Informed Scotland March 2023 – Learning, skills & the rise of AI
There were a few particularly hot topics for learning & skills in March:
Digital economy skills. This is the theme of a new five-year Skills Action Plan from Skills Development Scotland, now that digital skills are essential for all industries, not just for the tech sector.
Developing the Young Workforce (DYW). A set of three meaty reports from the Scottish Government review DYW activity since 2014, and explore the initiative’s impact on employer engagement and its impact on education. And the latest annual update on the Young Person’s Guarantee, launched in 2020, discusses DYW and areas of duplication.
Green skills & jobs. Brought into focus by two separate but quite complementary reports: Nesta’s Green jobs: Rapid evidence review, and Business in the Community’s ‘routemap’ for Building green skills.
Artificial intelligence (AI). With the ‘stable release’ of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in March, awareness of the potential impact of AI on learning, skills and assessment is quickly growing. QAA is running a series of webinars on the rise of AI and concerns about academic integrity. City of Glasgow College is seeking input on its Draft Guidance for Learners on Use of AI. An OECD report is asking Is education losing the race with technology?. And a Scottish Parliament committee is asking about AI’s potential impact on assessment.
Tertiary education futures. The Royal Society of Edinburgh published the final report from its project on how post-school education might evolve, and a new UCAS Journey to a million national debate is exploring implications of the projected 30% growth of annual HE applicants.
Other items worth highlighting:
- SDS’s final report from its Career Services Review
- A Scottish Government consultation on prescribing the minimum learning hours in schools
- The final report of the college regionalisation inquiry by the Scottish Parliament Education, Children & Young People Committee
- College Development Network’s research on Professional Learning in Scotland’s Colleges.
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