Top 1% award winning professor of education and digital innovation
Professor Matt Bower left a promising career in actuarial studies to pursue his passion for education and technology. After several years of teaching in schools, he completed his PhD investigating how to promote more interactive and collaborative learning when teaching online. Matt spent 3 years teaching in the Computing department, before shifting to the Macquarie School of Education where he has 15 years of experience preparing pre-service teachers to effectively integrate technology into their teaching.
Matt is the inaugural Chair of the Australian Technologies Teacher Educators Network. He is the Australian Council of Deans of Education representative on the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority Technologies panel. Matt serves on the NSW Educational Standards Authority Technologies Advisory Group. He was one of ten academics invited to contribute to the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools. Matt is also Chair of the Macquarie University Senate Learning and Teaching Committee.
Matt has a strong research track record that includes over one-hundred publications and leadership of over 30 competitively funded grant projects (total funding over $2.4M). He was recently rated on the Elsevier-Stanford academic rankings as one of the 25 most highly cited Australian researchers in the Education field. Matt has delivered over 70 keynote and invited speaker presentations both locally and overseas on topics such as artificial intelligence in education, augmented reality, blended-synchronous learning and technology-enhanced learning design. He specialises in helping organisations and systems transform their teaching through evidence-based innovation.
Talking Points
Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education
Drawing on recent research and latest developments in the AI field, Professor Bower will discuss how advancements in generative AI require us to rethink what students learn, how teachers teach, how we assess, and our beliefs and attitudes surrounding education itself. A broad array of generative AI tools will be showcased, along with the educational possibilities they subtend. Emerging research relating to generative AI use will be presented and interpreted with respect to its implications for learning and teaching. Reflections will be shared on how we can best adjust our mindset and institutional cultures in response to a future with increasingly powerful AI technologies.Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education
Key Outcomes:
• Increased awareness of latest generative AI research and developments
• Understanding of how generative AI can be used to enhance learning and teaching
• Institutional readiness to leverage the power of generative AI in Education
Transforming learning using technology
Through a synthesis of thousands of studies and his own field-based research, Professor Bower unpacks how to makes best uses of technologies to enhance learning outcomes and experiences. A range of technologies are discussed, from traditional online learning platforms to emerging advances in Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Immersive Virtual Reality. Professor Bower explains how the effectiveness of all technology use in education depend on the application of evidence-based pedagogical principles by teachers. Professor Bower also highlights what teachers should focus upon to best prepare themselves and their students for a future with increasingly powerful technologies.Transforming learning using technology
Key Outcomes:
• Understanding recent advancements in educational technology research and development
• Establishing a clear set of principles for the use of technology in learning and teaching
• Shifts in institutional culture towards more effective use of technologies with students
Video
Creating Active and Collaborative Learning Environments with Future Technologies
Professor Bower on Channel 7 Sunrise Talking about AI in Education
