EDI Tea Talk: AI for Engaged Learning
By now, most academics in higher education have experienced firsthand or been exposed to the potential benefits of AI in education. These benefits include personalising learning journeys for students, increased engagement and the implementation of more meaningful assessments.
However, integrating AI into the classroom may present unique challenges that must be carefully navigated. The high demand for learning and networking opportunities in this area is evident. In 2023, the 3 AI training sessions offered by EDI were fully subscribed. Additionally, data from the 2024 Professional Development Needs Analysis Survey revealed that 116 out of 168 academics who responded requested support in using AI for active learning activities. Addressing this need, EDI’s Tea Talk Series provides a platform for sharing practical applications of AI integration in a casual, collaborative setting.
The first EDI Tea Talk, held on 21st March from 10 am to 12:30 pm, focused on AI for Teaching and Learning. Professor Chai Lay Ching, Pro-VC of Education, welcomed the speakers and over 30 participants to the event, highlighting the potential of AI to enhance the educational experience. She encouraged participants to embrace AI but at the same time learn and help their students to learn how to use AI ethically.
Participants actively engaged in discussions revolving around specific questions related to AI implementation. Key takeaways included the need to explore various AI tools and platforms to ensure they are used effectively to facilitate students’ learning and independence. Good planning, responsible and ethical AI use, assessments and rubrics that focus on higher order thinking skills were all seen as instrumental for successful AI integration.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn from and engage with four speakers:
Dr Stephen Homer
Dr Stephen Homer (Sunway Business School) shared his research on students’ perspectives on the use of AI in education, identifying important ideas that emerged and the lessons to be learned from them. He also emphasised the importance of ensuring that students don’t over-rely on AI and the need to avoid “lazy learning”.
Associate Professor Dr Tom Pierard
Associate Professor Dr Tom Pierard (School of Arts) discussed his use of ChatGPT as a virtual assistant to facilitate meaningful student interactions and provide real-time, personalised feedback throughout their learning journey. He explained how careful planning and integration of AI tools can lead to deeper student engagement and subject understanding.
Dr Sally Anne Malar
Dr Sally Anne Malar (Centre for English Language Studies) shared her experience adopting AI-assisted ArcGIS Story Maps for students’ projects. She highlighted the benefits of this approach in promoting student-centred learning, which resulted in high-quality projects.
Dr Bawani Lelchumanan
Dr Bawani Lelchumanan (Sunway Business School) shared the recent updates on Padlet, with its recent integration of AI features in Padlet. She provided practical suggestions and examples from her own practice on how AI has further enhanced Padlet's efficiency in supporting group work, ideation, and student interaction.
