I recently had a Zoom call with my learning partner Katherine and I walked away with some excellent insights on trends in the physiotherapy and telehealth fields as well as adult education. After an introduction and chatting about our backgrounds and where we live, we jumped right into the discussion at hand.
Katherine is a physiotherapist and instructor, and she has taken note of some trends, mainly based around technology and how it has affected our world since the COVID-19 Pandemic. I had no idea that the virtual delivery of physiotherapy services and telehealth was so prevalent today. Katherine gave me some great examples, from people living in remote areas like Northern BC and parts of Vancouver Island accessing specialized services that aren't available in their area, to people who have suffered a stroke or have mobility issues accessing services online without having to physically go to a clinic or health care provider's office. This virtual service is often paired with in-person visits to create a hybrid system that I found quite fascinating!
Katherine has also noted some trends in adult education, with technology again taking the forefront. She wrote a piece on her blog, Learning about Teaching Blog – Reflections on Teaching, Learning, and Media-Enhanced Education focused on Online Learning, again mentioning the COVID-19 Pandemic. It really did change our lives, didn't it? In our conversation I brought up AI and how I saw it as a trend in education, and Katherine again gave another great practical example. In her courses she has used Generative AI to turn a PowerPoint presentation into a Quiz for her students. I thought that was a great use for the technology. I have read a couple of articles about using AI to create customized lesson plans, but I hadn't thought of it as a tool to convert course materials into testing materials.
I think we're both on the same page when it comes to technology being more and more present in our lives. I brought up one of the trends I see in the electrical trade, smart home technology, and Katherine mentioned how it could be used for people with mobility or health issues as well, which completely makes sense. For example, motorized lifts, ramps or medical devices can be integrated into a home and added to our 'creature comforts'.
In the end, it was quite an enjoyable Zoom conversation and I appreciate Katherine taking the time to discuss these trends with me. It's amazing how people in completely different industries can relate our experiences and share knowledge in this way thanks to, you guessed it... technology!
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