Joanne McGovern, Curriculum Manager, reflects on some key themes within an AI-enthused classroom supporting academics and students in a Generative AI era, through implementation of AI tools and change in assessment methods.
As we rapidly progress into an evolving landscape in education, Generative AI has become a necessity not just a possibility. As academic staff, support staff and students embark on this transformative journey, it was key at the onset for Curriculum AI leads within South West College to ensure adequate measures were in place, and continue to be in place, to provide success and motivation in this changing landscape.
How can we support another change to our education delivery model?
At South West College we decided that having a curriculum roadmap was central to ensuring adequate support and guidelines aligning to meet the needs of our staff and students. As Generative AI creeps into our classrooms, we found it is important to understand the feelings of staff in this digital era. We hear the whispers of uncertainty amongst teams saying, “You can’t use AI to do that, can you?” or “Students are using it to cheat”. It becomes an essential aspect of our curriculum planning on a daily basis to ensure all staff and students have the skills, awareness and knowledge of using Generative AI tools as a means of enhancing teaching and learning within our curriculum delivery. Ensuring a central approach and professional development opportunities for our teachers highlights the requirement to lay a solid foundation for a shared Generative AI journey.
The AI-enthused journey
Applying a transformational leadership approach within South West College created a focus on inspiring and motivating others towards a vision of enhancing teaching and learning experience in a Generative AI era.
Implementing key objectives for any new initiative is crucial, especially when it comes to integrating Gen AI into education. A pilot program helped ensure that both staff and students where not overwhelmed by the new strategies and approaches being introduced. By starting on a smaller scale, we engaged with staff to measure interest and provide them with a chance to realise and demonstrate the potential of Generative AI to their colleagues.
Generative AI can be daunting, and offering mini snapshots or taster sessions within South West College allowed staff to explore various AI tools and packages without the pressure of mandatory usage. This approach not only helped staff become more comfortable with the technology but also showcased its potential benefits in a manageable, low-stress environment.
Rethinking curriculum assessment in the age of Generative AI
While the integration of Generative AI into education has significant implications for teaching and learning, another crucial aspect which we as a college must now consider is curriculum assessment.
For the new academic year, curriculum staff must ask themselves: are current assessment methods outdated in light of Generative AI's influence on education?
There's a growing need to shift from traditional assessment methods to more active learning environments. Project Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as a powerful approach to engage students and develop crucial 21st century skills. But what changes are required to make this transition, and how can we support both academic staff and students in this new concept?
The transition to assessment formats which focus more on process over product represents a significant shift in educational practice, but its benefits are well worth the effort. By implementing these changes and providing comprehensive support to both academic staff and students, colleges and universities can create dynamic learning environments that prepare students for the challenges of the modern world.
As we embrace this new approach, we're not just changing assessment methods – we're transforming the entire educational experience for both staff and students to support creativity, critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills.
The integration of Gen AI within South West College was not without challenges, but the potential benefits have been immense. With our coordinated approach, training opportunities and a willingness to innovate, we have been able to and will continue to harness AI to create more engaging, effective and future-ready educational experiences.
As we continue to evolve and adapt, collaboration between educational stakeholders will be crucial in offering support and guidance in their journey. By sharing our experiences and insights, we can collectively shape an education system that embraces the power of AI while maintaining the core values of teaching, learning and personal development.
The AI revolution in education is here, however, as educators can we remain committed to ensuring our approach to Gen AI in education is both innovative and ethical while being the leaders in its responsible and effective implementation?
This feature is reproduced from Advance HE and the original article can be accessed here.
About the author - Joanne McGovern is Curriculum Manager Engineering Hub at South West College in Northern Ireland with over 13 years’ experience teaching within Post Primary, FE and HE settings. Joanne has a Masters in Educational Leadership with a particular focus on assessment in Project Based Learning (PBL) curriculum. She is the project lead for GenAI within South West College #TeamSWC