AI in Higher Education: Tales from the coalface

This panel event offers the opportunity to hear from colleagues from The Dickson Poon School of Law, from The King’s Business School and The Centre for International Education and Languages on a range of projects.

We will hear about student focused research on attitudes to generative AI and how their perspectives change across terms 1 and 2; about 2 different approaches to develop students critical AI literacy and about a practical implementation of AI image generation.

The short presentations will then be followed by an open panel discussion focusing on ways we could and should (or cannot and should not!) be engaging with these technologies and how we can support our own, our colleagues’ and our students’ evolving critical AI literacy.

Speakers and project summaries

Student attitudes towards Generative AI and essay writing (James Ackroyd, King's Foundations)

Ackroyd's research addresses the uncertain impact of Generative AI in Higher Education. It studies a Foundation Level English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, investigating student attitudes towards generative AI. The research aims to explore how these attitudes evolve with increased exposure to AI across two academic terms, in line with the Russell Group Principles for adapting teaching and assessments to include AI.

Dr Andrés Gvirtz, King's Business School

Gvirtz explores how educators can utilise AI, particularly in creating custom lecture materials. He uses AI to generate illustrations featuring Reggie the Lion, the mascot of King's College London, for his business school lectures. This approach shifts from using generic stock images to tailor-made content, demonstrating an innovative use of AI in education.

Students' Assessment of Generative AI Responses to Knowledge Misunderstanding in Business Education (Dr Canh Thien Dang, King's Business School)

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational settings has ushered in a new era of learning possibilities. As AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, become increasingly embedded in educational practices, understanding their impact on student learning experiences becomes paramount. This paper, rooted in the field of econometrics education, seeks to delve into a nuanced aspect of AI-assisted learning and how students, specifically from econometrics courses, perceive and respond to AI-generated answers when faced with intentional misunderstandings or misinterpretations, colloquially referred to as 'AI hallucinations'. The research idea is particularly significant for the field of econometrics, where the intersection of statistical methodologies and advanced technologies holds immense promise. As students in econometrics courses engage with complex statistical models and methodologies, the integration of AI-assisted learning offers unique insights and challenges. Because of the nature of the courses that focus on understanding precise concepts and undertaking mathematical derivations with expandable scope for interpretation, designing AI-proof and AI-related assessment formats is a challenging task for lecturers. By focusing initially on this specialized domain, we aim to understand how students within econometrics navigate AI-generated responses.

Dr Canh Thien Dang is a Lecturer in Economics at the Department of Economics, King's Business School, King's College London. He uses both theory and data to answer questions at the intersection of economics and public policies. His research interests include Development Economics, Public Economics, and Applied Econometrics. His current education research focuses on the design of authentic assessment and academic integrity in the rise of AI as well as student employability and recruitment. He is affiliated with the King's Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a member of the KBS’s GenAI Working Group, and the GTA Lead at KBS.

Testing the Frontier - Generative AI in Legal Education and Beyond (Dr Anat Keller and Cari-Hyde Vaamonde, The Dickson Poon School of Law)

This project targets the gap in AI literacy among law students, aiming to enhance their learning and creativity. It seeks to foster critical thinking and ethical use of Generative AI tools, while preserving academic integrity. The project will develop a reflective process to help students and staff recognise GenAI's limitations and biases, and will share guidelines for using AI in academic writing. This initiative will also prepare students for an AI-integrated workforce and realise the Russell Group AI education principles at KCL.

Dr Anat Keller is a Senior Lecturer in Financial Law at King’s College London and Director of Online LLM Programmes. In addition to her research in financial law and fintech (including the regulation of AI), Anat is passionate about teaching and the way technology can assist students in achieving their full potential.

Cari Hyde-Vaamonde is an experienced lawyer and court advocate fascinated by the potential for code and AI to reform how law and justice function. Beyond research, she is a Visiting Lecturer (Law and Technology) at King’s College London, and co-convenes the Innovations In Judging network for the Law and Society Association.

This event is in-person only. Please register on Eventbrite.

This event is part of the King's Festival of Artificial Intelligence, running from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 May 2024.

If you’re interested in this event, you may also want to join us for:

• How GenAI can reshape education
• Personalising Dentistry education with AI-generated digital dental patients’

Festival event times may be subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to registrants via Eventbrite emails.

Please note, King's events are free, which means we routinely overbook to allow for no-shows and avoid empty seats. Admission is on a first come, first served basis, so please arrive in good time to avoid disappointment. We will not be able to admit those without tickets or latecomers.