Paula Funnell, Faculty Liaison Librarian, Medicine and Dentistry, Library Services
Cassandra (Cassie) Lewis, Clinical Senior Lecturer, Institute Of Dentistry
Bao Khanh Tran, Student at the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
Paula Funnell, Cassie Lewis and Bao Khanh Tran, in conversation with DES, share some of the reasons that drove them to co-create AI for student learning and research, an online self-paced resource which aims to help FMD students to understand and use AI ethically and effectively.
I started exploring the potential of AI at the beginning of last year, when it became a hot topic and there was what felt like an immediate impact in teaching, learning, assessment and research. Whilst the main focus in the sector at the time seemed to be around academic misconduct, I wanted to explore the opportunities presented by AI as a potential tool for learning. The Library Learning Support and Engagement (LLSE) team are already at the forefront of promoting information, critical and digital literacies, and there are clear parallels between the information literacy skills we teach students and AI literacy competencies, in effectively discovering high quality information, critically engaging with it, and using it in a responsible and ethical way. The rapid rise of generative AI tools changed the information landscape, providing additional ways to discover information, and I felt it was vital that we guide the students on how they can use these tools effectively (e.g. prompting), as well as being aware of the pitfalls, and highlighting the importance of critically evaluating their output. AI has opened a minefield in its use in academic writing. Again, the role of the LLSE team, and what we are trying to achieve in the resource, was to guide students in how they might use AI appropriately to help with their academic development, for example to get ideas for essay structure, whilst ensuring that they are aware, in line with the principles of academic integrity, of the importance of ensuring that any work submitted is their own.
My initial curiosity was also about the impact of generative AI on summative assessment and especially academic misconduct. But talking to students and exploring this further led me to research the potential of AI for learning. My main interest was in helping students develop core independent learning skills like goal setting, revision and timekeeping.
My main drive to develop the resource was the exploration of the ethical use of AI and a chance to create practical, interactive resources that students could use day-to-day.
Paula kickstarted the process of co-creation, starting with the LLSE team and then inviting a range of perspectives from the Technology Enhanced Learning Team, academics and students within FMD, who joined the resource development project, and brought their own interests, skills and perspectives. The team were subsequently awarded funding from the President and Principal’s Fund for Educational Excellence which is further supporting student involvement in its development. Students from across FMD collaborated with staff to create content for topics in a way that was practical, engaging and would meet students' needs. Khanh joined the project as a QMA Intern driven by curiosity and to explore the potential of AI for learning more deeply.
The reason the resource was launched for FMD first was driven by how the faculty was positive towards the potential of AI for student learning. Now the School of Business and Management has taken the resource and adapted it and more schools are now showing further interest.
By mid-February the course had 10,333 enrolments, with 4768 students accessing the resource. Of these, 570 have engaged with some content and 398 completed the core elements of the resource, which resulted in them receiving certificates. Feedback has been very positive, both from students and staff.
Quotes from students?
“It has helped me to ensure that I don't use it in a way that is deemed academic misconduct”
“I found it very interesting learning about the different ways it can be used, such as for brainstorming and assisting with revision but at the same time recognising its limitations and what we need to look out for”
“being able to create role play with AI - didn't realise you could do this and could be useful to practice patient interactions”
Quotes from Staff?
“The 'AI for Student Learning' resource is a fantastic initiative that empowers our students to harness the potential of AI while emphasising ethical usage”
Students and staff have emphasised the engaging pace of the resource, the skills and tools that can be used for independent learning and developing more ways of using AI that are aligned with ethical academic writing and research.
As a result of the PPFEE funding the Team are now working to further develop the resource, informed by student feedback, and are engaged in research activities around AI in education. They are also working hard to raise awareness of the resource across the University, with the hope that other Schools might make use of it with their students and are disseminating their work more widely at external events.