Artificial Intelligence has clearly been the hot topic in education this year. There have been innumerable blog posts, articles and webinars on the subject and the pace at which both the technology- and the implications for learning and teaching - is moving can feel over whelming. Guidance to help AUT staff consider the opportunities and challenges arising from generative AI can be found on the Office of the PVC Learning and Teaching site in TUIA and these pages are updated regularly to reflect the pace of change in this area.
What have we been doing in altLAB?
altLAB has designed and facilitated several professional learning sessions on the topic. We have worked closely with Te Mātāpuna | Library and Learning Services and have focused on two main areas:
1. Helping colleagues to build their familiarity with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and consider some of the practical applications they provide.
2. Offering advice and guidance on the implications for generative AI, particularly in relation to assessment design and student learning.
These sessions have been attended by 184 people, a clear indication of both the interest and the value of running professional learning on this topic. The sides and recordings are available to AUT staff and for those who wish to have an open discussion about ChatGPT, we have set up a ChatGPT Insights Hub.
For faculty, school or programme teams wishing to take a more in-depth look at how their practices could be adapted, altLAB has designed a two-part session that allows staff to review and revise teaching and assessment strategies. Part one builds familiarity with ChatGPT and can be run either online or in person. Part two is an in-person workshop in which staff evaluate and revise current assessment designs. We ran the session with the School of Social Sciences and Public Policy and the participants really enjoyed the interactive, hands-on aspects of the workshop, and they also welcomed the space to have discussions with their colleagues. Depending on our capacity, altLAB can run these sessions for teams at AUT – please email altlab@aut.ac.nz to discuss.
altLAB is also considering how generative AI will influence our ways of working – the opportunities it could provide to support our Learning Design practice and the potential for AI to offer more personalised learning opportunities for students. If you have examples of how you are embedding AI tools within your teaching practice, we’d love to hear from you.
At the start of this post, we mentioned the sheer number of resources that are being produced on the topic. We’ll conclude by picking six that we think are worth your time.
Resources on AI and higher education:
- UNESCO has produced a quick start guide to ChatGPT, AI and higher education. Of particular interest might be the table on page 10, indicating how ChatGPT could be integrated and used to augment teaching and learning.
- Professor David Carless, from the University of Hong Kong considers the influence that generative AI might have on assessment and feedback design.
- The University of Sydney ran student panels to find out what generative AI meant to their learning and assessment. These panels have been summarised in two blog posts one focused on assessment and another on ethics and integrity.
- Still on the student perspective, the University of Kent, UK has a series of webinars on AI and the student voice.
- There is concern that generative AI can exacerbate existing inequalities within education. The Spinoff unpacks some of the concerns for teaching and learning within Aotearoa. Two articles on the RNZ website explore the challenges that generative AI may pose to educational inequality and indigenous language and data ownership. Finally, Brigham Young University in Hawaii summarises some of the equity issues raised by such software.
- If you have a little more time – Deakin University hosted two webinars on the implications of generative artificial intelligence for higher education.
Finally, AUT is hosting a panel session on Monday 15th May as part of Techweek 2023 which will explore what generative AI might mean for education.
