Message from the AIS SIGED President Vasso Stylianou

Connect More, Achieve More!

Warm greetings to all current and prospective SIGED members!

With September being just around the corner, the new mode calls for heads down and back to work for everyone.

An extension for submissions to our annual International Conference on Information Systems Education and Research (ICISER 2023) until September 10 gives us another opportunity to complete our papers and submit them.  Let us not forget that ICISER, organized in conjunction with ICIS 2023, takes place just before ICIS on December 9-10, 2023 in Hyderabad, India.  Furthermore, as ICISER 2023 is a hybrid conference it is possible for those who cannot make the trip to India to attend online.  Visit our website for more details and important publishing opportunities at ICISER (https://ais-siged.org/conferences/siged-2023-conference/).

Just before our submissions to ICISER are completed, we should attend the SIGED Community|Workshop: ‘How to complete a good review’ on September 7.  That is where we will receive from SIGED Research Director, Tania Prinsloo and ICISER Track Chairs, Ivo Benke, Toon Abcouwer, and Rosetta Romano, good intel and tips on what they will be looking for in the submissions they will accept in the tracks of ICISER 2023.  You may also invite friends of SIGED to attend this event and of course, we welcome them to sign up in our SIG.

The news from those who had the chance to attend SIGED AMCIS 2023 Track: IS in Education, IS Curriculum, Education and Teaching Cases in August, is that it was another great conference!  We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this success and are looking forward to next year’s conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Last but not least, we are very excited to announce our first SIGED Community|Connect: Member Connect Online Meeting.  On October 13, all SIGED members can get together in a social online meeting to interact and exchange viewpoints and ideas on topics of common interest.  Let us activate our networks inside SIGED and get every member to attend this meeting.  We depend on your support to become an active community and achieve our goals as IT/IS professionals, educators, and caring members of society!

Make sure that you do not miss our monthly newsletter in order that you get informed about all the SIGED Community|Connect activities. Please keep sending your feedback and suggestions on how to achieve our motto “Connect More, Achieve More!” to our email, info@ais-siged.org.

Be Healthy! Be Happy!

On behalf of the SIGED Board

Vasso Stylianou (President SIGED)

Meet Our Board:

Ivo Benke

Board Member 

Ivo Benke is a research team lead of the “Emotion-adaptive Systems for Work & Learning” team and a postdoctoral researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In his research, he investigates the human-centered design of emotion-adaptive systems for digital work and learning scenarios as well as phenomena of virtual work such as hybrid and remote collaboration and crowdsourcing. In particular, he is interested in the improvement of emotional competence, leadership, and self-regulated learning in collaborative work and learning scenarios. Ivo Benke has published in information systems (IS) and human-computer interaction (HCI) journals and conferences like Computers in Human Behavior, AIS Transaction on HCI, ACM CSCW or ACM CHI.

What is the future of digital technologies in education?

The future of digital technologies in education holds significant promise and potential for transformative change. I am convinced that as we continue to integrate digital technologies into educational practices, several trends are expected to shape the landscape such as:

1. Personalized Learning: Digital technologies enable adaptive and personalized learning experiences, catering to individual student needs and learning styles. AI-driven platforms can analyze student progress and provide tailored content, quizzes, and assessments to optimize learning outcomes.
2. Blended Learning: The future will likely see a seamless blend of in-person and online learning experiences. This hybrid approach offers flexibility and accessibility while maintaining valuable face-to-face interactions for collaborative projects, discussions, and hands-on activities.
3. Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (V/A/MR): These immersive technologies can transport students to virtual worlds, historical events, or complex simulations, enhancing engagement and understanding. Practical applications range from virtual field trips to interactive science experiments.
4. Collaborative Tools: Online collaboration tools, communication platforms, and virtual classrooms will become more sophisticated, fostering effective teamwork among students across geographical boundaries and time zones.
5. Application of User-Centered Generative AI Tools: Using generative AI in education has the potential to revolutionize how teaching and learning take place. It provides multiple potentials such as Customized learning materials, Automated feedback, Content creation, Tutoring and assistance, Creativity expression, or Writing assistance. 

Generative AI holds immense potential to enhance educational experiences, but a thoughtful and balanced approach is essential to maximize its benefits while mitigating potential challenges. 

What are the challenges for the future of digital technologies in education?

Challenges like the digital divide, ensuring pedagogical effectiveness, and maintaining a healthy balance between screen time and other forms of learning remain. The future of digital technologies in education will depend on the thoughtful integration of these tools to enhance learning experiences and empower both educators and learners. As we adopt more digital tools, a heightened focus on ethical considerations, data privacy, and inclusivity will be essential to ensure fair and equitable access to education for all. For example, there are considerations to address such as quality control, ethical concerns, human touch, and adaptability. The educational community needs to adapt to new technologies, and educators may require training to effectively integrate generative AI tools into their teaching methods. It is essential to use the immense potential of these tools in a human-centered fashion.

What has been your involvement in SIGED?

I got in touch with SIGED at the SIGED conference at the ICIS conference 2022 in Copenhagen. I was highly interested in the conference and enjoyed the fruitful discussion and atmosphere about the future of education of IS and with IS. Afterward, I was encouraged by President Toon Abcouwer to contribute to the SIGED and decided to support the editorial board at the beginning of 2022. This year I am supporting the SIGED 2023 conference by taking a role as track chair which I am looking forward to.

How do you see the future of SIGED in the IS community?

I believe the SIGED community can take a key role in the IS community and the education of future generations of IS researchers and future learners using digital technologies and information systems in general. Currently, we see such a rise in education through digital technology and in particular generative AI which disrupts a lot of principles that have been considered as given in the past from the curriculum, the learning goals, the capabilities that are relevant for future learners, and, of course, the technologies’ application.

https://ais-siged.org/officers/