The world appears to be lurching from one unprecedented event to another, and the education sector is no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on education, contributing to a state of permacrisis characterized by ongoing challenges and uncertainties. The rapid shift to online and hybrid learning models has revealed longstanding inequalities in access to technology and digital literacy and has created new challenges for educators and learners alike. The pandemic has also highlighted the urgent need for flexible and adaptable approaches to education that can respond to rapidly changing circumstances.

This state of permacrisis is not necessarily a negative phenomenon and could be seen as a necessary and beneficial corrective. It challenges us to rethink our assumptions about education and to embrace new technologies and pedagogies that can enhance the learning experience.

Compounding these challenges, the proliferation of artificial intelligence and language models such as ChatGPT is transforming the landscape of education and assessment. While these technologies offer new possibilities for personalized learning and assessment, they also pose challenges related to ethics, bias, privacy, and transparency that must be carefully navigated.

Against this backdrop, the role of edtech staff, including instructional designers and learning technologists, has become increasingly important in addressing these challenges and leveraging the potential of these emerging technologies. This conference will explore how edtech is enhancing the learning experience and how we can navigate the permacrisis through innovative approaches to technology-enhanced learning. It will provide a platform for sharing best practices, research, and insights into the ways in which edtech is shaping the future of education.