Abstract:

"From Modularity to Liveness" is part of a year-long applied research project and a research-led vocational education initiative grounded in real-world industry collaboration between the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), a higher vocational education institution, and Studio 7, a professional live event media production organisation in Malta. This research aligns with the critical need for applied industry-relevant learning on the role of AI innovation in vocational education work-based learning, particularly the integration of digital and AI technologies into professional industry practices and creative practice. The project addresses the growing need for applied industry-relevant learning models that enable students, lecturers, instructors and creative professionals to engage directly with the complexities and the demands of live-event media production environments.

The initial objective of the study was to examine how an AI-supported working methodology can be developed, tested and taught within authentic industry settings, bridging formal vocational education and professional practice. Through a qualitative case-based approach, this research initially analysed four international live-event examples; Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2020, Forward Festival Berlin, Coachella’s AR/VR integrations and Tomorrowland’s Digital Twin, through a SWOT framework informed by theories that focus on event modularity, database logic, liveness and live event engagement.

Findings demonstrate that hybrid and modular event methodologies can provide effective work-based learning environments where participants can explore decision-making workflow optimisation, audience engagement strategies and technological support in real-time. Through this collaboration with industry in Malta, AI-driven tools, including a structured briefing AI tool, a retrieval-augmented benchmarking AI tool and engagement simulation AI tool, were developed as prototypes to be included as part of a work methodological framework driven by key personnel. This framework systematically structures the use of AI as tools to augment human-led live event productions from development to audience engagement in response to the results emerged from the SWOT analysis and a needs analysis with the economic partner. Thus, making professional reasoning processes visible, discussable and transferable across both educational and industry contexts.

The study concludes that a methodological framework based on the principle of the role of AI as a tool to augment human-led live event productions offers a replicable model for vocational and industry-based learning, illustrating how higher vocational institutions and economic partners can co-create AI-supported methodologies that can benefit students, educators and industry partners in a single education/industry endeavour.

Keywords:

Applied Vocational Education, Learning Engagement, AI Technologies, AI Personalisation, Industry-led education.