in the last eleven years. In this context, e-learning is an effective solution for adapting and expanding the educational offerings for people aged 65 and over in Switzerland to meet specific needs (U3 & SAAM, 2023).
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in E-learning
Research into artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative applications in education has increased significantly in recent years. Although initial studies show positive effects of AI on learning performance, it is still in its infancy (Tang et al., 2021). Here are some specific aspects of how AI could revolutionize e-learning:
- Personalized learning paths: AI analyses learners’ learning behaviour and progress to create tailored learning paths. This makes it possible to adapt the learning material precisely to individual needs and abilities, which could be particularly beneficial for older learners, as years of learning experience and biographies result in very different prior knowledge and learning styles.
- Adaptive learning systems: These systems dynamically adapt the level of difficulty and type of learning content to the learner’s progress and preferences. If difficulties arise with a particular topic, the system can provide additional resources and exercises to deepen understanding.
- Virtual tutors and assistants: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are available around the clock to answer questions, provide explanations and guide learners through the learning process. This support could be helpful to answer simple questions in a timely manner.
- Automated assessment and feedback: AI can automatically assess tasks and tests and provide immediate feedback. This enables errors to be identified and corrected quickly, making the learning process more efficient.
- Creation of learning profiles: By analyzing data on learning behavior, AI can create detailed learning profiles that provide insights into learners’ strengths and weaknesses. These profiles can be used to further individualize and optimize the learning process.
Challenges and Barriers
Despite its many advantages, the use of AI in e-learning also brings with it specific challenges and barriers:
- User-friendliness and design: Many AI systems are still in the testing phase and have not been (further) developed down to the last detail. It is important that these systems are designed to be intuitive and easily accessible. There are now guidelines on how homepages and e-learning can be designed to be clear and accessible, which could also be applied to AI systems. However, these are still far from being implemented across the board. Technical difficulties are often due to an overly complicated design and a lack of user-friendliness in online offerings (U3 & VSV, 2023).
- Data protection and security: Another hurdle is data protection and security. For example, it is often not immediately clear how AI applications store and process data. Transparent data protection guidelines and fundamentally secure systems are essential here to overcome concerns about the security of personal data (U3 & VSV, 2023).
- Mental barriers and acceptance: Studies show that digital learning can have a positive impact on life satisfaction, quality of life and personal fulfillment. However, negative attitudes towards digital services or fears of using technology can make participation more difficult (Bai et al., 2020).
Development of E-learning Courses
Last but not least, for us as developers, everyday life in the creation of e-learning courses has changed. For example, the development of content with tools such as ChatGPT has changed. Today, we need less time to formulate nice-sounding texts, but we have to check whether the AI tool has correctly reproduced all our manually compiled research results. We are also currently experimenting with avatars as instructors in educational videos. For example, we are currently completing a study that investigated how avatars in educational videos for older learners are evaluated and perceived, and what needs or preferences learners have.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize e-learning for learners. Personalized learning paths, adaptive systems and virtual tutors can make learning more efficient and individual. Nevertheless, technological, user-friendly and security-related challenges must be addressed to ensure broad acceptance and use.