Is artificial intelligence an educator’s friend or foe? This question and many more were explored in the second annual LMU Innovation Symposium on March 18, 2023. A collaboration between LMU College of Business Administration, LMU School of Education and the iDEAL Institute, and LMU Marketing, Communications, and External Relations, the symposium drew a packed room of K-16 educators, tech experts, start-up founders and employees, LMU alumni, and community members who all wanted to know where disruptive technology will take education — and what they can do to adapt in this new landscape.
The annual Innovation Symposium brings together industry and academic experts from multiple disciplines to discuss how innovations in technology, education, and ethical decision making have an impact on people, planet, and profit. This year’s panels explored the disruptive technologies that are impacting education and how educators can use innovative technologies in the classroom. Panelists included LMU and LMU Loyola Law School faculty, chief executive and strategy officers from tech companies, research associates, and software engineers.
The morning keynote speaker Neil Sahota, chief executive officer at ACSILabs, gave the audience a broad overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and sparked curiosity about its many current and potential uses including predictive modeling and digital twin technology. In the afternoon, Sabba Quidwai, Ed.D., delivered a presentation titled “Me, Myself, and AI: Your Vision. Your Future.” Founder of Designing Schools, Quidwai challenged attendees to collaborate with AI to transform it into an innovation powerhouse while maintaining a human-centric approach.
“The annual Innovation Symposium provides an opportunity for cross-disciplinary collaboration on a timely topic,” said Ana Mangal, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of information systems and business analytics. “Disruptive technology is pertinent as College of Business Administration students and faculty are embracing these tools that are reshaping the workplace and the classroom.” Mangal moderated the “Disruptive Technologies Impacting Education” panel, prompting panelists to consider the intersection of tech and education, with special focus on how AI can support student learning.
“The symposium was a great success,” said Shannon Tabaldo, director of the Innovation in Digital Education and Leadership (iDEAL) Institute. “The amazing keynote speakers and panelists really elevated the conversations around AI in education to a new level. I am excited to continue the conversation.” Tabaldo moderated the “Educating with Disruption: Using Emerging Technology in the Classroom” panel and explored complex problems and opportunities educators may face when working with AI.
The event organizers intend to keep the momentum of the symposium going: On April 26 the iDEAL Institute will host a webinar, “Using AI in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Lens,” which will focus on the concerns teachers might have around AI in the classroom, the ways teachers can use AI with their students, and they can leverage AI to do things like lesson plan, build quizzes, write emails, and more.
To learn more about upcoming events at the LMU Playa Vista Campus, visit https://www.lmu.edu/siliconbeach
