Driving innovation with AI in blended learning: Insights from the BLAT Forum
By Dr Guy Bate, Director – Master of Business Development and Course Director (Innovation) – Master of Business Management
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our Executive and Professional Development team, the University of Auckland Business School recently hosted the Blended Learning and Technology (BLAT) Forum. This brought together learning and development (L&D) professionals from across New Zealand to explore cutting-edge approaches to enhancing workplace learning. I had the privilege of co-facilitating the sessions with Dr Kirsty Williamson who has enormous experience in designing and implementing approaches to blended learning in higher education.
BLAT, founded by Andy Graves over a decade ago, has become a cornerstone for L&D practitioners across New Zealand, fostering a supportive community where ideas and innovative practices can be shared. Entitled ‘AI in Action: Driving Innovation in Blended Learning’, our workshop sought to exemplify this ethos, offering hands-on exploration of GenAI tools and their practical applications for driving innovation in blended learning environments.
Reflective practice
The workshop began with warm-up exercises to explore participant’s current perceptions of AI and also the nature of support given to employees to develop critical thinking skills. This provided the platform for introducing Lena the Reflectivity Coach, a custom GPT designed to guide individuals through self-reflection. We challenged Lena to offer insights into how GenAI can facilitate deeper learning by prompting users to articulate challenges, analyse experiences, and plan actionable next steps. For example, Lena demonstrated the importance of reflexivity in leadership development by reflecting on the challenges of facilitating technology-enhanced workshops. This exercise highlighted the role AI can play in embedding reflexive practices within professional development programmes, particularly in remote or hybrid work settings. Participants were struck by how GenAI could act as both a guide and a mirror, fostering greater self-awareness and growth.
Generating visual insights
Following this, participants engaged with GPT Vision, a capability associated with multimodal large language models that enables AI to analyse images and visual data. Teams were invited to draw their vision of the “perfect employee,” and GPT Vision distilled the diverse imagery into key themes. The drawings revealed perspectives of what makes an ideal team member, blending technical skills, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal awareness. One drawing depicted an empathetic communicator, symbolised by speech bubbles and handshakes, while another imagined a multitasking robot capable of balancing practical and supportive roles. GPT Vision’s analysis provided a broader understanding of workforce priorities, such as adaptability, collaboration, and a passion for innovation. The exercise showcased how GenAI can transform creative outputs into actionable insights.
Learning with digital humans
We then introduced OD-ette, an anthropomorphic organisational design coach powered by Soul Machines. OD-ette provided a glimpse into the future of personalised training, demonstrating how digital avatars can guide employees through complex processes, deliver real-time coaching, and simulate realistic workplace scenarios. Participants discussed how OD-ette might scale learning initiatives by offering tailored advice and fostering engagement across a diverse workforce.
For L&D professionals, AI-enabled technologies like OD-ette offer opportunities to create scalable, individualised learning experiences. For example, they could be integrated into onboarding programmes to provide consistent, engaging guidance for new hires, regardless of location. Additionally, their ability to simulate conversations makes them ideal tools for practicing interpersonal skills, such as giving feedback or resolving conflicts, in a safe, controlled environment. By blending accessibility with personalisation, technologies such as OD-ette illustrate how digital “humans” might enhance employee learning and development, providing real-time support and fostering continuous growth.
Ideating on the role of AI in L&D
The final activity was a collaborative brainstorming session, where participants used colour-coded Post-it notes to reflect on how AI tools could be integrated into their organisations. Each colour represented a specific theme: AI-based reflexivity tools, GPT Vision for customised training content, and digital humans for engagement and support. Ideas ranged from creating personalised AI coaching agents and developing visual microlearning modules to using virtual agents as institutional knowledge hubs. The exercise encouraged participants to think strategically about the role of GenAI in enhancing employee development and building organisational capability. We again deployed GPT Vision to analyse the Post-it note data—it reads and collates insights from roughly handwritten bits of paper beautifully!
Looking to the future
Beyond the exercises, the forum highlighted the power of collaboration and community. Participants exchanged ideas, shared experiences, and left with actionable insights to implement in their own organisations. As co-facilitator, I was inspired by the energy and creativity in the room, as well as the commitment of attendees to explore the future of learning and development with an open mind.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the landscape of workplace learning, forums like BLAT provide invaluable opportunities to explore its possibilities while maintaining a focus on the human connections that underpin effective learning. By combining innovative technologies with thoughtful application, L&D professionals can create experiences that are not only engaging and effective but transformative. The insights gained from our session will hopefully inspire new approaches to employee development, ensuring that AI serves as an enabler for growth.
Thanks to all those involved and who continue to support our work: the BLAT members, our Business School’s Executive and Professional Development team who hosted the session, and also to my fantastic AI-in-learning collaborators, Shahper Richter, Inna Piven, Patrick Dodd and Shohil Kishore.
IMG_7546
IMG_7659
