Eyes to the Future

20 years down the road, I can see a shift in higher education occurring. Right now, distance learning and e-learning, while based in a digital environment with some aspects of student control around place and time, are still paced according to an instructor. Pacing occurs over semester terms that happen at standardized times of the year (i.e. Fall, Spring, Summer). With the advent of AI systems, these standardized times can be virtually erased. Students could literally take a course for as long as they need to while still receiving feedback about their work from an AI teacher's assistant. The AI system can even recommend personalized content based on student input - almost like a choose your own adventure story book. Again, this can be done without the need for a real teacher to intervene which allows students to have as much control over their pacing as they need to in order to finish their coursework. One student may use 1 month to complete their intended learning goals while another may take 1 year for the same learning goals. In this way, higher education can become more accessible to those who struggle with tight deadlines and suffer academically as a result. While AI has the potential to automatize learning, the need for a real teacher will never completely go away. There will always be a need for instructional designers to curate and organize coursework for students.