In a previous post I had described my recent visit to Turkey and the wonderful time I had at Istanbul with my friend Gokce Kurt. However wonderful that visit was, it was not the main reason I was in Turkey. I was there to speak at the Sixth International Forum on Learning Engineering organized by the Turkish Education Association and TED University, on May 24, in Ankara. I was one of the keynote speakers at the conference along with Chris Dede, and Kursat Cagiltay. Other panelists and speakers included Mutlu Cukurova, Jim Godell, Marcus Specht, Oya Guneri, Fatma Bikmaz, Faik Ozgur Karata, Mustafa Canli, and Filiz Kaleliolu.

This was easily the largest conference (with over 1800 participants) devoted to the new field of learning engineering. The title of my talk was From artifacts to Systems: The Evolution of Learning Engineering

In my talk, I began by describing my visit to the Anatolian Museum, where one can view some of humanity’s first artifacts for recording knowledge, reinforcing the enduring human need to pass knowledge between generations. I also shared a series of personal stories from my educational journey to establish what we need to be thinking about when we approach learning. From my childhood in Mizoram trying to sketch like my peers, to my struggles in engineering school and finally finding my identity as an educational designer, I described how these experiences taught me certain fundamental principles about learning: that talent is contextual, that belonging and identity are crucial, and that we must center practitioners in our educational frameworks. All of these however, given the needs of today, need to operate at scale—which is where the idea of learning engineering comes in.

Learning engineering applies an iterative, interdisciplinary approach that combines learning sciences with human-centered engineering methodologies to create educational solutions at scale. Drawing parallels to COVID-19 vaccine development—where the science was rapid but engineering the delivery systems was the real challenge—I argued that while we know much about how humans learn, our challenge is engineering systems to deliver this knowledge to millions of learners. ASU, with our 183,000 students and charter to be “measured not by whom we exclude but whom we include,” is thus an ideal testbed for these ideas.

One possible solution that has been proposed for both personalizing and expanding learning opportunities is Generatibe AI. I spent a bit of time exploring the strengths and weaknesses of GenAI, specifically for use in educational contexts. I argued that, rather than being seduced by technological solutions alone, we must focus on the meaning we create, moving intentionally and nurturing growth. While the learning engineering framework provides a powerful foundation for systematic educational improvement, I suggested we need to ensure it remains grounded in the deeply personal nature of learning and meaning-making. Just as that ancient clay pot in the museum was beautiful not just for its function but for the human need to create meaning, our learning engineering efforts must remember that within every system are individual learners with their own stories, contexts, and needs for belonging and identity.

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One of the most touching moments of the conference was when the Turkish Education Association surprised me with an unexpected honor—they announced that they would be establishing a scholarship in my name for high-achieving students from low-income families. This gesture, documented in the beautiful certificate they presented, was deeply moving and perfectly aligned with the values we discussed throughout the conference about making education accessible and inclusive.

I also have a huge debt of gratitude to the organizers of the conference, with a special shout out to Sabiha Sunar and Dilber Demirtas for all their support. When my wallet (with all my credit cards and cash) was stolen/lost in Istanbul, both my friend Gokce and her family, along with the conference organizers, stepped up immediately to ensure I could continue my stay with minimal disruption. This kind of generosity and care truly exemplifies the spirit of hospitality I experienced throughout Turkey.

And of course, a huge thank you to the amazing and delightful Defne Ilgin Tanc, who was my constant companion and guide during my stay in Ankara. She was with me every step of the way, helping me navigate the conference and ensuring that every other detail was went flawlessly. Thank you so much for everything.

You can see a video of the entire conference here or of just my talk (synched to my slides) embedded below. Below the video are some photos from the conference and my time in Ankara

A few of the many photographs I took when In Ankara.

Finally a short video to give you a sense of the entire event!