Author: Monica Coddington

Artificial Intelligence and Us – Who Directs Who?

Monica CoddingtonLeave a comment

“The tool is directing the user”

Chamaki, 2010. Unsplash.

In the 20th century a new wave of literature and pop culture emerged that simultaneously revealed civilisation’s development and society’s growing concerns – concerns that are still prevalent today and have continued to appear in media since. Dystopian and Sci-Fi fiction centered around the idea of Artificial Intelligence being first born from human ingenuity, and then becoming the force that suppressed and controlled it has been a popular concept of many films, novels and poems since. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick (1968) was a thrilling (yet cautionary) tale about the wonders and dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) if we let it – and push it to – achieve extraordinary heights; a novel which gave birth to the ever popular Blade Runner film, which has since be reproduced for modern audiences. iRobot (2004) alludes to Dick’s tale when it considers the implications of rogue AI’s and the (im)possibility of androids (AI) experiencing emotions. There exsists a plethora of texts in the dystopian/Sci-Fi cannon that explore these concepts and the issues that seem intrinsically tied to them. Humanity has, evidently, been intrigued by the possibilities of science and technology and what AI could do for us, whilst it has also been preoccupied by and fearful of the repercussions of such a reality coming to fruition.

What is interesting to note is that despite this longstanding fear of AI, most Australians – and perhaps even most of the people on this planet – are exposed to AI on a daily basis. And most of them aren’t aware of it.

AI may not necessarily take the form of a humanoid robot that was designed to help humans but ultimately destroys them, as is often portrayed as the case in popular culture and literature (for an exception to this rule, and for a wild ride in an incredibly unique world, put Scythe by Neil Shusterman in your TBR pile). It can – and does – take the form of an algorithm, and chances are you have it sitting beside you or in your pocket right now. Technology and digital resources that we use every day use algorithims to predict, and then offer, content that it thinks we will be most interested in. Finding a good film to watch on Netflix, Stan or Disney+ that is similar to other films you love has never been easier. Conducting research in a digital catalogue or library will lead you down a path of “related titles” that might – and theoretically should – have something to do with the first journal article you read. Love indi rock music? Spotify has got you covered. It will play new artists for you that you haven’t heard of – but will likely enjoy – because they’re similar to other artists in your playlist. Even YouTube has got your back with its tailored “up next” function.

So the idea that the tool – i.e. technology, or the AI and/or algorithm buried and operating within it – is directing the user – i.e. us – is not too far fetched as a concept. In fact, it is happening daily, for each of us that have access to a smart phone. So whilst we may not have humanoid androids running (or strolling, as I imagine they’d do with infinite patience and grace compared to their clumsy human counter-parts) about the place, and whilst they may not be ready to take over the world for the sake of the planet, AI intelligence is no longer a thing of the past. It is very much real. It exists now. And it (just might be) controlling how you access the online world.

Whilst it might be easier than ever to find amazing thriller films on Netflix that you’ve never seem before thanks to it’s algorithm, you might also never see that 1970s block buster Sci-Fi film either – because Netflix has decided, based on your previous choices, that you probably won’t like it. When you select something to watch on its platform, you are really choosing something that has been chosen for you by its algorithm (Blattmann, 2018). This is a very simple example of how the tool controls the user, but the concept remains true all the same.

So what’s the issue? The danger lies in the shallowing of a very specific, niche puddle that is floating in a very, very, very deep and ever expanding ocean (i.e. the internet). These sorts of algorithms may grant us access to more similar material, but it has the potential to limit the pool of information we, as consumers of information, can easily access. So whilst our current model of AI certainly falls short of the gun-toting rebel android image presented by Dick in 1968, one thing is clear: embedded AI affects how we use our technology in the digital environment by helpfully providing us with a convenient “recommended for you” list. How we respond – and how deep we choose to dive into that puddle, and then the depths beyond – determines how informed we become as we seek to navigate the digital realm and all its possibilities.

Reference List

Blattmann, J. (2018). Netflix: Binging on the ALgorithm. UX Planet. https://uxplanet.org/netflix-binging-on-the-algorithm-a3a74a6c1f59

Chamaki, F. (2010) Data Has A Better Idea. [Image]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/1K6IQsQbizI

ETL401 Module 2.1 Thinking About Information

Monica CoddingtonLeave a comment

What is Information? Reflections on Module 2.1

As a secondary English teacher, information and communication, and how the two interact to create different forms of meaning, have always been something I have considered in my profession. The raw nature of information was something I have not.

This module, for me, revealed the interesting contradiction that defines information: It is static, dynamic, adaptive – but it also is. It is constant, and in that sense it is never changing. Yet information is constantly changing and transforming. It is untransferable, but it can be transfered in the sense that it can be shared. It is inconsumable because it will never cease to be, but it can be digested. Perhaps not like food, of course, but it can be taken in and understood by receptors. It is indivisible, but it can – and should, in the education profession – be ‘broken up’ so that it can be more readily understood.

And perhaps the most intriguing of all – information is, and yet information is not. It exists, but only because we, as consumers of such an unconsumable product, attach meaning to what might otherwise be a meaningless string or sequence of data. Yet even if we didn’t, it would still exist.

Despite it’s subjective nature, the idea of information as data was something that really resonated with me. When considering the dictionary of computing definition, the analogy of information being like data made as much sense as the idea of information being subjective. The brain, like a hard drive, takes and stores information (raw data) in schema’s, adding to them as we get more information, and locking them away for safe keeping whilst we sleep. But just like a computer, if we forget to revisit it, add to it, and don’t save it in a clearly labelled folder, it (or we) will discard it as meaningless.

In this sense, the nature of information as data means that, as a TL, the communication of it needs to be precise, manageable for students, and fit for purpose – a Stage 1 student won’t be able to receive it the same way a teenager can. In the same way, the sheer amount of it means that teaching students how to understand and communicate data/information won’t be the final frontier. We need to teach them how to access and acquire it critically in a world growing smaller and smaller with greater access to world wide knowledge. The data and information age, and the malleable nature of information, has therefore made the teaching of critical information literacy more paramount than ever.

ETL401 AT1 Part B – Experience-informed Reflections on the TL Role

Monica Coddington1 Comment

What is a Teacher Librarian (TL)?

As a beginning teacher, my experiences in school libraries and with Teacher Librarians (TLs) have been limited, but the first thing that has always come to mind when I have thought about the role of the TL has been as a facilitator of a love of literature and reading and of a manager of resources. This understanding I know now reveals only the surface of the TLs roles, and was informed by infrequent interactions with TLs and my role as an English teacher.

A facilitator of a love of literature and reading.  Original photograph. Coddington, 2020.

In my early teaching days I had to take each of my classes to the library once a fortnight, where they were required to “engage in wide reading of self-selected [. . .] texts for enjoyment” (NSW Education Standards Authority, 2019, p. 147). In one school, the librarian would lay a selection of books on the table for students before disappearing into her secluded office space. From this very brief experience I had understood that TLs were to provide the means and the space for independent reading to occur, but little more. At my next school this understanding grew when the TL eagerly recommended titles and showed students where to locate books they had found in the search engine. Here it was clear that the role included arming students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the library space and resources, rather than just staying up to date on popular Young Adult literature.

After recent experiences in my current school, however, where I have worked more closely with our TL, my understanding of what this role entails has grown further – and will continue to do so. It is also about engaging the school and the community to foster reading culture. In 2019, events like Book Week Reading Café’s, the Premier’s Reading Challenge and Book Club opened the doors of our library to “encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure” (NSW Department of Education, para. 1, 2018). I learned here that library spaces should be more than just a home for literature. But whilst TL’s do manage versatile library spaces and physical resources, it is clear that this is a very minor aspect of the TLs role.

Perhaps the most key component lies in the arming of students with knowledge to navigate their world – one that has increasingly blurred lines between being offline and being online (Floridi, 2007). I’m talking, of course, about the crucial role of the TL in teaching critical and digital literacies. In an age where students have easier access to more information than ever before, these literacies are more important than ever. And who better to teach them than the Teacher Librarian, who manages such resources? My current school library is a hub of online learning and research, with distance education and independent research occurring daily. The digital world is as much a part of students’ education as it is of their personal lives, and without the skills to critically navigate an ever-expanding infosphere, students run the risk of becoming overwhelmed and uninformed.

TLs will always be champions of literature, that much is evident. But their roles have changed as education – and the world – has. They stand as information specialists who teach students the literacies necessary to successfully navigate the infosphere and become active, informed and critical digital citizens.

 

Reference List 

Floridi, L. (2007). A Look into the future impact of ICT on our lives. The Information Society, 23, 59-64. DOI: 10.1080/01972240601059094

NSW Department of Education. (2018). NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2019). NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum: English K-10 Syllabus. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/english-year-10/english-k-10