Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

Remote Possibilities: Where there is a WIL, is there a Way? AI Education for Remote Learners in a New Era of Work-Integrated-Learning

Derek Jacoby, Saiph Savage, Yvonne Coady

TL;DR

The paper addresses the challenge of providing AI education to diverse, non-traditional, remote learners by leveraging post-pandemic remote platforms, co-creation, and AI-assisted Work-Integrated Learning (WIL). It presents a culturally responsive framework built on participatory design and community partnerships, including Indigenous communities in Canada, remote production projects, and public libraries, complemented by AI avatars to explore bias and personalize learning. Through multiple case studies and a global remote-class example, the authors demonstrate actionable strategies to democratize AI education, enhance access to cloud-based computing, and foster inclusive, student-led learning in remote contexts. The work highlights practical impact for reducing digital inequality and guiding future design of AI-enabled education tools in underserved communities.

Abstract

Increasing diversity in educational settings is challenging in part due to the lack of access to resources for non-traditional learners in remote communities. Post-pandemic platforms designed specifically for remote and hybrid learning -- supporting team-based collaboration online -- are positioned to bridge this gap. Our work combines the use of these new platforms with co-creation and collaboration tools for AI assisted remote Work-Integrated-Learning (WIL) opportunities, including efforts in community and with the public library system. This paper outlines some of our experiences to date, and proposes methods to further integrate AI education into community-driven applications for remote WIL.

Remote Possibilities: Where there is a WIL, is there a Way? AI Education for Remote Learners in a New Era of Work-Integrated-Learning

TL;DR

The paper addresses the challenge of providing AI education to diverse, non-traditional, remote learners by leveraging post-pandemic remote platforms, co-creation, and AI-assisted Work-Integrated Learning (WIL). It presents a culturally responsive framework built on participatory design and community partnerships, including Indigenous communities in Canada, remote production projects, and public libraries, complemented by AI avatars to explore bias and personalize learning. Through multiple case studies and a global remote-class example, the authors demonstrate actionable strategies to democratize AI education, enhance access to cloud-based computing, and foster inclusive, student-led learning in remote contexts. The work highlights practical impact for reducing digital inequality and guiding future design of AI-enabled education tools in underserved communities.

Abstract

Increasing diversity in educational settings is challenging in part due to the lack of access to resources for non-traditional learners in remote communities. Post-pandemic platforms designed specifically for remote and hybrid learning -- supporting team-based collaboration online -- are positioned to bridge this gap. Our work combines the use of these new platforms with co-creation and collaboration tools for AI assisted remote Work-Integrated-Learning (WIL) opportunities, including efforts in community and with the public library system. This paper outlines some of our experiences to date, and proposes methods to further integrate AI education into community-driven applications for remote WIL.
Paper Structure (10 sections, 3 figures)

This paper contains 10 sections, 3 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Background and Introduction
  2. Lessons Learned from WIL
  3. The Uchucklesaht Tribe
  4. The Indigenous Matriarchs Four Virtual Production Project
  5. Community WIL
  6. Remote Learning and Inclusion in a Global Remote Class
  7. AI Avatars in Remote Education
  8. Overcoming Bias
  9. Personalizing Non-hierarchical Learning Models with Conversational AI
  10. Acknowledgements

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Idealized team-based collaboration with remote participants in cohorts (left), and a Spatial Chat environment for individual remote participants (right).
  • Figure 2: Leveraging Public Libraries to Empower Economic Development in Rural Areas: This map, marked with blue stars to denote public libraries, overlays the economic distress zones in West Virginia. Our initiative utilizes the public libraries in the U.S. as vital hubs for conducting in-person studies, where we engage with local communities to teach adult workers essential computer skills, enhancing their employability.
  • Figure 3: Fostering Cultural Integration Through Participatory Design: This photograph captures the essence of our collaborative sessions, where indigenous and rural communities actively contribute their cultural heritage and traditions into the co-creation of AI-enhanced technologies. It illustrates our commitment to working alongside these communities, empowering them to take the lead in designing and developing technological solutions that resonate with their cultural identity and meet their unique needs.