With AI constantly in the news we’re very pleased to welcome a guest article on this subject from Professor Andy Dainty (PVC-Education), Leanne Fitton (Senior Lecturer in Academic Development), and Professor Fiona Saunders (Director of Learning Enhancement and Educational Development) at Manchester Metropolitan University.
The UK Government recently set out its ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’, a blueprint for harnessing the potential of AI for the UK economy to the extent that we become an ‘AI superpower’. The paper includes specific recommendations for higher education institutions to develop AI related degree provision, alongside broader calls for the expansion of educational pathways into AI careers, which have been echoed recently in an article for FE Week by the Skills Minister, Jacqui Smith. But what does this all mean for HE providers?
Manchester Metropolitan University has decided to fully embrace the transformative potential of generative AI and to mainstream its use within and around the curriculum. This decision, taken at a time where some institutions were looking to regulate or even outlaw its use, was taken to help our students benefit from the opportunities that AI will afford, and to ensure the ongoing relevance of our programmes to the myriad industries and sectors we serve. Our approach – Embracing generative AI responsibly – provides a comprehensive framework for enhancing teaching and learning, while addressing potential challenges that generative AI presents. We teach students about AI’s capabilities and limitations, provide hands-on experience with AI tools, design assessments that work well alongside AI, provide clear rules on where AI can be utilised in assignments, and take prompt action when students try to pass off AI-generated work as their own.
Perhaps the most immediate challenge facing educators is that of maintaining assessment integrity in a world where AI produced answers can be obtained with the click of a few buttons. Our approach to assessment is aligned with the Quality Assurance Agency’s “embrace and adopt” model. We now have few assessments where the use of generative AI is forbidden, and for the majority of our assessments our educators are encouraged to discuss the use of generative AI with students and actively encourage its appropriate use during both the learning and assessment process. We think the best way to mitigate misconduct is to support students to develop critical AI literacy. We want students to feel confident making informed decisions about when and how to use generative AI tools – both during their time with us and in their future careers. Our web-based interactive AI literacy toolkit, developed collaboratively with colleagues from across the University, provides essential guidance for all students. They are encouraged to engage with this resource and are rewarded for doing so through co-curricular points and digital badges. Curriculum teams are encouraged to build on our AI literacy toolkit by creating opportunities for students to use and discuss generative AI within their specific subject areas and future career contexts.
The full impact of generative AI on future careers remains uncertain and will vary between disciplines. Rather than attempting to predict exact use cases, our focus is on building digital and AI literacies that will enable students to evaluate and integrate new technologies as they emerge. While knowing how to use AI tools is a part of this, it isn’t the full picture. With generative AI creating plausible sounding but sometimes inaccurate information, the ability to factcheck and evaluate sources becomes even more important. As misinformation becomes easier to create and spread, the importance of critical thinking will also be amplified. But perhaps above all else, embracing what it means to be human becomes even more important, and we also need to empower our students to recognise how their unique perspectives and lived experiences can be authentically embedded into their learning and assessment.
Embracing generative AI at scale requires a huge amount of work from colleagues across the institution. They too are learning about AI, whilst also updating their teaching materials and rethinking assessment approaches. Guidance must encourage innovation, but also establish parameters, particularly in sensitive areas like assessment marking. While some colleagues are excited by AI’s potential, others are understandably cautious. Our Centre for Learning Enhancement and Educational Development (LEED) has established a range of opportunities to support our colleagues. For those eager to innovate, we provide opportunities through our Innovation Scholarship scheme. For those who are more cautious, we offer safe spaces both for discussion and gaining hands on experience. We’ve also established a network of AI Leads across faculties who provide peer support and share best practices.
Here at Manchester Metropolitan, we share the Government’s goal of preparing students for future careers and embracing the opportunities that AI brings. But our mission runs deeper; universities also play a vital role in creating new knowledge and finding solutions to complex problems. We recognise that AI presents significant challenges such as the massive energy and water consumption from data centres, the risk of systemic bias that could harm marginalised groups, and serious concerns about data privacy, copyright, and consent. By engaging with AI now, we’re positioning ourselves to help with these challenges. Together, our students, educators and researchers can all contribute to making AI more sustainable, ethical, and equitable. For us, being proactive isn’t just about keeping pace – it’s about shaping the future to ensure that AI works for our staff, our students and the stakeholders we serve.
*The views expressed in guest articles are those of the author(s) and not necessarily shared by LEI. We find it essential to present differing approaches, and foster meaningful debate and discussion.
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