Learning in times of change: What skills do we need tomorrow?

In our conversation about the current semester question "What should we learn when everything is changing?", Fares Kayali talks about the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in education. He also explains which future skill he considers essential and how it can shape education.

What was your motivation for researching digital education?

Fares Kayali: It started with games. Even as a child I wanted to develop video games. I studied computer science, started a business, developed games and was also active in new media art for this very reason. Later I returned to university and focused on educational games, also called serious games. I have conducted research on serious games in health education and game-based learning and have contributed to projects.

What exactly is a serious game?

Kayali: In a nutshell, it is a game with a purpose other than pure entertainment. It is about learning, behavioural changes or, for example, supporting health measures.

Do you recall a formative experience you had with games in the classroom?

Kayali: Yes, it was in English class. My teacher was very conservative but he let us play a simple game ('Würstelstand-Manager,' translating to sausage stand manager). We adapted it so that we were able to practice vocabulary. That was my first conscious contact with games in an educational context.

How would you describe 'good learning' in three words?

Kayali: Stimulating. Self-determined. Meaningful.

What do you consider to be the greatest challenges posed by the technological change?

Kayali: The biggest current challenge is AI. It harbours an enormous potential for disruption and negative impact, but it also offers opportunities. School students are already using it, whether we allow it in our classrooms or not. That is why we need to guide them instead of prohibiting the use of AI. At the same time, it is important for young people to learn how to participate in societal and political discourse using critical thinking. AI is not neutral – it does make a difference with who we share our data.

How is AI changing our relationship with knowledge?

Kayali: On the one hand, we have to worry that we are sliding into 'digital dementia' because we rely on machines. On the other hand, AI makes knowledge more accessible and democratic. Still, we need to remain critical and ask questions. Where is the information from? How comprehensible is it? At the moment, I am cautiously optimistic and rather sceptical than naive.

What should we learn when everything is changing?

Kayali: We need future skills to help us navigate an ever-changing world. Above all, that includes the ability to deal with and use new technology, to grasp how information fits into the bigger picture, remain resilient and capable to act in times of crisis, as well as maintain an optimistic outlook. If we are unable to envision the future we want, we are susceptible to populism and disinformation.

How do you teach something like this in school?

Kayali: With participatory course design. Students should be able to develop ideas as freely as possible – be it about technology, shaping their living environment or the implementation of AI at school. It is important to awaken their will to participate. Technology is not just something that is coming towards us from 'the outside' but something we can shape.

For example, in Sweden, digital measures which had been implemented in schools were reversed. Are we facing a loss of analogue skills?

Kayali: I am not for a big fan of 'either-or.' Analogue skills will remain important, just like digital ones. Politically, I consider the step they took in Sweden as more of a populist measure rather than a meaningful measure from an educational perspective. A complementary approach would make sense: Smartphone-free rooms as well as targeted use of technology in the classroom could complement each other.

Can you give us concrete examples of how AI could be used in the classroom in a meaningful way?

Kayali: We could use it in all subjects where students have to research topics. For example, in geography, the natural sciences or languages. AI results can be analysed together, their quality can be evaluated and students can reflect on their own perception. AI is already being used in sport and nutrition as well. It is important to supervise students during class so they can learn how to use AI consciously and critically.

Where do you draw the line between the assistance provided by digital tools and our dependence on them?

Kayali: Dependence can become problematic when it results in a loss of basic skills such as writing up a text or process information independently. At the same time, we sometimes deliberately choose to depend on something, such as when using digital map services. It is important to be aware: What am I making myself dependent on and why? We should practice this type of reflection in schools to ensure that these skills are not lost.

What do you consider the biggest obstacles for educational equity in Austria?

Kayali: First of all, the school system itself, which streamlines young students into different career orientations at a very early age (in Austria, they are sorted into academic secondary school vs. general secondary school). Secondly, the unequal access to technology, such as devices, Internet, accounts and also fee-based AI services in future. Thirdly, the parents play a major role. The question is, for example, whether or not parents supervise their children’s use of digital tools at home. These aspects reinforce inequalities.

If you were to look 20 years into the future – what would a successful school system look like?

Kayali: There would be less rigid subjects and more space for project-based, self-determined learning, as well as different forms of performance assessment. Centralised exams and early performance assessments reinforce injustice. I would wish for more individualisation and recognition of different needs and strengths.

And what if you became Minister of Education tomorrow?

Kayali: Then I would first try to create truly fair access to education for all, although that is easier said than done. But that would be my primary goal.