Publisher Home ↗ editor@randspublications.org
International Journal of Social Sciences, Language and Linguistics eISSN 2051-686X Submit Article
Research Articles Open access

Who Needs to Change? Reimagining Educators, Learners, Content, and Pedagogy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Pacific Perspective

Published
Pages 14-24
Views 67
Downloads 77

Authors

  • Davendra Sharma Lecturer and PhD Scholar University of Fiji, Fiji Islands Author

DOI

https://doi.org/10.55640/ijssll-06-03-02 ↗

Abstract

The rapid acceleration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the global technological revolution has intensified longstanding debates about transformation in tertiary education. While AI is often positioned as a disruptive force capable of reshaping higher education, less attention has been given to a more fundamental question: who must change in response to this disruption? This paper critically examines whether transformation should primarily occur at the level of educators, learners, curriculum content, or teaching and learning approaches, with specific attention to tertiary institutions in Fiji and the wider Pacific region.

Drawing on contemporary scholarship in AI in education, heutagogy, learning analytics, and digital transformation, the study argues that technological adoption alone is insufficient. Instead, meaningful change requires a systemic reimagining of educational roles and relationships. The paper contends that educators must transition from content transmitters to facilitators of capability development; learners must assume greater agency and responsibility as self-determined participants in knowledge construction; curriculum content must evolve from static disciplinary coverage toward adaptive, interdisciplinary, and problem-based learning; and pedagogical models must shift from traditional pedagogy to heutagogy, emphasizing autonomy, reflection, and lifelong learning competencies.

Within the Pacific context, these shifts are shaped by distinctive socio-cultural, geographic, and infrastructural realities. AI presents opportunities to address geographic dispersion, resource limitations, and inequities in access to higher education. However, it simultaneously raises concerns related to digital divides, algorithmic bias, ethical governance, cultural alignment, and educator preparedness. The paper proposes a contextually grounded framework for AI-enabled transformation that balances innovation with ethical oversight, cultural responsiveness, and institutional capacity-building.

Ultimately, this study argues that transformation in the age of AI is not the responsibility of a single actor but a shared, systemic evolution of educators, learners, content, and pedagogy. By situating this discussion within a Pacific perspective, the paper contributes to global debates on AI in higher education while foregrounding the importance of contextual adaptation, equity, and sustainability. It offers strategic insights for policymakers, institutional leaders, and academics seeking to navigate the technological revolution without losing sight of human agency, cultural integrity, and educational purpose.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence , Heutagogy , Tertiary Education , Pacific Higher Education , Educational Transformation , Learner Autonomy , Digital Pedagogy , Educational Reform , Capability Development , AI Governance

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Blaschke, L. M. (2012). Heutagogy and lifelong learning: A review of heutagogical practice and self-determined learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(1), 56–71. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v13i1.1076

2. Blaschke, L. M., & Hase, S. (2019). Heutagogy and digital media networks: Setting students on the path to lifelong learning. Pacific Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 1(1), 1–14.

3. Chen, L., Chen, P., & Lin, Z. (2020). Artificial intelligence in education: A review. IEEE Access, 8, 75264–75278. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2988510

4. Fiji Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts. (2020). Education sector strategic development plan 2019–2023. Government of Fiji.

5. Hase, S. (2016). Self-determined learning (heutagogy): Where have we come since 2000? Southern Institute of Technology Journal of Applied Research & Practice, 4(1), 9–15.

6. Hase, S., & Kenyon, C. (2000). From andragogy to heutagogy. Ultibase Articles. Retrieved from http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au

7. Holmes, W., Bialik, M., & Fadel, C. (2019). Artificial intelligence in education: Promises and implications for teaching and learning. Center for Curriculum Redesign.

8. Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M., & Forcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence unleashed: An argument for AI in education. Pearson Education.

9. McCowan, T. (2020). Higher education in small states: Challenges and opportunities. In T. McCowan & R. Unterhalter (Eds.), The impact of globalisation on international education at tertiary level (pp. 45–62). UNESCO.

10. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2019). OECD learning compass 2030: A series of concept notes. OECD Publishing.

11. Selwyn, N. (2019). Should robots replace teachers? AI and the future of education. Polity Press.

12. Siemens, G. (2013). Learning analytics: The emergence of a discipline. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(10), 1380–1400. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213498851

13. UNESCO. (2021). AI and education: Guidance for policy-makers. UNESCO Publishing.

14. Williamson, B., & Piattoeva, N. (2020). Objectivity as standardization in data-scientific educational governance: Mechanisms, consequences, and critiques. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(1), 64–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1686015

15. Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education—Where are the educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(39), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0

Explore related research

Similar Articles

21-30 of 155
Continue exploring

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 > >> 

Search the journal

Find articles by title, author or keyword.