Caroline Fell Kurban

Day 2

6/27/2025

09:30 - 10:30

Plenary: The Essence of Technology is By No Means Anything Technological

What does this philosophical quote have to do with your classroom? We'll begin by exploring your own interpretations before discovering its relevance to AI in education. Starting with student examples, we'll uncover why two learners using identical AI tools achieve completely opposite outcomes. As we examine these stories, we'll recognize patterns that may resonate with your own teaching experience. We'll trace how established educational frameworks - successful with previous technologies - begin to break down when applied to AI. Through this exploration, we'll discover what makes AI fundamentally different and why traditional approaches feel insufficient. The journey moves from practical questions ("What can we do with AI?") towards deeper ones ("What is AI doing to us?") as we examine AI's impact on thinking, learning, and understanding. We'll conclude by returning to Heidegger's insight, now understanding why the question isn't "What can we do with AI?" but "What is AI doing to us?"

Biography

Caroline Fell Kurban has never taken a straight path through knowledge—and that’s what makes her work resonate across disciplines. Trained first as a geologist, she later earned advanced degrees in English language teaching, technology and learning design, and applied linguistics. At MEF University, she acts as adviser to the rector and plays a key role in transforming practice—through flipped learning and the ethical use of AI in education. She co-authors books with the rector on rethinking higher education in the age of AI. Her work asks a pressing question: In an age of intelligent machines, how do we ensure learning remains fully, meaningfully human?

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