The Project
This project will develop collaborative design (co-design) methodologies that can support the elicitation of student voice in response to the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education.
It is students who experience the greatest burden from the introduction of new technologies in education, and the latest innovations from so-called ‘generative AI’ present considerable challenges for learners trying to navigate and understand a changing educational landscape. Students often experience, on the one hand, the exaggerated and enthusiastic promotion of AI from the technology sector, while on the other, a more cautious policy-driven approach from universities. At the same time, a swirl of recent media reporting has tended towards the sensational, often accentuating fears about the integrity of assessments.
Amongst the cacophony of promises and predications about the transformational future of AI in higher education, the views and opinions of students often appear overlooked. This project will develop ways of surfacing student voice through the design, testing, and evaluation of collaborative methodologies that can support and cultivate learner experience and expertise as a valuable resource. This will directly benefit institutional policy and practice by developing the means to generate rich and in-depth understanding of how students use and value AI, supporting forms of institutional governance that can be responsive to student needs, rather than merely reactive to AI-hyperbole. It will also support continued research to expand the scope of students and develop a more robust understanding of the potential of co-design methods within differing higher education contexts.
