Academic Freedom vs. Algorithmic Reality: Who shapes the digital classroom?

Whose freedom is it anyway? As AI moves from the sidelines to the centre of higher education, we face a new “algorithmic reality.” This webinar explores whether the digital tools we use to teach and research are silently standardizing the very art ofacademic inquiry. We will seek to take a look at the tension between high-tech innovation and the fundamental right to maintain a unique, independent academic voice. 

The session features a dual-perspective dialogue: assoc. prof. Aušrinė Pasvenskienė (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) will address the legal and ethical safeguards needed to protect scholars in a digitalised world, while prof. John G. Keating (MaynoothUniversity, Ireland) will explore how the design of our digital environments—from AI assistants to collaborative platforms—shapes our discourse and limits or expands our pedagogical autonomy. Join us for this presentation and discussion to discover how wecan harness technology without letting algorithms replace our own pedagogical decisions. 

Duration: 90 minutes

Moderator

Assoc. prof. Giedrė Tamoliūnė 

Dr. Giedrė Tamoliūnė is an associate professor at Education Academy and senior specialist at the Institute for Study Innovations at Vytautas Magnus University. She is involved in European and national scientific and applied projects focusing on technology-enhanced teaching and learning aspects. Her research interests focus on technology-enhanced teaching and learning in higher education, digitally competent educators and institutions, the cooperation between EdTech and educational institutions, AI in education, and adult education. She has been a Steering Committee member of the EDEN Network of Academics and Professionals (NAP) since 2023. 

Presenters

Assoc. Prof. dr. Aušrinė Pasvenskienė

Aušrinė Pasvenskienė is an assoc. prof., vice dean at the Faculty of Law, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU, Kaunas, Lithuania), a researcher at Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute (VMU); a chair of VMU ethics committee; a visiting researcher at the Faculty of Law, Helsinki University (Finland). She serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Baltic Journal of Law and Politics, is the Principal Investigator for the Erasmus+ project “Modernization of Legal Education for the Support of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine” (EU4UA), is a member of the European Association of Education Law and Policy. Her research interests include education law, human rights in education, the intersection of law and digital technologies, also law, education and digital technologies. 

Prof. dr. John G. Keating 

More information coming soon.