“Pathways to Purpose” is imagined (and presented) as an app. in the video below, but it is, perhaps, more important to recognize that the idea represents a re-orientation of learning and exploration to feed an individual’s purpose.
Born from a mashup of ideas explored throughout the course: primarily self-directed/DIY learning, artificial intelligence, and mental wellness; it is an attempt to imagine how individuals might explore OER for personal fulfillment – to help “fill the empty space inside oneself” that many feel in the 21st century.
It’s a bit philosophically lofty, I know. Personally, I’ve never felt that I have a singular, organizational purpose to my life, and it’s increasingly difficult, I think, to separate and understand the relationships between:
• What we are good at
• What we enjoy doing
• What can earn a living
These are important questions for everyone to consider, yet often they are considered too infrequently and haphazardly. Given the vast amount of information, experts, and experiences we have access to, it should be easier than ever to parse a purpose out of life – and yet, it is not.
The idea is more than a ‘career counselling’ or ‘upskilling’ app., of which there are many, though it may contain some elements of each.
We are already subject to highly advanced recommender algorithms that maximize for our attention (Wang, 2020) – Why not, instead, program a system to maximize for purpose? And, rather than creating ‘echo-chambers’ and polarization, perhaps the algorithms, in the service of ‘education’ could help develop more whole and productive human-beings.
Access the script for the video, and full references for this assignment in the PDF attached below:
This idea is awesome. It would have cut me down in the years spent discovering myself to see what career path I should take. I remember as a high school student, unable to figure out what I was interested in and how to turn what I like to do into a career path. At first, this made me think of MOOC of taking free courses to discover your interest which benefits you to learn more about yourself. Except. This is a technology doing all the thinking and ultimately deciding for you. This begs the question, would this make us smarter or in essence, make us lazier? But an app or technology that group my interests and potential career path will help me find clarity to my future… so I’m torn.
Hi Sally, I thought that this was a marvellous idea, kind of turning the data-collecting for advertisements into an educational and life tool. I thought you did a very good job of integrating course concepts directly into your video, and your assessment of the pros and cons covered pretty much everything I could think of. I do have one question for you however. Do you think that there is any benefit to having a bit of a struggle to find your purpose before you find it? Obviously, nobody should live their entire life feeling unfulfilled, but for myself at least, working an unfulfilling job has made me appreciate the fulfilling one much more, and I wonder if I would appreciate it this much without that prior experience. Would life be too easy if there was an AI that could just point us in the right direction right away, or would having the perfect path just make people feel more secure and productive? This is just a philosophical thought that your project gave me, and not necessarily a criticism of the idea itself. I really appreciated being able to navigate through such a well-thought out project. Great job!
Hi Liam,
Thank you for this thoughtful question! Hmmm, good point. I wonder too, now that I’m thinking about it, whether technology like this could “trick” people into thinking they found their purpose, either through implicit or explicit biases in the algorithms. But you’re completely right, I too have had life experiences (ie: work) and thought to myself “Well, I definitely don’t want to do this the rest of my life” and that was very motivating to “stretch” beyond my comfort zone and try different things. Getting shaken out of comfort zone is important too! I wonder if that could be an app. 🙂 Or, maybe we don’t have to make an app. for everything – but I have a feeling society will try. Thanks again for posting this – I’m so glad I saw it!
Hi Sally, I try to make a point of not commenting just for the sake of commenting, particularly if what I have to say is redundant. BUT, I feel compelled in this instance to give praise where praise is due, just for the sake of giving it. I “second, third, fifth” all the things being said, this an original forecast that I would love to see take off,.. and it was presented in a “deliciously digestible” format. Well done 🙂
I felt the exact same way! You lay out the app model in detail, the video formatting is engaging, and the idea is novel and timely. I would LOVE this sort of app to use during Career’s education with my students, even at the middle school level (albeit with the data/privacy concerns you mentioned in your video). Thanks for one of the best OER ideas I’ve seen yet!
I really enjoyed watching your video! The voice over was well done and all the visual graphics were easy to follow and aesthetically pleasing. The combination of how you blended different types of media kept me engaged, interested, yet calm. Your idea of flipping the AI from something negative into something that could assist people to find their path and purpose was intelligent and refreshing. With many people leading busy lives with hundreds of potential distractions, many people get pulled in different directions and have trouble finding their purpose or passion. I think you are onto something that could help filter out some of those distractions. You mentioned that data would be passively collected and kept private. Would there be anything to protect people from the embarrassing parts of their internet history/device use? It was one thing that came to mind watching your incredible video!
Hello Sally,
What a great idea! I believe your app addresses one of the most shared needs in people. Finding a purpose represents a huge decision and we want to be well informed. With the amount of information we have access to, one can think that it would be easy to find what suits you better. As you suggested, there are several factors that we need to consider before taking to action. I’m definitely for personalized learning at different levels, including formal education. I see great value in your suggestion. However, I’m concerned about data management. Indeed, AI and machine learning could help filter the content to ensure the information provided is relevant and valuable. Curation is also key, but how can we remain dissociated the commercial interests? I’ll be thinking about your idea. Maybe one adaptation to a small scale would provide great insights.
Hi Deisy,
Yep, absolutely. “How to remain dissociated from commercial interests” is phrased perfectly. Someone with a stronger business or IT background might need to help with this question because I’m not sure. Maybe the answer lies in considering how current models of education have remained separate…or have they?
Sally,
This is a brilliant idea. With an ever changing landscape, making career choices is more challenging than ever. Moreover, I would argue that as a result of micro learning and the ability to consume knowledge on a mobile device, we are no longer a society that works form 9-5 and turns our brain off at the end of the day. Nor do we subscribe to the ‘Freedom 55’ that previous generations have. We are a culture that consumes knowledge and interests at an unprecedented rate. We are also in a place where our future job options are being created in real time and they don’t fully exist yet. With that said, I see enormous value in your forecasted OER. Your ethical considerations will be key in the adoption of this platform and will provide the legitimacy required in order for it be seen as valid. Additionally, I agree in that having it run by educators is also going to be critical. Educators, will always be value added, with strategic learning theories employed and the ability to teach the whole person, it is fundamental that they are central to the organization. Finally, your responsiveness to the current climate and evolution in culture and learning is apparent in your proposed OER. Well done, Sally!
Hi Grace,
Thank you! Yes, the ethical considerations and monetization/sustainability would be massive risks and perhaps even barriers to success. I expanded on this a bit below in response to jasmine.
Sally, this was absolutely amazing! This is such a fantastic idea and extremely well presented. Your experience as an Instructional Designer is very evident in the development of the video. Visually, it was outstanding. I would love to see your idea take flight (owl assistant joke). I would certainly be among the first to seek out an application like this. Your rationale for the development of the project is very well researched and is very on point with the current employment demands. When researching employment opportunities, I am constantly going through a check list of whether or not I meet certain requirements. Having an intelligent, mobile assistant that would be able to identify the ideal pathway to obtain the necessary skills for a position would be an invaluable asset to individuals of any age. I am at a loss for any constructive criticism to offer, Sally. I think this was perfectly researched, well thought out, and brilliantly presented. Exceptional job!
Hi Ben,
Thank you!
Funnily enough I started off trying to think of how autonomous vehicles might be used in education in the future – but that just didn’t pan out! (lol) I used a new video tool to create the video. ( https://wave.video/ ) You can try it out for free, but won’t be able to export more than 15 secs without a paid subscription. I did a quick google search for coupons and subscribed for one month with 70% off to make the video. Totally worth it! What I like best about it was the asset library! (the images and videos you can search to add to your video). It does have some limitations, but overall was a neat tool to try out…. Your post about Habitica also inspired me, as I didn’t even realize there were apps. to help form and maintain better habits. I was just trying to imagine a meaningful structure to put around navigating OER and the web – something that wouldn’t require buy-in from formal educational institutions. Not sure if this is it, or feasible, but it sure sounds nice doesn’t it?
Hi Sally. I really appreciate the concept of the app! I think many millennials can relate to the challenges that come with choosing a career path. You had my attention when you proposed a solution that integrates what we are good at, what we enjoy, and what makes money. I have met so many young people that struggle with finding this direction, ESPECIALLY after attending years and paying thousands in university. I was one of them. I think personal fulfillment is important to many of us and choosing a job that we enjoy is an important piece to that puzzle. If you do a quick Google search for Millennials and what they look for in a career – feeling fulfilled comes up again and again. So, in the case of A Pathway to Purpose, it takes the age-old aptitude test and an analysis of our behavior, skills, and tendencies, and aims to provide users with informed options for their future. An added dimension could be that it also analyzes the job market, your location, and required or valuable skills, and further tailors options based on these external variables.
You talk about personalized learning, which is an interesting direction education may be headed in. The concept of personalizing education based on data collected in the Pathway to Purpose app also makes me envision a system where education becomes far more focused than it is today. I am reminded of a tweet I saw recently – “another day has passed, and I still haven’t used the Pythagorean Theorem”. Not to say that the Pythagorean Theorem isn’t an important lesson in basic math, but that we often learn so many concepts and skills that we will never use and that are not relevant to our careers or “purpose” or even interests! So, what if we could change that and tailor our education to this purpose. Maybe it would prevent people from wasting years of their life searching or even settling in professional endeavours that they don’t like!
Hi Jasmine,
Yes, in many ways it’s sort of a reboot of the ol’ aptitude test isn’t it? I love the idea about analyzing the job market and rolling that information into the service! Maybe that could be a revenue stream? (investment from recruitment departments or agencies? maybe…hmmm) I think increasing personalization in education is unavoidable, and therefore the underlying purpose and values of a company (or individual) who owns and operates the service/product is going to be increasingly important. In the past, we wouldn’t want our schools or curriculum authors to have partnerships with, for example, fast-food companies, because it would be a conflict of interest to be obligated to sell their products in a cafeteria, or teach about their business practices or nutrition. Shady situations like this are rampant online (particularly in EdTech!) and I’m not sure how to ensure a product/service like this serves the good of individuals and society and not other entities. Perhaps there is something about distribution of ownership along with distributed technology. Or maybe the opposite is required – an unshakeable founder and CEO. I’m not sure.
Hi Sally, I enjoyed how you brought many of the topics and concepts that we explored in ETEC 523 into your presentation. Your proposal is a lofty one that would need the sharing and buy-in of many providers to make it more than simply an educational search engine. It would certainly be interesting to see school boards and universities embrace such an ecosystem. I love the idea, but not sure the majority of educational institutions and organizations would share that enthusiasm since many are focused on the monetization of the sector rather than open learning.
Hi Sam,
Yes, you’ve identified two significant challenges I’m not entirely sure how to overcome. One being the whether buy-in would be necessary OR will Ai be able to find, evaluate and categorize content itself. For this assignment, I made a (big) asssumption that AI will be able to handle that part of the activity. But as for the monetization – THAT I am not sure. I definitely didn’t imagine this as the kind of app. most educational institutions would be interested in, but instead, an alternative to traditional, centrally organized approaches to learning. Also, the goal isn’t necessarily the same as K-12…though it might compete with post-secondary…OR drive students to a pathway of professional degree eventually. However, I’m not sure how it would realistically or best monetize.