# data[].attributes.body
In your sector, what have been the predominant technology changes over the past 20 years (please include your name)?

# data[].attributes.body
In your sector, what have been the predominant learning and education models used over the past 20 years (please include your name)?

# data[].attributes.body
In your sector what do you see as the next “big” technology in the next two years (please include your name)?

# data[].attributes.body
In your sector what do you see as the next move in learning and education models in the next two years?

# data[].attributes.body
How do you see education, learning and technology intersecting (please include your name)?

# data[].attributes.body
I have worked in the education sector (public and private - Gr 1-12) for the last 18 years. The predominant technology changes that I have seen are the use of Learning Management Systems, a  slow move to a 1:1 Student:Device ratio, and what seems to be a correlation between the use of social media-related writing, hence texting and acronyms, and a decline in students' writing skills. The increase in EdTech tools is fantastic, particularly over the last ten years, and can be overwhelming to many teachers, due to learning curves and demands on their time, as well as PD opportunities being  inconsistent. There seems to be a growing gap between digital learning and digital teaching; a gap that could be addressed by looking at a shift in teachers instructional and assessment practices in light of the EdTech advancements and growth of digital teaching.

# data[].attributes.body
In the education sector (K-12) in Ontario, the predominant learning and education models that I have been exposed to over the past 20 years have been: constructivism, cognitive load theory, inquiry-based learning, and now movement towards a focus on 21st century learning competencies and foundational competencies (i.e., critical thinking, problem-solving).

# data[].attributes.body
I have almost 10 years of experience and the majority of my experience has been in the tourism and hospitality sector specifically in five star hotels as a director of learning and development.

The predominant technology has changed from minimum level of technology use to having an entire online integrated learning solution / platform where all hotel employees use for completion of their annual training plans which directly affect their performance / appraisal.

Before, learning was limited to traditional class room with powerpoint presentations, printed manuals & training materials and printed attendance sheets.

Now, three years ago to be specific, we dramatically shifted our L&D methodology to online and blended mode where some courses related to on the job skills are taught through the hotel online platform where they can view videos demonstrating these skills through  an online account of the hotel L&D platform at the hotel lab or using their own mobile/computer according to their training plan and as per coached by their manager.

As to courses related to leadership, most of the learning is through the traditional class room method but of course using more advanced technologies such as videos, worksheets..etc

Finally, It is worth mentioning that the hotels I worked in were located in the middle east and the majority of the hotel staff had little to no knowledge of computer literacy so we had to first educate them how to use and navigate the computer and hotel systems and then proceed with their courses. In addition to that, the courses were delivered in English which is the second spoken language, some staff needed classes in English language before even starting with their training plan.

As a conclusion, I have witnessed great challenges but yet introducing technology to the workplace  experience was so awarding as their learning curve shifted up so did my morals and determination!

# data[].attributes.body
In the hospitality/hotel industry, the predominant learning and education models are several due to several audiences and complex operation, I can name the following:

1. Work based learning and activity based learning (Constructivism)
2. Blended learning
3. Cognitive Apprenticeship
4.Mastery Learning
5. Problem and project based
6.Question and scenario based
7. Situated Cognition
8. Team based learning

# data[].attributes.body
I work in Indigenous Adult Education, and specifically in Tech. What I mean by Tech, and what what the rest of Canada refers to as Tech is differentiated by the presence or absence of. The predominant change in this sector is availability. There is a strong 'Digital Divide' in Canada; many First Nations Peoples do not have access to what most Canadians take for granted - I work everyday where the rubber hits the road to change that.

# data[].attributes.body
In my sector I utilize a form of Indigenization of curriculum - although I hesitate to use that term - and in that way I mean that I utilize an oral tradition in my teaching. For many of my students the predominant methods were foreign to them - any type of Skinnerism's were not effective. Here's a link to a video I made about Avoiding Skinnerism's in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Tips to Avoid Skinnerisms in your Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
In many ways, the open source software sector has grown from a niche concept to a worldwide movement in the past 20 years. The Open Source Definition was published 20 years ago, and Linux—the operating system at the heart of the open source community—is only 28 years old.

Since then, much of the internet’s infrastructure now runs on Linux distributions, Android makes up three-quarters of the mobile market share, WordPress runs one-third of all websites, and open source programming languages are at the heart of nearly every major app, device and website.

One of the most impactful changes in this time has been the *way* developers collaborate. The tale of the lone-genius programmer no longer holds true: today, effective developers are team players. Developers review each other’s work in real-time, commit their changes to a shared project, contribute their code to global repositories, propose software standards in open forums, and collectively guide open source organizations that are distributed worldwide.

# data[].attributes.body
Traditionally, Lecture-Based Learning (paired with massive textbooks) has been the primary model for software education.

Today, with easier access to materials online, Self-Directed Learning and Informal Learning models are becoming more common.

Pair-Programming is a common on-the-job approach, representing a Cognitive Apprenticeship model where two developers—usually one senior and one junior—work side-by-side on a project, often sharing the same screen and keyboard.

Coding Bootcamps have also emerged in the past decade, offering Project-Based Learning and Team-Based Learning. These aim to more closely model real development environments.

# data[].attributes.body
I currently work in two distinct sectors - health and education. In my healthcare role, bedside patient order entry systems are transforming the way physician's orders are being processed. This may result in some job loss of current Unit Coordinators in the industry, but ultimately the role will morph and new opportunities will arise. This will be an improvement in patient care and will lesson the chance of medication transcription errors.

In the classroom, the changes in technology are rapid but we do not always have the structures in place needed to provide what students desire. There are some amazing tools that are emerging, and I have had the pleasure of incorporating some of them into my teaching. The needs of the learner is changing and the future of education will change as a result of the technological advances and evolution of learning.

# data[].attributes.body
When I began teaching the most common method of delivering theory content in my program was primarily through lecture (back to basics/conventional) Fortunately, through strategic planning and curriculum design, the delivery has evolved into a blended design with integrated opportunities for experiential learning. As the healthcare sector evolves we are trying to intuitively navigate industry need and incorporate the best tools to set our students up for success.

# data[].attributes.body
Since 2005, my career focus has been in the area of learning and development in the corporate sector. The biggest shift, overall, has been the move from an instructor-centric approach to a learner-centric one.

This shift is mirrored in what and how training is delivered, where its delivered and when. Specifically, face-to-face training was augmented (and still is) through the incorporation of e-Learning to provide a blended approach, giving learners, in many cases for the first time, the opportunity to self-select their learning.

Subsequently, corporate learning has evolved to provide micro-learning and more recently, learning in the flow or work.

As a result, learning in the 21st century is very much about HOW humans learn, retain information and apply it, which empowers learners to learn WHAT they need, WHEN they need it and, in an increasingly mobile workforce, WHERE.

# data[].attributes.body
In the 1950’s, both Benjamin Bloom and Donald Kirkpatrick introduced their respective methodologies. In Bloom’s case, learning taxonomy and in Kirkpatrick’s, four levels of evaluation, which I’ve outlined briefly below:

Bloom Learning Taxonomy:

·        Knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation

Kirkpatrick Four Levels of Evaluation:

·        Reaction, learning, behaviour and results

Although both Bloom and Kirkpatrick’s models have evolved overtime, and been improved as a result, the ADDIE (analyse, design, develop, implement, evaluate) model has strongly influenced instructional design, while enduring a vigorous iterative process beginning in 1975 into 2000.

Interestingly, all three, to some extent, continue to impact learning and development in today’s learning environments.

# data[].attributes.body
The next BIG thing in Indigenous Education will be the mainstream use of creation products vs. consumption products (Facebook, and most social media).

# data[].attributes.body
In your sector, what do you see as the next move in learning and education models in the next two years?
"Move" - as in movement within my sector - will amount to the voice of Indigenous Peoples will begin to inhabit many of the tech world's halls where they have not been heard up to this point.

# data[].attributes.body
In the education sector (K-12), I see the next "big" technology in the next two years as being digital learning platforms that provide curated curriculum-aligned content, with numerous EdTech partner apps included in the platform, and the ability for students to personalize their devices and learning tools in this same platform. Importantly, I feel that the next "big" technology in the K-12 environment needs to keep equitable solutions as its top priority, establishing a 1:1 student:device ratio.

# data[].attributes.body
In the education sector (K-12), I see a move in learning and education models shifting over the next two years to address how the value of EdTech cannot be truly leveraged without a shift in instructional and assessment practices. Many teachers have embraced EdTech for years, growing and adapting to teaching with new tools that enhance what they were already doing AND amplifies student learning. Some teachers are resistant to the wave of technological change, not as open to engaging in the learning curve that comes with new technology, and not knowing where to find the support or time that they need to utilize these new tools. There needs to be a paradigm shift for teachers who are resisting EdTech - as well as those who embrace it; I feel all teachers can be a part of communicating and collaborating in this collective shift in instructional and assessment strategies to meet the new ways that EdTech is engaging students to share their learning. We can't measure new skills and ways students are sharing their learning, with older standardized measuring sticks.

# data[].attributes.body
As I think back to Y2K, I remember the world wondering if it was the end of technology as we knew it. At the time, new hardware and software was being installed throughout our country and computer training was at its peak. This was less than a decade after basic email had been implemented in our professional work environments.

Traditional classrooms included power point presentations and thick student manuals in hardcopy form. It was a common thought that the thickness of the manual directly reflected its learning value. The incorporation of projectors showing the image of a live computer screen on the wall was leading the way to more sophisticated classroom experiences.

In the early 2000’s, remote learners in Southern Ontario were being reached by Mobile Training Solutions. These solutions included school buses which had been refurbished into mobile classrooms with student work spaces and full satellite hookup to the internet. Today this concept has been developed into a variety of online and blending eLearning solutions. Digital learning and digital support materials have become the norm.

At this time, as millennials enter the workforce, the learning and development field is transitioning once again. Gamified education with interactive 3D/VR/AR learning environments is paving the way of the future.

# data[].attributes.body
Twenty years ago my clients were primarily located in the outskirts, away from major cities. I travelled from the farm fields of Southern Ontario to the oil sands of Northern Alberta. In most cases, my students were 45+ year old men who were settled in their careers and did not appreciate a young female arriving onsite, tasked with teaching them how to be more efficient in their jobs with new tools and technology. They were immediately resistant to my presence and sometimes absent upon my arrival.

The most common model used was traditional classroom seat time while listening to a lecture styled delivery, based upon the ADDIE methodology. However, to indirectly lure missing participants into the classroom and ensure the adult learners were not only retaining, but also applying their learnings to their jobs, I incorporated an enticing classroom behavioural model. At times, I used this model to create verbose laughter and testosterone driven competition through error led exercises. I walked students through experiential learning requiring independent problem solving and consistent hands on tasks. The engagement drove a high level of interest, laughter, and most importantly mutual respect. My students ended their days with significant gratitude and requests for my return to deliver further enhanced learning.

Today I see similar learning models being designed with instructor guides and active participant learning styles. The SAM instructional design methodology is slowly replacing the ADDIE approach. This is creating improved delivery and learning models benefiting the instructors and students alike.

# data[].attributes.body
In the healthcare sector the big shift is to closed loop automated systems (medication dispensing, computerized provider order entry both on and off site) with the next step expected to be the ability to access and review clinical data at from any location using smart devices.

In healthcare education, there have been huge strides made in the development of mannequins for simulation. These durable patient simulators can be used to train basic clinical skills and advanced emergency care procedures. The implementation of these in our labs has enhanced the learning experience in labs and are continuing to evolve and be adapted for endless practice scenarios. VR/AR is also emerging as a method to explore clinical procedures in a classroom setting.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe the next move in learning and education within health is delivering theory courses in innovative digital classrooms that allow learners to connect with one another but also allow them to take more control over their own learning journey through open resources and courses.

Simulation will allow students to practice their clinical skills safely in an environment that supports achieving mastery prior to embarking on a practical experience in an acute care setting.

# data[].attributes.body
In the hospitality/hotel industry I think artificial intelligence learning will be dominating the learning models where each employee will have a personalized experience that fits his/her training needs. One size fits all solutions will begin to fade away. As hoteliers have a wide scope of expertise so should be their learning digital platforms

# data[].attributes.body
I think the next move in learning and education in the hospitality/hotel industry is in hoteliers becoming more digital literate, the whole learning environment will shift to fit the digital era. New systems will be launched they will need to make digital a part of everything they do from
marketing and distribution to in-room entertainment to literally  every operation in the hotel. Therefore, hoteliers must be ready to equip  themselves with new technological skills and this can only be done if the learning model shifts to being more digital

The below is a great article that talk about artificial intelligence in hotels

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Gone are the days when having a personal computer or a smartphone connected to the Internet conferred bragging rights. Digital technology is getting more and more accessible, influencing how people work, relax, and plan their vacations. People's expectations for a hotel experience have grown and hoteliers had better keep pace with innovation. Let's imagine you have to choose between two hotels offering rooms for the same price. The former provides facial recognition check-in and a chatbot that answers your questions in a couple of seconds, while the latter has only comfortable rooms to offer. What hotel would you book? The answer is obvious.

The previously mentioned features are based on AI and data science. We talked with data scientists, start-ups, and hotel representatives to find out how hotels use AI and data science to evaluate their performance and provide an innovative guest experience.

1. Revenue management

Revenue management (RM) is the application of data and analytics to optimize product price and availability for maximum revenue. In other words, a revenue management specialist is looking for ways to sell the right product (i.e. a room) via the right distribution channel, for a reasonable price to a customer who is ready to buy.

Specialists monitor various metrics to understand how successful a property is compared to others in the same price range and type in a given area. The number of key performance metrics is extensive and includes such indicators as average daily rate (ADR), revenue per available room (RevPAR), average occupancy rate, gross operating profit (GOP), and gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR).

Calculating and analyzing these performance metrics data, revenue managers can forecast room demand and customer behavior to adapt room prices. This approach is called dynamic pricing.

Dynamic pricing automation

Data science allows hotels to predict demand and patterns of customer behavior more accurately. That's why global chains such as Marriott International and AccorHotels have data scientists and analysts on board. These specialists develop and deploy pricing models using data about hotels and their competitors.

Some hotels rely on RM solutions to be in control of their revenue. Such software defines the optimal room rate in real-time using machine learning. These RM systems automatically consolidate and analyze large amounts of internal and external data from multiple sources to detect patterns and anomalies.

One such solution, the OTA Insight platform, for example, is used by Carlson Rezidor, AccorHotels, Fusion Hotels and Resorts, Sydell Group, Hilton, Crowne Plaza, and other global and regional hotel brands.

The platform includes three modules, each of which is designed to solve a specific revenue management task.

Rate Insight allows managers to set reasonable room prices using real-time data about past, current, and future competitor rates to forecast room demand in the region. The platform provides specialists with data about property ranking and rating performance. Event analytics is available as well.
OTA Insight provides a demand calendar based on rates from all connected OTAs. Source:
Parity Insight compares rates on the main OTAs and metasearch engines with the ones on a hotel brand website to identify parity issues. For instance, hotels with consistent rates on both an online travel agency and their own site can reduce their dependency on it and avoid guest confusion.

Revenue Insight combines past and future performance to provide users with "smarter hotel analytics." The platform consolidates reports on hotel KPIs, allowing for a quick and easy year-over-year performance comparison.

Use case: Starwood Hotels

Starwood Hotels, now merged with Marriott International, leverages data analytics to price rooms accordingly. In 2014, the hospitality company introduced its Revenue Optimizing System (ROS) in which it invested more than $50 million.

The system, written in the R programming language, uses IBM CPLEX optimization software and proprietary machine learning algorithms.

The solution allowed revenue managers to skip manual spreadsheet entries and price recommendations for every single room. ROS integrates internal and external data and analyzes it in real time to forecast demand and suggest optimal rates.

The internal information that the software cross-checks includes data about historical and current reservations, cancellation and occupancy, reservation behavior, room type, and daily rates. Such factors as reservation behavior and customer type (transient traveler or one of a large group attending a specific event) influence pricing as well.

The revenue management software also analyzes climate and weather data, competitor pricing, booking patterns on other sources, and the presence of music or sports events in the property area.

Rates that adjust to ever-changing conditions allow the hotel chain to eventually get the maximum profit out of its inventory and ensure proper staffing.

2. Operational analytics

The hospitality business doesn't know what a day off or a holiday is, which means hotel software systems work without a second-long break generating all types of guest and operational data. Whether someone books a room or orders a Caesar salad in a restaurant, a housekeeper alerts about a lack of cleaning supplies, or an event manager reserves a conference room, a property management system captures this data.

Real-time observation of internal processes done through operational analytics allows hoteliers to find missteps and look for ways to improve. Businesses may conduct a competitive analysis, forecast customer behavior for each season, monitor brand mentions and reputation on social media by analyzing feedback, or determine why website users start bookings but don't complete them (churn analysis). The number of data science applications depends on IT infrastructure and staff skills.

Operational analytics techniques

The importance of data management strategy grows with reliance on data for long- and short-term planning, notes senior sales manager at iDashboards Andrew Gissal. " With the increased use of hosted data solutions, organizations see silos of information, which can lead to discrepancies in this information from system to system. This becomes a big issue when trying to explain or reconcile conflicting data sets in order to report, or worse, make decisions. Anything less than absolute confidence in reporting data leads to headaches and second-guessing." Organizations striving to make data-related decisions and choices faster and be sure these decisions will help them run a business more efficiently must manage their data in a way that provides clarity, concludes Andrew.

iDashboards introduces a data visualization platform with which users can retrieve, combine, and transfer data from various sources into one dashboard to make graphic reports. The platform supports hundreds of chart types and provides fully customizable layouts and patented visuals. The iDashboards Data Hub automates data preparation with a drag-and-drop ETL (extract, transform, load) tool. So, the platform "has users covered from data prep to data viz."

Performance evaluation

With data visualization tools, hotels are able to collect relevant operational data across departments to monitor, evaluate, and improve their performance. A hotel group from Texas utilizes iDashboards to gain organizational transparency, the company representative shares. "The staff members were operating on old data, and those old reports caused a disconnect between daily job performance and the bottom line. They use the software in their sales department - tracking rooms, events, and referrals. The hotel can now correlate a revenue amount to the referral program. Additionally, employees can take 'ownership' with the dashboards by showing how their specific jobs impact the organization."

Brand monitoring

It may take someone a couple of minutes to write and post a review about their hotel stay that potential travelers will read. Since negative comments usually stick better in people's minds, brands have to quickly assess and react to them. AI and NLP (natural language processing) solutions for customer experience data analysis can help businesses keep up with the speed at which people exchange information on their services.

Opinosis Analytics is one of the companies building tailor-made software that leverages AI and NLP. Company founder and GitHub data scientist Kavita Ganesan together with her team develop analytics and summarization models on user reviews and customer feedback data. Specialists use data graph-based natural language analytics and deep learning to help hotels define their operational problems. Once deployed, these models extract insights from feedback data about customer pain points.

" Since we provide a customized service to surface insights to businesses based on unstructured feedback data, we were able to directly work with some of these hotels to pinpoint areas needing attention. For example, in one case the hotel found that its employees were very arrogant towards its customers. They immediately addressed the issue and when we re-analyzed their feedback data several months after the change, we noticed a drop in the mention of "arrogance," shares the data scientist.

Competitive analysis

Competitive analysis of customer feedback on social media allows hotels to understand who their customers are, what they think makes a perfect guest experience, and what customers feel about staying in a hotel. What's more important, hoteliers can learn why people evaluate a brand in a certain way. In this regard, AI is here to capture and process feedback with a speed and accuracy a human isn't capable of achieving.

"We have implemented competitive analysis models to show how these hotels are doing in comparison with their competition on very specific dimensions leveraging large amounts of feedback data. For some of this analysis, the hotels already had their own data, and we primarily helped with the data science," says Kavita Ganesan.

Use case: InterContinental Hotel Group

InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) is a hospitality company that provides 799,923 rooms in 5,367 hotels across 15 brands. The hotel group plans to increase its global presence with almost 2,000 hotels in the pipeline. IHG develops its technological capabilities to be able to process a constantly growing amount of operational data.
The building of the InterContinental Ljubljana hotel. Source: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
More than 1000 hotels worldwide are currently using the cloud-based guest reservations system IHG Concerto.

The company co-developed the system with Amadeus to increase revenue and gather more data for decision-making. Concerto allows hoteliers to drive direct bookings by providing personalized offers based on past reservations and suggesting a wider set of booking options (i.e. search by room type, open dates, or budget.) Currently, the hotel chain is trialing an attribute-based booking centered on a bed type. The platform supports multiple languages and provides access to its IHG Rewards Club loyalty program data in real time.

Concerto will later integrate with the multiple hotel software, such as revenue and property management systems, sales, catering, and point-of-sale. IHG plans to fully deploy the platform by the end of 2018 or early 2019.

IHG surveys guests regarding their in-stay experience and then combines these insights with economic and industry performance data to see a greater picture of how they run the business. This approach to performance evaluation helps InterContinental to understand both internal and external factors affecting the quality of their service. The company gathers large amounts of metadata about their properties and personnel, for instance, hotel location, building age, amenities and number of rooms in each property, as well as employee experience and tenure. Such information as demand drivers and a number of competitors in the area is also collected and explored to find patterns.

Use case: Radisson Hotel Group

Radisson Hotel Group also takes the data-driven approach to maintaining its marketing, communication, and brand strategy. The hotel group tracks market trends and analyzes customer behavior to meet their expectations.

"We believe data is key," states Radisson Hotel Group vice president of digital Remy Merckx. " We have recently partnered with Accenture Interactive to support us in building an advanced intelligence model to start predicting buying behaviors and patterns, better understanding our customer's online journeys and the way they prefer to choose, book and stay with us; and connecting it to the demand and business generated for our hotels worldwide. These predictive models help us in getting most of our investments and initiatives, and also help us engage on a more personal level with our guests."

3. Hotel energy consumption management and predictive maintenance with IoT solutions
An information card encourages visitors to be more environment-friendly. Source: Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel
Working all year-round, hotels are among the top five facilities based on energy consumption in the tertiary building sector. On average, hotels in the US spend nearly 6 percent of all operating costs to pay for utility bills. The positive thing is that energy expenses can be controlled via energy management. Modern approaches to energy consumption have gone far beyond the installation of energy-saving lighting systems, changing building standards, or the use of information cards in bathrooms.

Consumption management

Hotels move towards energy efficiency with cloud-based software. Smart energy management platforms supported by IoT devices gather real-time information on energy usage and monitor temperature, humidity, air pressure, and air quality inside the building. This software can also track weather data and utility rates, while monitoring occupancy to adjust the work of HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) and lighting systems. As a result, these systems provide property owners with energy use patterns - energy profiles. Received information helps hoteliers understand where they can use fewer resources to achieve energy efficiency goals. The access to data is usually available from both desktop and mobile devices.

Using sensor data for predictive maintenance

Software for energy consumption control enables predictive (condition-based) maintenance. This type of technical support entails monitoring machinery during normal operations to forecast its malfunction. Systems automatically send notifications if they detect anomalies, allowing technicians to fix equipment, for example, a room air conditioning system, before it completely breaks down and a guest notices a failure. With these systems, staff can also schedule maintenance more efficiently as they know about the technical state of every device. So, energy management solutions can help prolong equipment lifespan and cut maintenance costs.

Use case: Embassy Suites Denver

Embassy Suites Denver used equipment by Telkonet to become an eco-friendly hotel and receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Thermostats and occupancy sensors reducing the energy usage for heating and cooling of unoccupied rooms were installed in the hotel. As a result of this improvement, the hotel became the first property with LEED Silver certification in both the Denver metropolitan area and the Embassy Suites brand portfolio in 2011.

4. Customer experience improvement

When people go on vacation to take a break from their fast-paced lives, they demand that any problems are solved as quickly as possible. Travelers want to enjoy a comfortable stay while seamlessly accessing all the pleasures a hotel has to offer.

Messaging automation

Harris Interactive market research agency conducted a study on behalf of OneReach and found out that 64 percent of consumers who can choose between texting and voice as a customer service channel would prefer the former. In addition, 44 of respondents with texting capabilities would rather press a button to start messaging instantly than wait for a customer service agent to respond.

Hotels that adopt messaging support with AI-backed virtual assistants can enhance guest satisfaction by making them feel welcomed and taken care of.

"The guest is busy and has no time to download an app or learn how to use a new device. Guests love communicating on their terms, which makes virtual assistants the most efficient way to communicate," notes the founder and CEO of Go Moment Raj Singh.
Ivy responds to guest questions in about 2 seconds. Source:
The company introduced the Ivy automated guest communication platform for hotels powered by IBM Watson AI engine.

Travelers can use Ivy right after providing their cell phone numbers. Staff uses the Ivy Dashboard as a single command center, explains Raj. Employees have access to feedback in real-time and can use this data to study guest behavior via analytics. "Since Ivy serves as the first line of defense, hotel staff only need to answer more complex questions instead of answering basic questions like "What's the Wi-Fi password?" or "Where is the gym?" dozens of times a day." That way humans and machines work as a team, immediately answering questions and providing a timely support.

Ivy also integrates with Alexa and Google Assistant voice devices and can address systems like Botlr robot we'll describe below.

Check-in with facial recognition

It's not only airlines that delight customers with self-service capabilities to prove they value their time. Facial recognition check-in allows hotel guests to skip waiting in lines at a front desk and practicing forgotten handwriting skills to fill in registration forms.
The facial recognition check-in terminal installed in a lobby of one of the hotels. Source: Marriott International
Marriott International is testing facial recognition check-in machines in two hotels - Hangzhou Marriott Hotel Qianjiang and Sanya Marriott Hotel Dadonghai Bay. The enhancement, which was introduced in July, is a result of collaboration with Alibaba's Fliggy travel service platform.

Check-in that usually takes three minutes or more can be done in less than a minute with these terminals, the hospitality company notes. Facial recognition kiosks are easy to use. Travelers scan their IDs, take a photo, and provide their contact information, Then, the machine verifies their identity and reservation information and issues a room key. Marriott aims to launch self-service machines across its properties around the world in the future.

Smart rooms with voice-control systems

Each person has their own habits and everyday rituals. One person likes to wake up to the sound of the ocean, while another enjoys keeping the curtains closed until the noon. Following the trend of automation and hyper-personalization, hotels give guests the ability to adapt room amenities according to their preferences. Hotel chains literally make guest voices heard by upgrading rooms with voice-control systems.

Aloft Santa Clara hotel in San Jose encourages guests to book voice-activated rooms "equipped with an iPad running a custom Aloft app giving guests entirely new ways to interact with their room." Using Siri, a guest can tell the device to turn on purple and blue lighting, play a music video on YouTube or a series via Netflix, or set a desired temperature - whatever can make a guest happy.

Voice-activated rooms are one of the innovations that Aloft Hotels have presented in the Project Jetson experiment.

InterContinental Hotels Group recently introduced AI-powered smart rooms at its hotels in China. The hospitality company has sealed a deal with Baidu, a local technology solution provider, to provide an innovative guest experience. A control system, powered by Baidu's DuerOS AI platform, allows for controlling room amenities like thermostat, lighting system, or TV.

Two hotels currently offer smart rooms - the InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun and InterContinental Guangzhou Exhibition Centre. The IHG management plans to equip 100 AI-powered suites across key destinations within the country by the end of 2018.

Guest service with a robot's help

Some are afraid that robots will completely replace humans and leave them without jobs. As for today, these smart machines free human employees from routine tasks like housekeeping, room service, and concierge services.
Botlr assists a hotel staff and delights guests.
Crowne Plaza in San Jose, for instance, delights guests with Dash, the robot. Dash delivers food, toiletries, and provides information on hotel amenities and attractions. The robot independently moves around the property and can even call the elevator using a Wi-Fi connection. Dash calls a guest before coming to the door, delivers the desired items, and goes back to the lobby. The robot also tracks its power usage and connects itself to a charging station when needed.

Botlr is another robot servant that helps staff in Aloft Hotels. Guest can send requests about snacks, towels, or whatever simple things they need via the SPG app on their smartphones, and Botlr will quickly deliver them.

Both robots are built by Savioke engineers.

Opportunities for data science in the hotel industry

With AI and data science, hotels have advanced tools to evaluate and improve performance. Hotels use operational analytics to find more efficient ways of spending their resources, reduce energy consumption, introduce and develop revenue management strategies, as well as automate staff workflow with smart virtual assistants.

"There are department-specific opportunities but from a broad approach data science can be used to find correlations and improve operational efficiencies," notes Andrew Gissal from iDashboards.

Data science that provides tooling for the guest service operation can be further extended to enable the guest and management to better control the entire hotel experience, thinks Go Moment CEO Raj Singh.

Founder of Opinosis Analytics Kavita Ganesan points out that data science allows hotels to understand customer needs and address them, and sees many opportunities for operations enhancement it brings. " We have barely scratched the surface. As we get more and more data in the form of feedback via phone and email, reviews, blogs, etc., extracting insights from these scattered sources is going to be paramount in improving user experiences and coming up with new hotel features that customers would absolutely love. With all this data we should even be able to predict loyalty. And this knowledge can help us with things like revenue forecasting, checking in if we are hiring the right people or introducing the right features," sums up Kavita.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How the Hospitality Industry Uses Performance-enhancing Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gone are the days when having a personal computer or a smartphone connected to the Internet conferred bragging rights. Digital technology is getting more and more accessible, influencing how people work, relax, and plan their vacations. People's expectations for a hotel experience have grown and hoteliers had better keep pace with innovation.

# data[].attributes.body
Since technology will no longer be optional at that phase and will not be sugar on top on the cake,  it will become a crucial partner and most of the education in the world might be done through cell phones so we have to prepare the upcoming generations on how to use digital tools without being digitally disrupted and this means that we need to use methodologies in learning and education that will make them able to solve real world problems maybe globally not only in the location where the student lives or attends the university they have to be not only be knowledge recipients  but true innovative leaders and in order to do that education should be linked and will be linked more to the outside fields in the real world in different geographical locations.

On another note, I think technology will affect the education dramatically causing a change in the education structure and makes it more integrated, possibly universities will be able to work collaboratively on several topics bringing together their expertise through using advanced technologies to work on programs regardless if it is a PHd, MA or even a one hour lecture they will efficiently combine expertise and as a result maybe license these programs to several universities and be able to use them even in schools. As a result, universities and schools will be enriched quality wise and quantity wise.
I watched two interesting videos on you tube talking about higher education in the future and designing a university for the new

millennium

it seems I can upload only one video here is a link to the second one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfRoM21qHtE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Designing a university for the new millennium: David Helfand at TEDxWestVancouverED

# data[].attributes.body
I read a great article on the use of Virtual spaces being utilized within workplaces as meeting places for teams that are located in different physical spaces. I see this innovative approach to teams being utilized in classrooms very soon. Education is but one use of tech, and it inhabits it's space within all other sectors using tech, so I can easily see the spill over from other tech domains into Ed.
Here's the link

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Item Details Page for Team work engagement: A model of emergence

# data[].attributes.body
In teaching, I have witnessed multiple technology changes from writing utensils (pencils, pens), film projectors, TV's, VCR's projectors, desk computers, laptops, phones, and tablets.

# data[].attributes.body
Initially, there was a movement away from lecture-based classes towards group learning. Now the focus is self-directed and inquiry.

# data[].attributes.body
The next big technology may just be a device to limit its use. Dare I say that?

# data[].attributes.body
Is this a trick? Is this the same as question 3? Ok, I just found our question in the Wordpress site. "In your sector, what do you see as the next move in learning and education models in the next two years?" My answer: There will be a movement towards a more flexible, social, outdoor environment rather than a digital work space.

# data[].attributes.body
It is difficult to move forward digitally in public education when the funds are just not there. In addition, we will always have the problem with student privacy issues. Hence, I see a more social, face-to-face focus.

# data[].attributes.body
Looking forward at least five years, I see education, learning and technology intersecting in astounding ways. I see students being empowered in their learning and application of 21st century skills like never before. I think we need to be really careful to maintain human interaction in the process of this growing and powerful intersection of education, learning and technology. The highly collaborative nature of this MALAT program is an example of an informed and effective Blended Learning environment. However, I have concerns about recent initiatives by the provincial government in Ontario that is mandating that high school students take 4 credits/courses online. We are adults in the MALAT, with some sense of life experience, on-campus educational experiences, likely well aware of our learning strengths and areas for improvement; I feel that the adolescents who will be mandated to pursue online learning for part of their formative and summative studies, need more guidance and onsite, human interaction and guidance.

# data[].attributes.body
I attended a learning conference in Vancouver in April and the common themes being discussed were: predictive analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Realty (AR) and digital learning in general.
The expectations from employees and organizations is that they should have access to technology that matches what their cell phone can do. A tall ask if you compare what a cell phone is capable of and the technology you currently have in your workplace. Most of the attendees at the conference agreed that there is a very big gap in that comparison.

As a result, I began researching options to enrol in digital learning programs, and ultimately, chose the MALAT DipLAT.

# data[].attributes.body
In question #1, I stated that the biggest shift I’ve observed in learning and development in the corporate sector is the move from an instructor-centric approach to a learner-centered one. In doing so, the learning is designed with the learner’s needs as the focus.

As a result, concepts such as “learning in the flow” and “flipped classrooms” has emerged. Learning in the flow enables learners to access learning while actually, doing their job. Rather than having been taught something weeks or months before applying the learning.

Flipped classrooms give learners the opportunity to complete activities, before attending the learning.

Both concepts can be incorporated through the use of digital learning technologies such as eLearning, videos, and self-directed research using the Internet or other resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When connecting to licensed databases outside the library, RRU releases only information that authenticates users as members of our community. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the privacy policies of any site you visit so that you can make an informed choice about providing any personal information.

# data[].attributes.body
In my workplace, the annual report of our people strategy was recently published. One of our goals was to cultivate our work environment which translated as: “Your health and safety is one of the keys to our success. We place emphasis on mobility, teleworking and flexible schedules to create more work-life balance.” The findings noted in the report included increased digital communications to improve connections across our organizational community, and providing a flexible environment to increase mobility and working from home along with flexible schedules to align with individual needs and preferences.

I clearly see how education, learning and technology intersect every day and that the future offers opportunity to continue the exploration of humans working in an increasingly technological environment.

# data[].attributes.body
technological advances are emerging at a rapid pace and if carefully and thoughtfully implemented into learning environments can enhance educational experiences in the future. These new technologies will revolutionize curriculum and there will be new freedoms as a result, teaching and learning will occur anywhere with the use smart devices and students will be able to personalize their learning with apps. Analytic tools will allow for feedback to be timely and instructors can adapt their lesson plans and activities accordingly....this would be my Utopia of how I would like to see education, learning and technology intersecting. I recognize that barriers (money, resources, knowledge of how to use these new technologies etc) will make this intersection complex and much is left to be studied in relation to the human connection and maintaining meaningful relationships.

# data[].attributes.body
Not only open source software, but the open mindset in general stands to have a profound impact on how we learn and share ideas. I think we’re going to see more endeavors that focus on collaboration and  transparency, along with many more worldwide distributed teams. The “big” technologies will be the tools that can connect people in more effective ways.

# data[].attributes.body
I see the Self-Directed Learning and Informal Learning models continuing to rapidly grow through the availability of online material. The software industry moves at such a fast pace, both in the workplace and on their own time developers continue to engage in learning opportunities to keep up with the latest technology.

# data[].attributes.body
How does one approach this topic in the space of a sticky note?! I look forward to exploring this question in depth with many many words and discussions over the course of the MALAT program. I think as technology progresses—with AI, AR, VR, ML, etc.—we cannot lose sight of the human element. Technology has the opportunity to meaningfully add to our learning experiences only when it can enhance our human connections: to express ourselves, share ideas, find purpose, provide agency, and be part of a larger community.

# data[].attributes.body
3D/VR/AR eLearning solutions are the next BIG thing for our military. Independent stand alone products which either provide training or support training initiatives.

# data[].attributes.body
I agree with Sue, "Simulation will allow students to practice their clinical skills safely in an environment that supports achieving mastery prior to embarking on a practical experience in an acute care setting." Training in VR sims is being introduced throughout our military. Seamen are being virtually trained on dry land so that they are experts upon arrival of their first day on a new ship.

# data[].attributes.body
Education, Learning, and Technology

I do see technology becoming a fundamental inclusion in all learning and educational opportunities going forward. In what capacity and at what cost remains to be seen.