#ebcamp23 - AI, flexibility and the topic of money in focus
As in the past three years, this year's #ebcamp took place online. On two half-days, about 50 education managers, educators and trainers from Austria, Germany, South Tyrol and Slovakia met to discuss and exchange ideas about digitalization in adult education. The moderators Gaby Filzmoser and Bianca Baumgartner from ARGE Bildungshäuser Österreich (a member of KEBÖ) were pleased to welcome both "regulars" and Barcamp newcomers.
Artificial intelligence, flexibility in educational offerings and the economic value of education were the focus of this year's event. Also questions on topics such as blended learning, learner's engagement, self-learning groups and healthy media use were addressed.
Great interest for AI developments
A total of 13 so-called sessions, hence self-determined discussion rounds, were held during the #ebcamp. A quarter of them were directly related to artificial intelligence in adult education. The participants were pondering on questions like "How will AI change adult education in the future?", "What is or will be new?", "How will performance records change due to AI?", "What basic considerations do we need to make with regard to AI?", "What are the concerns?" etc. To this end, the sessions identified, among other things, some AI competencies for adult education. It is essential to have a basic understanding of how AI applications work and how to operate them in a meaningful way while respecting privacy and copyright. In this context, the importance of critical media literacy was also addressed to help debunk AI-generated fake news. In addition, an understanding of how to use AI as a teaching medium is helpful. The different levels of use and experience of the barcampers with AI could be observed: While some do not use tools like ChatGPT yet, for others they are already a fixed part of their educational work.
The "Netflix Expectation" - How flexible do we want to be?
One issue that continues to be a topic of conversation and was the focus of two sessions is the "Netflix expectation" - in other words, the flexibilization of educational offerings. There is no doubt that there has to be an orientation to the needs of learners. But how flexible do providers really have to and want to be? Short-term registrations and cancellations, dropping out of an educational measure after a short period of time, or the expected tolerance of short-term absences or date swaps make planning considerably more difficult. "Our participants are constantly in fear of missing out on something better" is how a participant sums it up. A lively exchange about best practices in education took place and it was agreed that it must be possible to demand a minimum level of commitment from the learners.
Let's talk about money
The topic of income as a trainer also came up at the Barcamp and was so well received that this session was held twice. Specifically, it was about whether digital education formats, which often involve intensive learning support during self-learning phases, should still be remunerated according to the motto "money for time". In particular, there was the challenge of convincing clients of the additional work involved in digital/hybrid formats. How can trainers confidently point out this issue in the future and secure appropriate compensation? An attempt was made to find answers to this question. One approach could be to clearly and transparently communicate the specific effort involved and the resulting added value for customers.
More topics and captured knowledge
Further sessions were held on "Blended learning", "How much online can a face-to-face seminar take?", "Digital self-learning courses - an exchange of experiences" and "Do you use the media or does the media use you?". Since a barcamp is also about sharing knowledge, the insights, ideas and experiences from the sessions were recorded in public minutes. These results are freely available on the bifeb website.
Hard facts and a little history
The #ebcamp is organized as a joint event of the Conference of Adult Education Austria (KEBÖ) and the Federal Institute for Adult Education (bifeb) once a year as a barcamp. A Barcamp is a kind of conference, similar to an Open Space, which, however, does not offer fixed speakers and workshops - the program is designed by the participants themselves. Only a thematic umbrella term is fixed.
In 2018, the #ebcamp took place for the first time - at that time still as a hybrid event. After a one-year break, the format was taken up again during Corona and, due to circumstances, moved completely to the online space in 2020 and 2021. The delightful consequence: an #ebcamp community formed that went far beyond Austria's borders. Since then, the organizing team is happy to see many returning faces each year. Especially adult educators from Germany bring in an international touch every year. The attempt to organize the #ebcamp 2022 again as a hybrid event failed due to too few registrations for presence participation. Almost everyone wanted to participate online again, and so #ebcamp22 became an online-only event.
Outlook: #ebcamp remains online
Nevertheless, the possibility of a barcamp in presence was raised again in an informal conversation at the #ebcamp23. Conclusion: The #ebcamp has firmly established itself as an online event and will continue to take place as such. However, the possibility of an additional barcamp held in presence exists. We are curious what the future will bring. By the way, next year's #ebcamp24 will take place from May 28-29, 2024.
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#ebcamp23
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