2024 National Conference on Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education

Andrew Caffrey is the CEO at Canopy, a team of educational technologists who help schools to use digital technology to enhance teaching and learning. He is the Global Program Lead for the Google for Education Certified Innovator Program, a global community of over 2000 passionate teachers who use technology to solve big challenges and advocate for impactful use of technology in education.

He is a former Secondary School Assistant Headteacher, Geography Teacher, Duke of Edinburgh Lead and Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) and received an Inspirational Educator Award from the Worshipful Company of Educators in 2016. In 2020 he was named in the EdTech 50, as one of the key people shaping Education Technology in the UK.

Talk title: AI and the Future of Education with Google for Education

During this talk we will explore how Google is Advancing education with AI. Google is committed to making AI helpful for everyone, in the classroom and beyond. We will showcase how educators are using tools such as Gemini alongside Google Workspace to elevate educators and make learning more personal.

Workshop title: Hands on with Google Gemini Education

Join us for a practical session where you'll explore the transformative power of AI in education through Google's tools, such as Gemini Education. You'll get hands-on experience using AI to enhance teaching and learning, create personalized experiences, and foster creativity and critical thinking skills in students. Discover how AI can streamline tasks, provide valuable insights, and empower both educators and learners to thrive in the digital age.

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Dr Angélica Rísquez is a Lead Educational Developer (Learning Technologies and Learning Analytics Lead). She has over 20 years' experience in Higher Education, is a Senior Fellow SEDA and winner of the University of Limerick Pedagogical Support Awards 2024 with the project 'STELA Live: Learning Analytics for Student Success'. She has extensive experience in the area of digital education, teaching in online and blended environments, and academic integrity. For the last three years, she has been centrally involved in the migration to the new VLE in UL, as part of the management group and leading the training strategy and the selection of external third party tools. Her academic and research interests include digital capacity for staff in higher education, open pedagogical practice in blended and online environments, technology-enhanced assessment and academic integrity, and learning analytics for student success.

Talk title: Never let a good crisis go to waste! Navigating academic integrity in the era of Generative AI.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) generalised use can significantly impact learning experiences, from enhancing student writing and research to generating visual content. However, the use of these tools also raises serious concerns about plagiarism and academic integrity. As educators, we must set clear guidelines for students regarding GenAI use in coursework, support them in the process, and develop the literacy to do so. But, the potential use of GenAI also poses important questions about our own academic integrity as educators during the grading and feedback process. The keynote will deal with this tension through an interactive format by engaging the audience in the conversation.

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Colin Whyte is a post primary teacher with almost 20 years’ experience teaching Engineering. He is also based at Mullingar Community College. Joe and Colin were recipients of the 2023 ETBI Excellence in Education Award for their ‘Boston PLT’ initiative. They are currently working with Learnovate, Trinity College Dublin and Harvard University on the development of the ‘Facultie’ network for schools and educators.

In early 2024, they coordinated the piloting of Merlyn Origin – an AI Assistant for education in Mullingar Community College; the first time the devices were used in a European classroom. Their co-host is Jason M. Mayland. Jason is the Vice President of Customer Success at Merlyn Mind.

Talk title: Using AI and Merlyn to Enhance Educational Experience in an Irish Post-Primary School.

Unlock the transformative potential of AI in post-primary education. Discover how artificial intelligence can enhance and personalise learning experiences whilst streamlining administrative tasks.

Our speakers will share real-world examples and demonstrate Merlyn Origin – the all-in-one AI Assistant for education. Discussing how they have integrated AI effectively into their teaching practice and how to harness the power of AI to engage students, support diverse learning needs, and prepare them for a technology-driven future.

• Colin Whyte on LinkedIn

Hannah Pryor is a final-year Law LLB student at Queen’s University Belfast, set to graduate in July. In addition to her academic studies, she serves as the Student Digital Champion for the School of Law, providing peer-to-peer digital support. Throughout the academic year, Hannah’s work has increasingly focused on supporting students in using generative AI tools.

She has hosted a series of workshops with her team on the responsible use of AI tools in academia. This led to her being invited to speak on a student panel at Jisc’s Digifest 2024 conference in Birmingham, where she shared her experiences with generative AI in academia with industry experts and educators.

Talk title:  GenAI Usage – Student Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence 2024 Report (Remote presentation)

For educators to advance university education with the integration of artificial intelligence tools, it is crucial for industry professionals and educators to understand student insights and concerns regarding this emerging technology. Following an insights event that gathered feedback from Queen’s University Belfast students on their usage and knowledge of artificial intelligence, Hannah compiled a comprehensive report of the findings.

In this talk, she will present the results of this research in four primary areas: academia, academic integrity, future careers, and ethical considerations, ultimately outlining both the benefits and concerns students have regarding their future in an AI-driven world.

• Hannah Pryor on LinkedIn

School leader for 8 years who recently returned to school following a two-year secondment with Microsoft.

Talk title: Practical use of Microsoft in the classroom

This talk will showcase how teachers and school leaders can start using Microsoft Copilot AI in their current practice, how learners are already using AI, and what all of this means for the future of education.

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Dr Louise Drumm is an Associate Professor in Digital Education in the Department of Learning and Teaching Enhancement at Edinburgh Napier University. She has disseminated widely on research on student experiences of GenAI, including co-researching and co-authoring with students. She leads the MSc in Blended and Online Education and also teaches on the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Supporting Learning programme.

She has worked in a number of universities in the UK as a learning technologist, academic developer, lecturer and software developer. She is also an experienced theatre director and practitioner, and engages in creative approaches to academic development and teaching. Her research interests include the relationship between digital education and theory, critical digital pedagogy, open education practices, feminist pedagogies, digital literacies and academic development.

Talk title: Deeper divisions: tracing students’ attitudes to, and experiences of, generative AI

This talk will describe a three phase research project over 2 academic years on students’ attitudes and experiences of generative AI at Edinburgh Napier University. Presenting themes from the completed phases and preliminary findings from the most recent data in May 2024, this talk will invite participants to consider both the individual student voices that emerge, and also the broader consequences for how universities can accommodate the increasingly diverse attitudes. Participants are encourage to have a mobile device to hand to scan a QR code or enter a URL to participate in a live poll.

Workshop title: Beginner’s Guide to AI

This workshop will get you up and running in trying out a variety of generative AI tools. You will be provided with links and materials to adapt for your own purposes, to help get acquainted with generative AI tools, and consider if and how you may incorporate using them into your every day life, whether professional or personal.

Note: In this course you will be encouraged to sign-up for a few generative AI tools so you can become familiar with them, their differences and limitations.  Some of these tools require your personal details such as an email address and a mobile phone number to create an account and access the tool.

Before signing up for any third-party tool, please carefully read its privacy policy. If you would prefer not to register with any of these tools, please let the workshop organisers know in advance.

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Professor Mark O’Hara is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is Senior Consultant (Education) at Advance-HE. He has over 30 years’ experience in Higher Education and is both a National Teaching Fellow and a winner of the UK’s Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). Mark has worked as an Associate PVC (Education); an Associate Dean for Learning Teaching and Quality Enhancement; and as a Head of Student Experience during this period, across a number of HEIs.

Mark has extensive experience of governance and academic quality assurance in HE, as well as academic staff development and support relating to learning and teaching. His academic interests include student enablement and recognition, teaching enhancement, widening participation and more inclusive educational practices.

He has acted as institutional lead for multi-national Erasmus+ projects on equality, diversity and inclusion as well as on student transitions. Mark is currently Vice Chair of the European Association of Institutional Research (EAIR).

Talk title: Never let a good crisis go to waste! Navigating academic integrity in the era of Generative AI.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) generalised use can significantly impact learning experiences, from enhancing student writing and research to generating visual content. However, the use of these tools also raises serious concerns about plagiarism and academic integrity.

As educators, we must set clear guidelines for students regarding GenAI use in coursework, support them in the process, and develop the literacy to do so. But, the potential use of GenAI also poses important questions about our own academic integrity as educators during the grading and feedback process. The keynote will deal with this tension through an interactive format by engaging the audience in the conversation.

• Mark O'Hara on LinkedIn

Michael Callaghan is a Reader in Games and Multimedia at Ulster University. He is a world-leading and award winning academic in the emerging field of serious games and remote/virtual laboratories. He has published widely in the fields of serious games for engineering education, Virtual and Augmented Reality and remote and virtual laboratories with over 70+ peer-reviewed publications in these areas. He has been principal investigator/co-investigator on funded projects from the AHRC, DETI, INVESTNI, INTERREG, JISC and the Higher Education Academy and carries out regular consultancy and academic enterprise activities in serious games and virtual worlds.

He won the best paper award in 2008 and 2014 at the REV series of international conferences for his work in engineering education and was part of a team that won best short paper at @immersiveLRN, the 6th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network in 2020. In 2016, he led a team of staff and students who were the overall winners of the 4th International Educational Games Competition held at the 10th European Conference on Games Based Learning in Paisley, Scotland. In 2021 he was part of a team that won best paper award at the IEEE TALE 2021 conference for the paper Serious Game for Medical Imaging in Fully Immersive Virtual Reality.

Talk title: AI with exploration of the State of the Art.

This workshop will include an introduction to Generative AI with a number of practical exercises to get you started. You will be provided with links and materials to adapt for your own purposes, to help get acquainted with generative AI tools, and consider if and how you may incorporate using them into your everyday life, whether professional or personal.

Bring your own device.

• Michael Callaghan on LinkedIn

Join Patrick Hickey, one of the leading voices on AI in Irish education, as he explores the transformative potential of AI in modern education. With a wealth of experience guiding thousands of Irish teachers, Patrick is renowned for delivering engaging and insightful AI training sessions.

His expertise has been featured on Virgin Media’s “The Tonight Show,” Newstalk, “The Irish Examiner,” and RTÉ News. He has also presented at UCC’s AI Edfest, TUI’s AI Conference, and the ICT in Education 2024 Conference, and collaborates with Ireland’s leading education centres. Additionally, Patrick works as a consultant with several AI education start-ups and companies

Talk title:  AI’s Role in Modern Education: Opportunities and Challenges

In this talk, Patrick will delve into the opportunities and challenges posed by AI in education. He will discuss how AI can be effectively and ethically integrated into traditional teaching, learning, assessment, and feedback practices to enhance educational outcomes. Emphasising the importance of educating students about AI, Patrick will provide practical insights and strategies to help educators maximise AI’s positive impact while navigating ethical considerations and potential risks.

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Now based in Scotland, Peter Hartley is freelance Higher Education Consultant, and Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University, following previous roles as Professor of Education Development at Bradford and Professor of Communication at Sheffield Hallam. As National Teaching Fellow since 2000, he has promoted new technology across higher and further education, and his current projects include programme assessment, group communication, visual thinking, student partnerships, and the educational applications of Generative AI. His most recent publication is co-editor of the new SEDA/Routledge text on Using Generative AI effectively in Higher Education (June, 2024).

Talk title: What should we do now with Generative AI? (Remote presentation)

The increasingly rapid development of Generative AI (GenAI) has profound implications for the way we organize our curriculum and assessment for the 2024/25 academic year and beyond, and the ways we incorporate and develop the necessary levels of ‘AI-literacy’.

The last month illustrates the increasing pace of technical change, with all the major computer companies announcing further embedding of GenAI in the software we use every day. The new version of ChatGPT promises significant improvements in performance and accessibility, including new capacities for interaction through voice on mobile devices.

Apps which can generate audio or video clips from text prompts have demonstrated much improved performance, and there have been repeated suggestions that we will shortly witness successful demonstrations of ‘artificial general intelligence’ (where computers match or improve upon human intelligence across all areas). But can we be confident that all these developments offer positive change or have we entered the ‘peak of inflated expectations’ stage or are we heading towards the ‘trough of disillusionment’ of the Gartner hype cycle?

This keynote will:

• analyse major recent developments in GenAI technology and discuss their actual and potential uptake across HE.
• identify important implications for our educational approaches, using examples of developing and emerging practice across the UK.
• identify and discuss the major issues with this new type of software and suggest its potential and actual limitations.

We will highlight issues such as: access and availability; how we develop GenAI literacy in ourselves, and in our students; the dramatic recent improvements in GenAI capabilities, such as ‘multimodality’; and the embedding of GenAI on an ever-increasing range of devices, including your smartphone.

• Peter Hartley on LinkedIn

Shannon has been teaching Mathematics and Chemistry at St. Declan's College, Cabra, since 2019. In 2022, her passion for innovation in teaching and learning led her to explore ChatGPT, delving into its benefits for educators.

Shannon used her social media platforms to share this discovery with maths and science teachers across Ireland. In 2023, the content she created caught the attention of Business Insider, resulting in an interview that highlighted the positive potential of GenAI in education.

Shannon's insightful perspectives have since propelled her to lead numerous webinars and workshops on leveraging AI in education, collaborating with education centers across Ireland. She harbours a deep passion for the transformative potential of AI, aiming to alleviate teacher workload while simultaneously enhancing student engagement and achievement.

Talk title: ChatGPT: The Ultimate Teacher's Assistant

Join me to discover the transformative potential of ChatGPT as your ultimate assistant in education. Throughout this talk, "ChatGPT: The Ultimate Teacher's Assistant," I will showcase how I have harnessed the power of GenAI, specifically ChatGPT, to revolutionize my teaching in both planning and practice.

By using ChatGPT to create bespoke educational resources, I have not only reduced my preparation time but also enhanced my students' learning experiences. Attendees will see how a simple chatbot can be used by educators to create a myriad of engaging activities and resources that cater to every students' needs and interests with minimal effort.

Workshop title: From Prompt to Print - Mastering GenAI for Education

Join me for an interactive workshop, "From Prompt to Print: Mastering GenAI for Education," where you will learn practical techniques for integrating ChatGPT into your teaching practice. This workshop will provide step-by-step guidance on how to integrate GenAI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) into your planning and resource creation. Discover how to streamline your lesson planning process, create bespoke resources, and enhance your classroom experiences with minimal effort.

Participants will leave with actionable insights and ready-to-use materials that demonstrate the transformative potential of GenAI in education.  Please bring a device (laptop or tablet) to fully participate in the hands-on activities. Whether you're a tech novice or an experienced user, this workshop will equip you with the tools to harness GenAI for effective teaching.

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Sue Attewell is the co-leader of the National Centre for AI in tertiary education where she is actively involved in driving the advancement of AI capabilities within our member institutions. The centre plays a critical role in this regard by providing thought leadership, piloting AI products, and conducting sector-focused research with a key focus on ensuring that AI adoption in the education sector is guided by ethical considerations, and responsible and inclusive practices creating an environment where AI technologies are utilized in a manner that benefits all learners.

Talk title:  AI: Opportunities and Challenges for education

As we navigate through an era where AI is a part of our daily lives, it’s crucial to plan for what’s next. This session will not only highlight the numerous opportunities that AI brings to the educational sector but also address the concerns that come with it. We aim to ensure a safe and responsible approach to AI. We’ll explore our current standing and delve into the opportunities and challenges in greater detail.

• Sue Atwell on LinkedIn

Dr Sue Beckingham is an Associate Professor, National Teaching Fellow and Learning and Teaching Lead in Computing at Sheffield Hallam University. She is also a Certified Management and Business Educator, a Senior Fellow of the HEA, a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association, and a Visiting Fellow at Edge Hill University.

Her research interests include social media for learning and the use of technology to enhance active learning and teaching; and has published and presented this work nationally and internationally as an invited keynote speaker.

She is a co-founder of the international #LTHEchat 'Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Twitter Chat'. Her latest book is Using Generative AI Effectively in Higher Education: Sustainable and Ethical Practices for Learning Teaching and Assessment. Routledge.

Darren Currie is a Senior Teacher at St Joseph’s Boys’ School Derry where he has taught History, LLW, PDE.  He has a  rich background in education since 1996 and has held roles such as Senior Teacher, SENCo, and Pastoral Leader. His  focus has been on using technology to improve teaching practices and admin processes where he has been part of C2K/EA pilot programmes e.g., NAACE SRF and the Coding in Minecraft Pilot Group. Darren has been involved in working groups for Power Automate, Adobe Express, Copilot, and Getting to Know Teams Post Primary.

Talk title: Practical Use of Microsoft Copilot AI in Education Admin and Teaching and Learning

The world of education is constantly evolving, with new technologies emerging to revolutionise the way we teach, learn, and manage. One such ground breaking innovation is Microsoft Copilot, an artificial intelligence-powered conversational assistant that promises to profoundly impact how educators approach their work. In the practical case study I will demonstrate practical instances of how CoPilot has already been beneficial in the following areas;  CoPilot and Education Admin, CoPilot and Teaching and Learning and CoPilot Notebook and what the future might bring.

Alistair Hamill is an experienced teacher at Lurgan College, where he is part of the Senior Leadership Team for Teaching and Learning and heads the Geography department. He also leads Shared Education in Lurgan and chairs the Teaching and Learning committee for the Craigavon Area Learning Community.

Alistair has been recognised in the Edtech50 UK list in 2021 and has received awards from the Geographical Association and the Royal Geographical Society for his contributions to geography education, where he was particularly recognised for his collaborative work in building capacity in teachers across the UK and Ireland.

Additionally, he advocates for GIS technology and has presented in San Diego at the mainstage of the Esri User Conference about his use of GIS technology in peace work with pupils in Lurgan. In 2020, he was honoured with the Esri Making a Difference Award for this reconciliation work.

Talk title: How AI is already making a difference in schools

‘We can’t unring the bell’ said someone to me recently about AI. It’s not a case of should we embrace AI in schools; it’s a case of, now that it’s here, how can we respond in a way that maximise its potential benefits and mitigates the way that it could be misused.

In this session, we will reflect some of the already easy wins that AI is offering in terms of teacher productivity and planning. And we consider some of the first steps we’ve already been taking on my school to train pupils in its effective use to aid them in their learning process. Bells ring in schools all the time – let’s make the most of the AI ringing.

• Alastair Hamill on LinkedIn

AI Project Lead-Curriculum Manager Engineering Hub. As Curriculum Manager for Engineering in Further Education (FE), Joanne is at the forefront of future-scoping curriculum development, ensuring AI is embedded into the next generation of skills and training. Her work spans AI-enhanced assessment, interdisciplinary AI curriculum design, and AI ethics in education, with a background in Educational Leadership and Project-Based Learning (PBL).

Joe Rayfus is a post primary teacher with 20 years’ experience. He is currently an Assistant Principal and the HSCL Co-ordinator at Mullingar Community College. Colin Whyte is a post primary teacher with almost 20 years’ experience teaching Engineering.

He is also based at Mullingar Community College. Joe and Colin were recipients of the 2023 ETBI Excellence in Education Award for their ‘Boston PLT’ initiative. They are currently working with Learnovate, Trinity College Dublin and Harvard University on the development of the ‘Facultie’ network for schools and educators.

In early 2024, they coordinated the piloting of Merlyn Origin – an AI Assistant for education in Mullingar Community College; the first time the devices were used in a European classroom. Their co-host is Jason M. Mayland. Jason is the Vice President of Customer Success at Merlyn Mind.

Talk title: Using AI and Merlyn to Enhance Educational Experience in an Irish Post-Primary School.

Unlock the transformative potential of AI in post-primary education. Discover how artificial intelligence can enhance and personalise learning experiences whilst streamlining administrative tasks. Our speakers will share real-world examples and demonstrate Merlyn Origin – the all-in-one AI Assistant for education. Discussing how they have integrated AI effectively into their teaching practice and how to harness the power of AI to engage students, support diverse learning needs, and prepare them for a technology-driven future.

• Joe Rayfus on LinkedIn