Fourth industrial revolution—a review of applications, prospects, and challenges for artificial intelligence, robotics and blockchain in higher education [Scholarly Article - RPTEL, 2022]

Title:

Fourth industrial revolution—a review of applications, prospects, and challenges for artificial intelligence, robotics and blockchain in higher education

 

Author:

Chaka Chaka

 

Published:

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 30 August 2022

https://rptel.apsce.net/index.php/RPTEL/article/view/2023-18002

 

Abstract:

Much has been written about the fourth industrial revolution’s (4IR) contributions to and its impact on higher education (HE). In addition, review studies have been conducted on the contributions of 4IR technologies to and on their impact on HE. Most of these studies have reviewed single 4IR technologies in isolation as attested to by the review studies cited in the current study. Against this backdrop, the current study reviewed, discussed, and synthesized the applications, prospects, and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and blockchain at given higher education institutions (HEIs) between 2013 and 2019 as reported by 26 selected journal articles. Employing a slightly modified version of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for searching and screening, three of the findings of this study are worth mentioning. Firstly, the dominant AI technologies for learning are chatbots, and AI holds the prospect of personalized, scalable, and affordable learning. Secondly, the applications of robotics are exploratory in nature, and have a meta-teaching and a meta-learning orientation. Thirdly, some of the applications of blockchain relate to digital grading, digital credentialing and digital certification, and to real-time contracting and time stamping of learning. The implications of this review are that the three sets of technologies reviewed, have a lot applications for HE, barring the challenges that have been outlined.

 

South African universities in a time of increasing disruption [Scholarly Article - South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 2021]

Title:

South African universities in a time of increasing disruption

 

Authors:

Johan Coetzee, Brownhilder Neneh, Karlien Stemmet, Jana Lamprecht, Constance Motsitsi & Winnie Sereeco

All from the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Published:

South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences (SAJEMS), 26 April 2021

https://sajems.org/index.php/sajems/article/view/3739

Abstract 

Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have disrupted the higher education environment in unprecedented ways.  

 

Aim: This article identifies the impact of increasing disruption driven by the 4IR and COVID-19 on the content and curriculum design of degree programmes in economic and management sciences offered by South African universities.  

 

Setting: Six South African and five top-tier US and UK universities.  Methods: The study used a non-positivist qualitative research design and specifically the case-study approach. A document analysis of the information in university yearbooks and prospectuses was conducted, using a purposive sampling design.  

 

Results: An online presence will become more important due to increased disruption, and will not only ensure an additional revenue stream, but also promote continuity in operations and mitigate threats from competitors. COVID-19 has accelerated the extent of this disruption and expedited the migration to online teaching and learning platforms.  

 

Conclusion: Since science, technology, engineering and mathematics are integral to the majority of 4IR-related modules, South African universities must not shy away from degree programmes that ignore inter- and multi-disciplinary curriculum designs. Coupled with the challenges facing the majority of South African students to access electronic devices, data and the internet, COVID-19 has thrust this challenge to the forefront in the South African higher education landscape. By comparing the developments in South African universities with those in trendsetting, top-tier, global universities, management can assess the extent to which they are internationally competitive and adapting to the demands of the 4IR.

World Economic Forum (WEF) - Global Technology Governance Report 2021: Harnessing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in a COVID-19 world

Title:

Global Technology Governance Report 2021: Harnessing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in a COVID-19 world

 

Published:

World Economic Forum (WEF), 2 December 2020

Insight Report, December 2020

https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-technology-governance-report-2021

 

Description:

The emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution have a vital role to play as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild our economies.

World Economic Forum (WEF) - The Future of Jobs Report 2020 [WEF, 2 December 2020]

Title:

The Future of Jobs Report 2020  

 

Published:

World Economic Forum (WEF), Insight Report, 2 December 2020

https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-technology-governance-report-2021

 

Description:

The emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution have a vital role to play as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild our economies.

 

Short Article by Anubha Srivastava (February 2020) - Education 4.0: Is Indonesia ready?

Title:
Education 4.0: Is Indonesia ready?

Author:
Anubha Srivastava

Published:
The Asean Post, 16 February 2020

From the article:
"In the endeavour to build the future of any nation, higher education contributes significantly by providing “global competitive talent”. The skilled workforce coupled with innovative technology and advanced infrastructures are key drivers for any country’s sustainable growth. In that context, if we inspect both India and Indonesia – two of the most populous economies – it’s evident that they are facing some of the biggest global challenges: the rapid ascension of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), automated learning (AL) and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Both nations are struggling to equip their respective workforces with advanced skills, attitude and knowledge essential to stay relevant in today’s education 4.0 era." 

To read this article:
https://theaseanpost.com/article/education-40-indonesia-ready

Scolarly Article (2019): The fourth industrial revolution reconsidered: On advancing cosmopolitan education

Title:
The fourth industrial revolution reconsidered: On advancing cosmopolitan education

Authors:
Y. Wagid, Z. Waghid & F Waghid

Published:
South African Journal of Higher Education, Volume 33, Number 6, 2019
doi: https://doi.org/10.20853/33_6_3777

From the abstract:
"Since Klaus Schwab’s (2016) phenomenal book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, commonly depicted as 4IR, the concept has significantly altered the multiple ways universities in (South) Africa look at or aim to address their institutional practices, most notably, teaching and learning encounters. Schwab’s (2016, 7) reference to a “new technology” revolution that would transform the way humans interact in the world today is inspired by “emerging technology breakthroughs, covering wide-ranging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the internet of things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage and quantum computing”. In this leading article, we offer an argument in defence of prioritising what we refer to as the cosmopolitan human condition if any meaningful sense were to be made of what Schwab (2016, 7) refers to as the amplification of “fusion of technologies across the physical, digital and biological worlds”. In reference to our understandings of university teaching and learning, we give an account of how such encounters ought to be looked at in light of the new fusion of technology idea – that is, 4IR."

SOUTH AFRICA: Interview with Prof Thengani Ngwenya, Director at Durban University of Technology (DUT) on Higher Education

Interview with:
Professor Thengani Ngwenya, Director of Durban University of Technology (DUT), Centre of Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Published:
Achiever, 8 January 2020

Main focus area:
Higher Education

Some of the questions asked and answered:
* The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has had an effect on every industry and sector, how much has 4IR changed the way teaching and learning takes place?

* What positive impact as 4IR made at your institution and do you believe there are any negatives attached?

* As discussed with 4IR, digital is taking over. The world is changing at a speed seldom seen before which brings other aspects into play, such as online learning - what role do you believe online learning plays and how much will it still grow?

* Is online learning the future and will we see more tertiary institutions adopt online learning on a larger scale in the near future?

* What is the role of universities in promoting sustainable development goals?

To read this interview:
http://www.achieveronline.co.za/articles/the-future-of-learning-in-higher-education-30078.html