Yesterday we had our first community meeting call, attended by an enthusiastic group of 68 members, setting a positive tone for the year ahead.
Engaging Discussions in the Lean Coffee Format
We embraced the Lean Coffee format, sparking three vibrant discussions that brought forward a variety of perspectives.
Copyright Concerns
A key topic of debate centred on the use of AI tools, such as those that could generate resources based on existing content. We discussed the challenges in safeguarding intellectual property and ensuring the use of AI tools doesn’t breach license agreements. “How do we navigate these waters without inadvertently compromising our IP?” was a recurring question. The group discussed various tools and brainstormed potential solutions, leading to the decision for the NCAITE team to organise a focused discussion with the team at Anthology, who have developed course creation tools.
Staff Upskilling and Development
The conversation then shifted to the vital area of staff development. A common concern was how to engage staff members who were ‘nothing to see here’ and unaware of the need for adapting their practices in an evolving digital landscape, as well as how to manage the sheer amount of staff development time needed to reach all staff. Suggestions from the group included:
- Implementing a tiered learning approach tailored to different roles.
- Establishing clear principles of AI tool usage.
- Expanding focus beyond just identifying student cheating.
AI and Assistive Technology: A Balanced Approach
The discourse on AI and assistive technology was particularly striking. The overwhelming consensus favoured a ‘rules for tools’ approach, emphasising the need to tailor AI regulations to support accessibility, rather than imposing blanket rules.
Setting this year’s priorities
In smaller breakout groups, we discussed AI priorities. Each group contributed three suggestions for a collaborative working group activity. Following a democratic voting process on these ideas, the topic of copyright emerged as the clear front-runner. We’re thrilled to have eight volunteers committed to collaborating in this area and aim to produce a practical output within the next 3 months.
The insights from this session will help shape NCAITE future activities and future community meetings.
Next meeting
Our next meeting is scheduled for 3:30 PM on Teams, January 16th, 2023,
Find out more by visiting our Artificial Intelligence page to view publications and resources, join us for events and discover what AI has to offer through our range of interactive online demos.
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Get in touch with the team directly at AI@jisc.ac.uk