Southern Sun Rosebank, Johannesburg

Recent global events have catapulted education into the digital age, requiring rapid adaptation in order for learning to continue. Teachers, teacher educators, those working in tertiary institutions and community organisations, as well as parents and learners, faced unprecedented challenges, especially in terms of their approaches to learning. Pedagogic agency, which refers to the educator's ability to make informed instructional decisions based on learning needs and reflective considerations, was transformed as conceptions of the classroom shifted. These seismic changes call on those working in the education sector to consider the future of literacy education in a world increasingly located in technology, data and the knowledge economy.

​

The conference theme raises another issue. A pedagogical agent - a concept borrowed from computer science and artificial intelligence - refers to an avatar that simulates the role of a teacher in a digital learning environment. The adoption of the term foreshadows an area of uncertainty within education circles: what is the future of teaching? Are we adequately prepared for it? And how can those working in literacy instruction be supported to shift from traditional approaches to methods that will meet the needs of the future?