Mission Ed-Tech

Mark Gash caught up with Magdalena Slawinska, Head of Technology-Enhanced Learning at Goethe Business School, Frankfurt, to talk Bett, AI, new tools, and old video games.

Mark Gash: Hi Magdalena, thanks for speaking with Dirtyword today. What brings you to Bett here in London, all the way from Goethe Business School?

Magdalena Slawinska: I’m here looking for ed tech solutions for my school. I always think that there’s more to do regarding processes and modernising teaching at any university. I’ve been at GBS for just 5 months now but when you enter a new workplace, you immediately notice things that could be improved.

Sometimes it’s the culture or how people deal with tasks but much of the time it comes down to needing to improve inefficient processes and many of those problems can be solved with software!

MG: And there’s a lot of software on show here at Bett. What’s the coolest tech you’ve seen here so far?

MS: Well, I already knew about Kahoot, but the way they presented the new features was really engaging. I’m also impressed with Class, a software built on MS Teams or Zoom. It’s an enhanced virtual classroom where you can track attendance, use interactive tools, pull content from your LMS to share and see what students are working on, even in breakout rooms. You can also pull individuals out for one-on-one conversations - it’s like Teams or Zoom on steroids.

MG: What are your thoughts on the data gathering capabilities of Class?

MS: Class is surely impressive, but I found the detailed AI-powered analytics, like tracking when students raise their hands or when they switch to a different app, a bit questionable.

I’m concerned about the balance between gathering data to improve classes and being too invasive. In a traditional classroom, you’re face-to-face and you’re not writing down notes like, “Alice raised her hand at 10:23 a.m.” or “Ben looked out the window twice”, you know?

MG: Yeah, there’s a lot of that being talked about here at Bett. Companies like Grammarly are releasing new AI tools that can log the process of students’ writing to try and combat the misuse of Artificial Intelligence in coursework.

MS: Reminds me of those chatbots which save and display to the human agent everything a user started typing, even if they remove it before sending. Regarding education though, we should be finding better ways to teach, not just ways to catch students out.

MG: Before heading into management, you used to teach. What made you move to tech leadership?

MS: Yes, I taught for seven years. I loved working with teenagers but I decided I wanted to be on the other side, helping the whole institution. I enjoy implementing new tools to organise things and help my colleagues. And even though I’m no longer in the classroom, I still have to teach people. I have to make sure that when I implement new tools or software, that everyone understands why and are willing to use them. Some of them are stubborn. Some of them are excited. So that enters the change management sphere. And that’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do, is trying to change people’s minds.

MG: What is your favourite tech at work, EdTech in particular?

MS: I’m interested in Learning Management Systems. The pandemic really made me rethink learning, and it showed that online learning has a big role to play in education going forward. I like to see companies develop tools that provide interesting new features and functions that you can use in your online classroom. Right now, we’re implementing Canvas, and I’m also working on building some adult learning courses on Moodle in my free time.

MG: Outside of work, what’s your favourite bit of tech?

MS: I don’t use much tech outside of work, apart from maybe Kindle – I find it remarkable I can carry a hundred books with me – but I did enjoy video games when I was a teenager. In fact, I’m really looking forward to GTA 6 - it’s been a long time coming out, but when it does, I’m going to buy a PlayStation!

MG: Ah, Grand Theft Auto was the best. Which one was your favourite?

MS: Vice City! With the crazy helicopter challenge everyone was struggling with. Great times.

MG: Yeah, Vice City had the best music, too with the 80’s soundtrack. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your current role?

MS: It’s dealing with people who are hesitant to change and improve. They’re used to doing things a certain way and can be scared of moving on.

MG: Do you think that’s typical of education as a whole? There seems to be a fear that technology, AI in particular, will be a threat to jobs in education.

MS: There might be some anxiety about the lack of skills, but I don’t think AI will put people out of jobs. We just need to learn to use it as a tool. I think AI can help make education – especially assessment – less biased. But human contact and is still important and cannot be replaced. AI is an opportunity to get rid of tiring tasks, not as a replacement for human emotions, empathy, and experience.

MG: With the recent explosion of new tech, how do you see learning evolving in the next few years?

MS: I think my job will become easier as we get rid of certain time-consuming processes, like writing emails! AI can also help with quicker content and assessment creation. This will free up time for more creative and pedagogical tasks. I would like to see education move towards shorter, more skill-focused courses and personalised learning paths.

MG: That seems to be the consensus, or at least the dream, of many in EdTech right now! Any final thoughts to share with Dirtyword readers?

MS: I think the future is bright if we embrace technology and use it to inspire, support, and connect rather than to control. We need to ensure that tech is used to empower educators and not to turn them into policemen tracking student data.

MG: Thanks for chatting with me, Magdalena, enjoy the rest of the show!