Bot Games: Gamifying the Learning Experience with Micah Smith from Automation Anywhere
Jan 4, 2024
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Micah Smith, an influential thought leader with over 15 years of experience in the automation space, discusses the power of gamifying automation learning through bot games. They also talk about leveraging generative AI to maintain educational materials, the future of engineering in the AI era, and the influence of respected content creator Chris McCaskill.
Gamifying automation learning through bot games can be a powerful and enjoyable way for developers to learn and explore new capabilities.
Developers should embrace AI technologies and learn how to solve problems using generative AI.
Creating shorter, skill-specific learning content and leveraging AI-powered tools can help maintain and update educational materials in a rapidly evolving field.
Deep dives
Micah Smith's Journey in Tech and Developer Education
Micah Smith shares his journey from being a technical instructor to working in government contracting and eventually joining Automation Anywhere as the VP of Community and Learning. He highlights the importance of finding one's voice and understanding audience engagement when delivering presentations. He emphasizes the value of hands-on experience in implementing software and meeting stakeholder requirements. Micah also discusses the significance of embracing AI in the development process and the importance of developers having a close connection with business stakeholders.
Bot Games: Gamifying Learning and Engaging Developers
Micah introduces Bot Games, a developer event series aimed at engaging users with Automation Anywhere's software. He explains that participants are given challenges to complete using the software, and the competition aspect of the event has proven to be highly motivating and enjoyable for developers. Micah discusses the diverse range of participants, including enterprise customers, consultants, and Automation Anywhere partners, and the valuable learning experiences that are gained through the event. He emphasizes the importance of creating fun and engaging experiences for developers to learn and explore new capabilities.
The Role of AI in Developer Education and Automation
Micah discusses the impact of AI on the field of software engineering and automation. He predicts that developers will shift towards describing what they want to create and assembling pieces rather than building from scratch. He encourages developers to embrace generative AI and learn how to solve problems using AI technologies. Micah also emphasizes the need for developers to have a strong connection with their business stakeholders and to be able to deliver solutions that go beyond the initial requirements.
Maintaining and Upgrading Learning Content with AI
Micah shares the challenges of maintaining and updating learning content, specifically video tutorials, in a rapidly evolving field. He explains that by creating shorter, skill-specific content, it becomes easier to update and rerecord specific sections as needed. Micah also highlights the use of generative AI and AI-powered tools in content creation and maintenance, such as automated transcription services. He emphasizes the importance of keeping learning material up-to-date and relevant in order to provide a valuable educational experience for developers.
Shoutouts to Influencers in Developer Education
Micah mentions Chris McCaskill and his YouTube channel, Plant Chompers, as a content creator that he follows and respects. He praises Chris's well-spoken nature and quality of his videos that advocate for a vegan lifestyle. Additionally, Micah mentions Twilio as a company that excels in developer relations and documentation, specifically highlighting Twilio Quest, an interactive educational game for learning APIs.
Bot Games: Gamifying the Learning Experience with Micah Smith from Automation Anywhere
In this week’s episode, Jon is joined by an influential thought leader with over 15 years of experience in the automation space, Micah Smith, the current Vice President of Community and Learning at Automation Anywhere.
In this episode, Micah shares his expertise on the evolving landscape of automation, providing valuable insights into the role of an automation leader. Join them as they discuss the power of “gamifying” automation learning through the use of bot games, how to leverage generative AI to efficiently maintain educational materials, and the future of engineering as we enter the AI era.