Bertram Thiel develops the pedagogical concept of the triadic learning space as a response to the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into educational processes. The starting point is the observation that generative AI systems do not merely supplement or replace learning methods, but fundamentally transform the communicative architecture of teaching and learning. A third element is added to the traditionally dyadic communication model — teacher and learners in mutual exchange — namely AI as a metacommunicative partner that can stimulate, structure, and enrich human dialogue without replacing human judgment.
At the centre of the model are conversational ability [Gesprächsfähigkeit] and dialogue competence as key pedagogical skills. Those who engage with AI dialogically demonstrate and develop judgement, reflection, and responsibility — not through sophisticated prompting, but through dialogue-oriented thinking. Triadic communication is understood not as a substitute for human relationship, but as an extension of dialogic learning. The role of teachers is evolving from the transmission of knowledge to dialogic learning facilitation. The paper argues that meaning-making as the core of education can be neither purely individually nor technically generated, but requires communicative processes — shared thinking through conversation.
Triadic learning derives its pedagogical quality not from the use of AI itself, but from the question of whether AI opens new spaces for meaning-making and insight. For school development and teacher education, this means that beyond short-term technological training, a reorientation towards communication pedagogy is needed — one that places dialogic maturity and relational competence at its centre. Teachers must be capable of fostering conversational and dialogue skills across all forms of instruction. The triadic learning space is therefore not only the site of a new didactics, but also of a new understanding of education itself.
Literature:
Thiel, Bertram, in: Sprechen: Zeitschrift für Sprechwissenschaft, Sprechpädagogik, Sprechtherapie, Sprechkunst, (2026) 81, S. 71-77
Related Advanced Training:
Modular program held over three weekends
Direction and Concept: Bertram Thiel