Staff Workshop on Artificial Intelligence

Information Services is pleased to announce a special half-day event looking at ways in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used in academic contexts.

The event will be held on Thursday 11 April between 09:00-13:00 in the International Politics Main Hall.  

You can sign up for the event on the Session Booking page.

The aim of the event is to look across the 2 academic functions:

  • Research
  • Learning and Teaching

And to reflect on ways in which AI can be used to enhance these activities, increase productivity, and save time.

We’d also like to explore the challenges and obstacles that you face in using AI in these contexts and establish ways in which the University can best support you.

The session will be interactive, with participants encouraged to share their own experiences and examples of best practice. All colleagues are welcome to attend – from those who have been using AI for a while to those who haven’t used it before.

Attendees are welcome to join the session throughout the morning and a timetable for those who have registered will be circulated closer to the event.

Generative AI Discussion Forum

We have just created a new series of sessions open to all staff and students interested in talking about Generative AI in education.

Since January 2023, Generative AI (Gen AI) has shaken up the world of higher education. The landscape is still rapidly changing and posing challenges for all of us. In response to this challenge, we set up a Gen AI Working Group, which published guidance for staff in March and updated the UAP Regulations. We run regular training sessions with guidance for staff and contributed videos for students (AI and your studies) as part of the Academic Engagement Team’s LibGuide Utilising AI in the Library: A Student’s Guide.

We want to bring more voices into the discussion, so we have set up a series of forums around Generative AI, open to all interested staff and students. We especially encourage students to come along. Staff can register through our CPD Booking System. Students can join by emailing the LTEU.

  • 17-10-2023 15:00 – 16:00
  • 14-11-2023 10:00 – 11:00
  • 07-12-2023 16:00 – 17:00

    The aim of the Gen AI Discussion Forum is to exchange experiences about what is happening on the ground in our own areas, collect suggestions for the Working Group to consider, and answer any questions you may have.

    Please note that this is not a training session but a facilitated group discussion where everyone can exchange ideas. During the meeting, we will ask you to share your experiences, questions, and suggestions.

    We look forward to talking with you!

    Weekly Resource Roundup – 11/8/2023

    As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery. 

    Online events and webinars

    September

    Resources and publications

    Resources on Artificial Intelligence

    Other resources

    Other

    • Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
    • Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
    • Follow University of Birmingham’s Higher Education Futures institute HEFi on Twitter for daily posts with links to pedagogical literature and more. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
    • Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

    Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.

    Generative AI Discussion Forum

    Futuristic image of students sitting at desks working on computers. The image was generated by Mary Jacoob using artificial intelligence on the NightCafe Studio website.
    AI-generated image created by Mary Jacob using NightCafe Studio.

    We have just created a new series of sessions open to all staff and students interested in talking about Generative AI in education.

    Since January 2023, Generative AI (Gen AI) has shaken up the world of higher education. The landscape is still rapidly changing and posing challenges for all of us.

    In response to this challenge, we set up a Gen AI Working Group, which published guidance for staff in March and updated the UAP Regulations. We run regular training sessions with guidance for staff. The Working Group is currently preparing student-facing guidance for start of next term.

    We want to bring more voices into the discussion, so we have set up a new series of forums around Generative AI, open to all interested staff and students. We especially encourage students to come along. Staff can register through our CPD Booking System. Students can join by emailing the LTEU. The next two sessions are held online:

    • 21-08-2023 14:00-15:00
    • 15-09-2023 10:00-11:00

    The aim of the Gen AI Discussion Forum is to exchange experiences about what is happening on the ground in our own areas, collect suggestions for the Working Group to consider, and answer any questions you may have.

    Please note that this is not a training session but a facilitated group discussion where everyone can exchange ideas. During the meeting, we will ask you to share your experiences, questions, and suggestions.

    We look forward to talking with you!

    AI Generated Questions now available in Vevox Polls

    In the latest update to Vevox, our polling software, an AI Question Generator has been added. Colleagues can now create questions using the AI Question Generator.

    Further information (including how to use it) is available on Vevox’s webpage.

    As with all AI generated material, checking for accuracy and editing content is key before releasing it to students. See LTEU’s Generative AI support materials for further information.

    There are also a number of blogposts focused on AI that you can take a look at.

    There is another change coming to Vevox. The PowerPoint add in has been updated. We will be contacting all colleagues who make use of the PowerPoint add in via email before the start of September.

    If Vevox is new to you, we’ve got a whole host of support materials on our Vevox webpage.

    Weekly Resource Roundup – 25/7/2023

    As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery. 

    Online events and webinars

    July

    August

    September

    • 6-7/7/2023 RAISE conference (hybrid in person and online, with student discount)

    Resources and publications

    Resources on Artificial Intelligence

    Other resources

    Other

    • Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
    • Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
    • Follow University of Birmingham’s Higher Education Futures institute HEFi on Twitter for daily posts with links to pedagogical literature and more. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
    • Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

    Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.

    Weekly Resource Roundup – 13/7/2023

    As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery. 

    Online events and webinars

    July

    August

    September

    • 6-7/7/2023 RAISE conference (hybrid in person and online, with student discount)

    Resources and publications

    Resources on Artificial Intelligence

    Other resources

    Other

    • Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
    • Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
    • Follow University of Birmingham’s Higher Education Futures institute HEFi on Twitter for daily posts with links to pedagogical literature and more. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
    • Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

    Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.