In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, ethics are paramount, especially as Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more available and accessible. The role of educators, technologists, senior managers and leaders in guiding ethical AI adoption has, therefore, never been more crucial.
Centred around the ALT Framework for Ethical Learning Technology (FELT), ALT’s Winter Summit aims to empower leaders with the knowledge, insights, and strategies to foster responsible AI integration that supports academic practice.
This year's Winter Summit is sponsored by Kaltura and will be hosted on Kaltura's Virtual Event Platform.
Registration closed on Monday 11 December at noon GMT.
Summit Programme
10:00 Welcome
Natalie Lafferty, University of Dundee
Sharon Flynn, Technological Higher Education Association
10:15 Opening keynote - Whose ethics? Whose AI? A relational approach to the generative AI challenge
Every thinkpiece, policy statement and guideline on generative AI encourages ‘ethical’ use of these new capabilities. But whose ethics matter? Whose can be made to stick? With so much power invested in generative platforms, how can the choices of educators and learning technologies make a difference? This keynote starts from the idea that technologies reframe social relationships, and argues that to be ‘ethical’ is to attend to those relationships, not only in the context of use. How can we act with care from our different positions in the generative AI ’stack’? And what must universities put in place for members to uphold ethical values such as those of the ALT Framework?
Helen Beetham, Researcher and Consultant
10:45 Q&A and discussion
Helen Beetham, Natalie Lafferty and Sharon Flynn
11:05 Short break
11:20 Developing resilience in an ever-changing AI landscape
In the current climate of AI, educators are challenged to find a comfortable territory somewhere between apocalyptic panic and uncritical enthusiasm. We need to manage risks while taking advantage of the benefits AI offers us. This requires critical thinking and entails becoming comfortable navigating in a nuanced zone where there are no black-and-white answers to the questions we ask. How can we support students in learning effectively and empower them to use AI in an ethical manner? How can we as educators develop our own AI literacy so that we can teach these skills to our students?
Mary Jacob, Aberystwyth University
11:50 Q&A and discussion
Mary Jacob, Natalie Lafferty and Sharon Flynn
12:05 Short break
12:15 Achieving Inclusive education using AI
Within higher education, inclusion often takes a backseat during the development of new educational technologies and curriculum strategies, prompting us to question the intended beneficiaries. Current educational technology and curriculum designs primarily address inclusion challenges related to disability and neurodiversity, sidelining crucial dimensions like race, gender, and students' domiciliary status. The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) offers an opportunity to enhance workload, flexibility, creativity, and address subjectivity limitations while enabling purposeful design for all forms of diversity. The challenge lies in formulating an AI-driven Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategy within the technology and higher education sector that embraces all dimensions of diversity for a comprehensive approach.
Olatunde Durowoju, Liverpool Business School
12:45 Q&A and discussion
Olatunde Durowoju, Natalie Lafferty and Sharon Flynn
13:00 Lunch break
13:50 A Case Study on AI Integration and Ethical Reflection in Teaching
Access to AI tools exists and they will be used by our current students in their future employments. As educators, how can we prepare learners to engage with these tools critically, reflectively and ethically? This session will provide a case study example of how the PAIR (Problem formulation, AI tool selection, Interaction, Reflection) framework was employed in class with first year Social Work students. The teaching aimed to help learners understand and critically reflect on how the datasets underpinning AI tools could influence their future practices to promote the professions ethical principles of social justice. This session aims to not only present the learning design but also trigger discussion and debate about how it can be applied in other subjects to promote the ethical use of AI.
Dr Tarsem Singh Cooner, The University of Birmingham
14:20 Q&A and discussion
Natalie Lafferty and Sharon Flynn
14:40 Short break
15:00 Panel discussion - GenAI and the student experience
We know that students are now receiving different messages about Generative AI
(GenAI) and tools like ChatGPT from their institutions, and from social media and wider
media debates. For example, students may well be cautioned not to use ChatGPT by
tutors who use it themselves.
Many institutions have established general principles and/or frameworks to deal with
GenAI (often influenced by the Russell Group announcements) but what does this mean
for everyday educational practice, both inside and outside the classroom?
This panel session will start with short opening statements from staff and student
members and then invite delegates to join the debate on what we should regard as
effective, fair and equitable treatment for students regarding the use of GenAI. We will
also reflect upon the implications of the most recent technical advances, such as
Openai’s ‘build your own GPT’.
Sue Beckingham, Sheffield Hallam University
Peter Hartley, Independent Education Consultant
Louise Drumm, Edinburgh Napier University
Plus Student Panel:
Alex Walker, Sheffield Hallam University
Alejandra Rodriquez Sosa, Edinburgh Napier University
Amparo Gimenez Rios, Edinburgh Napier University
Motheo Kgendwenyane, University of Kent
Frankie Wardale, Sheffield Hallam University
15:30 Q&A and discussion
15:50 Closing remarks
Natalie Lafferty and Sharon Flynn
16:00 END