The theme of the festival was ‘Transforming learning and teaching through artificial intelligence (AI)’, focusing on best practice in relation to embedding AI into the curriculum and how to harness its benefits to enhance not only teaching and learning practice but also student outcomes.

Welcoming attendees, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) Sara Raybould said:

We are on our way to being able to say that every course at UWL has AI competencies embedded, preparing our students for a digital future and that our professional services are adopting digital competencies to better serve the University, the students and one another.”

Dr Jessica Frye, Head of UWL’s Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), introduced keynote speaker Dr Rebecca Mace, philosopher of education, who spoke about ‘Empowering and protecting voices: Navigating the benefits and risks of AI-assisted student participation’.

Let’s use generative AI to amplify our voices, what we want to get across and what we feel is important,”

she said to attendees.

We need to get students to start using these tools to amplify what they want to say, what their learning is and where they have understood or not understood things. We want to get the gen AI to focus on them, not focus on what the gen AI knows.”

The festival gave the opportunity to UWL staff and colleagues to discuss current challenges, share best practice and celebrate innovations and achievements in relation to: 

• generative AI to support curriculum design
• pedagogies to support AI, VR and simulation
• developing students’ AI skills, literacies and competencies
• sustainable citizenship and AI
• AI assisted teaching practice including materials design, marking, etc.

In the afternoon there was a further keynote address from director for research advisory services at the Education Advisory Board (EAB) Dr Ebony Ramsey on the subject of ‘AI and the future of Higher Education: Five transformative opportunities’.

A lot of jobs are going to be augmented or impacted by AI. We need to make sure our students are well versed in AI so they are prepared for the jobs that will be on the market,”

she said.

The event celebrated the 98 Advance HE Fellowship awards made over the last 12 months (three at Associate Fellowship, 69 at Fellowship, 25 at Senior Fellowship and one at Principal Fellowship level), co-presented by the Chair of the Board of Governors, Derek Hicks, and Dr Jessica Frye, recognising effective and high-quality teaching practice across UWL and partner institutions. The event was closed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter John CBE.

• Read more about the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT)
• Read abstracts of all contributions at the Festival of Learning and Teaching 2024 Teaching Hub page