AI in teaching and learning: watch all-staff talk

June’s all-staff talk provided an update on work to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into our teaching and learning.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Van de Noort was joined by Professor Elizabeth McCrum, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience), who provided an overview of how the University is approaching the opportunities and challenges generative AI tools – such as ChatGPT – present to us in our teaching.

The University is adopting a positive, educational approach to AI, aiming to engage with it as a teaching and learning aid. Equipping our students with skills and experience in using generative AI tools is also important as these become increasingly desirable to employers.

Read our University position statement on generative AI in teaching, learning and assessment.

All colleagues were encouraged to ‘play’ with AI tools – following safe practices (see guidance below) – to discover for themselves where it could potentially support the teaching and learning of their subject.

• Attend summer T&L conference on inclusive teaching and assessment in the age of AI

How our lecturers are using AI

We also heard from Dr Pat Parslow, Computer Science lecturer, and Jackie Baines, Classics lecturer, about how they have made AI a feature of their teaching, and some limitations they have identified.

Pat explained how he has designed a coursework assessment that asks students to critically analyse how useful generative AI tools are in coding computer programmes.

Jackie spoke about a project she undertook with a PhD student looking at how well generative AI could translate ancient languages such as Ancient Greek and Latin, and a resulting guidance booklet containing prompts to help Classics students explore AI tools.

Dr David Marshall, a School Director of Teaching and Learning in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, rounded off the session by speaking about the AI Community of Practice group he chairs, including his priorities in supporting staff to use AI.

AI guidance available

Staff can access guidance published by the University and training on generative AI, including:

• Generative AI guidance for staff on the CQSD webpages, such as advice on incorporating AI into teaching, learning and assessment.
• This includes a document on getting started with ChatGPT and UoRLearn training on using ChatGPT. Please note the guidance around safe use of ChatGPT, including never inputting sensitive or personal data and amending the settings before use. See further advice on data protection and AI.

  Student can access:

• Guidance on using generative AI tools at university on Essentials.