Let’s Talk GenAI Empowers University of Limerick Staff
Institution: University of Limerick
Discipline: Teaching and Learning
Authors: Michelle Breen, Margaret Phelan, David Moloney, Angélica Rísquez, Mary Claire Kennedy, Fionn McGrath, Silvia Benini, Treasa Cunneen
Tool(s) used: See the Digital Resources section
Situation / Context
In Spring 2024, the University of Limerick circulated a statement to staff that the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) was permitted in teaching and assessment activities, although it acknowledged that the extent of this use was to be determined locally by the module lead(s).
In May 2024, the University designed and ran a five-day course called “Let’s Talk GenAI”. The course was developed to address staff concerns about their level of GenAI literacy. All staff members were invited to register for this asynchronous course, which featured structured, themed days covering topics ranging from an introduction to GenAI and its workplace applications, to teaching, assessment, and research.
The course, developed in the University Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment, and implemented in December 2023, concluded with reflections and discussions on future directions. This approach was inspired by the “12 Days of AI” course offered by the University of the Arts London, which also employed a self-directed online format to educate participants about AI in higher education.
Task /Goal
The primary aim of the course was to enhance the GenAI literacy of staff through practical applications relevant to their contexts – academic, professional, and research. It was designed to provide a foundational understanding of GenAI and to foster a sense of collaboration and ongoing support. The course was designed for staff new to GenAI, but also welcomed experienced participants to contribute to the discussions.
To ensure the course was scalable and accessible to all staff, it was designed for on-demand, self-directed asynchronous learning. Divided into five units, one per day, each unit contained an overview of the theme for that day and a list of learning tasks. These tasks invited participants to:
- Engage with the daily course content.
- Complete the daily tasks to learn how to use some GenAI tools.
- Participate in online discussions to connect with colleagues and share experiences of using GenAI.
The combined approach of delivering both theoretical knowledge on GenAI, the opportunity to practically experiment with GenAI tools, and engaging with peers through discussion forums sought to build GenAI competence by addressing both knowledge and skill.
Actions / Implementation
This course was developed through a collaboration led by staff from the Library at UL, who co-coordinated its development and delivery, along with colleagues from the Centre for Transformative Learning, IT, and the Academic Integrity Unit. Each of these collaborators contributed to the design and content of the course and members of these teams acted as moderators for the discussion forums. The learning outcomes were as follows:
- Explain some of the key terminology and concepts in GenAI.
- List some well-known GenAI tools and outline what they are used for.
- Write effective prompts for GenAI tools to create a variety of content/complete a variety of tasks.
- Identify opportunities for using GenAI to support your work.
- Explore and critically consider the limitations of using GenAI.
The University of Limerick has identified Microsoft (MS) Copilot as the preferred platform for GenAI by staff and students due to the contractual agreement the institution holds with MS. Therefore, MS Copilot was integrated into each of the units. To ensure that participants had a good understanding of the range of GenAI tools available a number of these tools were referenced including, but not limited to, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Open AI’s DALL.E, Adobe Firefly, Research Rabbit, Scite. A full list of these tools is provided in the Digital Resources section.
Outcomes
Two hundred and twenty-two staff members registered for the course. 73% (n=162) of the participants viewed course content on the VLE on Day 1 and over the five days of the course, the percentage of people who viewed content tapered off, but averaged out at over 100 (48% of those who registered) people engaging with the course daily (See Fig. 1 in appendices).
In terms of engagement with discussion forums, 34% of participants (n=75) posted on at least one occasion. The discussion forums were very active, with 776 posts during the course, including a high volume on day 1, which was the time that people introduced themselves on the course site (See Fig. 2 in appendices).
As an optional pre- and post-course self-assessment activity, participants were invited to undertake a “Digital skills in AI and generative AI” question set on JISC’s Discovery Tool. While definitive completion points for pre- and post-course self-assessments were not established for participants, ongoing observation of the question set results throughout the course revealed a gradual transition from “Developing” to “Capable” confidence levels across all 7 key AI areas. More information on the outcomes of the JISC Discovery Tool is described in the appendix.
Of the 222 registered learners, 20 completed course evaluation surveys. Nineteen rated the course overall as being “excellent” or “good”. Responses indicated that the practical techniques taught about prompt writing were the most useful feature of the course. Participants suggested that they would benefit from a re-run of this CPD. One participant noted: “I highly recommend that this course be offered regularly and updated as necessary to keep pace with advancements in AI.”
Reflections
Engagement exceeded expectations, particularly in discussion forums. This is likely to be associated with a variety of factors specific to the University and others common to all academic institutions. In light of the institutional statement of support for the integration of GenAI into teaching and assessment activities, it is likely that staff members considered it a timely opportunity to enhance their AI literacy.
More broadly, the rapid advancement of GenAI technologies into all aspects of society, including the education sector, has engendered a sense of concern about its implications for all roles in higher education.
Dividing the course into five thematic domains created a safe space for shared learning, reflecting the diverse interests of educators, researchers, and professional staff. However, resource allocation for moderators proved challenging as evidenced by the need for two moderators during peak times. Targeting specific groups, such as educators or researchers, for deeper explorations could enhance relevance and engagement while potentially addressing resourcing implications. Incorporating a live webinar event may provide further opportunities for engagement and discussion on an ongoing basis, while offering the course outside of term times may facilitate greater engagement from academic staff.
Further Reading:
JISC (no date) JISC Discovery Tool. Accessed: 30 September 2024.
University of the Arts, London (2023) The 12 Days of Ai. A self-directed online course to learn about AI in Higher Education. Accessed: 30 September 2024.
Digital Resources
The following table describes how the course was delivered and lists, by audience type, the AI tools that were spotlighted during the course. Day 5 was all about reflection, so it did not introduce any technologies not previously listed here.
|
Day 1 Intro to GenAI |
Day 2 GenAI at work |
Day 3 GenAI for Teaching & Assessment |
Day 4 GenAI for Research |
|
Microsoft Copilot OpenAI’s ChatGPT Google Gemini Meta’s Llama Siri Alexa Amper Music Jukebox Suno Pictory VEED Hour One Stable Diffusion Adobe Firefly |
Microsoft Copilot OpenAI’s ChatGPT
|
Was not heavy on tools on Day 3 but referred to the NAIN Guidelines and the JISC primer Microsoft Copilot |
Research Rabbit Scite Elicit SciSpace Silatus Semantic Scholar Jenni.ai Hugging Chat Rayyan Claude |
The University of Limerick’s “Let’s Talk GenAI course” (2024) is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
On request, educators can be provided with an exported version of the course with licensed materials such as journal articles, book chapters and embedded content such as LinkedIn Learning videos removed. This can be exported as either a Brightspace-compliant package or a VLE-independent package for use in other VLEs.
Due to compatibility issues, some rework/reformatting of the materials would be required, and we expect a 90-day turnaround on requests for a copy of the course. Due to the dynamic nature of GenAI and its rapid development, the content of this course will need to be reviewed and updated as it was taught online in May 2024. If individuals wish to reuse the course or aspects of it, they should contact the lead educational technologist, the Digital Learning Specialist at UL Library, Margaret Phelan (Margaret.Phelan@ul.ie).
Author Biographies
Michelle Breen is the Head, Learning & Engagement, Glucksman Library, University of Limerick. She and her team in the library at UL support student learning through programme-integrated instruction in digital information literacy. Michelle’s research and projects reflect her keen and active interest in skills development in higher education.
Margaret Phelan works in the role of Digital Learning Specialist in the Glucksman Library in the University of Limerick (UL). In this role Mags collaborates with Library staff to develop the digital information skills of library users to enable them to access, visualise, engage with, and experience library collections, technologies and services, and to create and share scholarly content. Prior to working in UL Mags worked in various roles to support technology-enhanced learning in Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Limerick, Maynooth University and Technological University Dublin (TUD).
David Moloney is the Digital Skills Development Lead at the University of Limerick’s Centre for Transformative Learning (CTL). He develops and implements the ‘LevUL Up Digital Skills Hub‘ (DSH) on Brightspace, enhancing digital skills and capabilities for students and staff by providing access to a common framing informed by globally recognised frameworks, along with self-assessment tools, workshops, and online self-study lessons. David collaborates with various academic and professional services units to integrate digital skills into curricula across disciplines, often as part of assessed coursework.
Dr Angélica Rísquez, Learning Technologies and Learning Analytics Lead, Centre for Transformative Learning, University of Limerick. She is a Lead Educational Developer (Learning Technologies and Learning Analytics Lead) at the Centre for Transformative Learning, UL. She has over 20 years’ experience in Higher Education, is a Senior Fellow SEDA and winner of the KBS Pedagogical Awards 2024 (UL) with the project ‘STELA Live: Learning Analytics for Student Success’. She teaches at postgraduate level in the Graduate Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship in UL, and the Masters in Career Guidance in UNED.
Dr Mary Claire Kennedy is an Associate Professor and Academic Integrity Lead, Academic Integrity Unit, University of Limerick.She has experience in supporting students and academics in upholding academic integrity and managing academic misconduct cases. She holds a BSc (Pharm) from Trinity College Dublin (TCD). She was awarded an MPharm from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2010 and completed her PhD with the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, TCD in 2015. Moving to the University of Leeds in 2015, she was Programme Lead for Independent and Supplementary Prescribing for Pharmacists, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals in the School of Healthcare and was appointed Academic Integrity Lead during her time with the school. She completed an M(Ed) with the University of Leeds in 2020 and became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (or Advance HE).
Dr Fionn McGrath is an Academic Integrity Educational Developer, Academic Integrity Unit, University of Limerick. He is the newly appointed Educational Developer in Academic Integrity (2023). His background is primarily in philosophy, he holds a particularly strong interest in social theory, technological change, and education. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Sociology (Joint Honours, UCC ‘07), a MA in Philosophy (1st, UCC ’08) and a PhD in Socio-Political Philosophy (UCD ’19). He also holds a H. Dip in Data Analysis (NUIG ’21). Fionn has held numerous teaching and research roles across a broad range of disciplines including sociology, political science, and computer science in UCC, UCD, Trinty and NUIG. His most recent role was as a lecturer and teaching assistant in Business Information Management, with a focus on data, decision making and organisational transformation in the Department of Management and Marketing in UL’s Kemmy Business School.
Dr Silvia Benini is an Academic Integrity Educational Developer, Academic Integrity Unit, University of Limerick. She holds a PhD from the University of Limerick. She has been involved as senior researcher and educational developer in various national and international projects related to Education and Technology, Modern Languages, Digital Citizenship and Artificial Intelligence. She has been working as lecturer on different topics including Language and Technology, Digital Literacies, Language Learning Strategies, Academic English, Corpus Linguistics and Games Analysis to both undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as module designer and lecturer in Italian Language and Culture. She is an executive committee member of IRAAL (Irish Association for Applied Linguistics), member of the LITHME-WG5COST Action and member of CALS (Centre for Applied Language Studies).
Treasa Cunneen is the Head, Enterprise Architecture, Information Technology Division, University of Limerick. With over 20 years of experience across multiple sectors, including financial, not-for-profit, and consulting, Treasa specializes in aligning technology strategies with institutional goals to enhance operational efficiency and support academic excellence. Treasa holds a degree from the University of Limerick in Computer Engineering and has a proven track record of successfully managing complex projects, fostering cross-departmental collaboration, and driving innovation through cutting-edge technologies
Appendices
Fig. 1: Let’s Talk GenAI Course Content Statistics.
Fig. 2: Let’s Talk GenAI Discussion Forum Statistics.
Fig. 3: Completion numbers of the ‘Digital skills in AI and generative AI’ question set, May 2024.
Fig. 3 indicated that there were 47 unique completions of the ‘Digital skills in AI and generative AI’ question set recorded by the tool on 15 May 2024.
Fig. 4: Results breakdown by confidence level and Comparison with the Higher Education Sector.
Ongoing observation of the question set results throughout the course revealed a gradual transition from “Developing” to “Capable” confidence levels across all 7 key AI areas – collaboration and participation, digital proficiency, responsible AI, digital communication, digital productivity, digital creativity, and information and data literacy.
Fig. 5: Heatmap of Responses by ’Departments’ that had more than 5 completed responses.
The heatmap (Fig. 5) displays the average score per “Department” (with more than 5 completed responses) for each of the 7 key AI areas. The collaboration and participation area achieved the highest average score, while information and data literacy recorded the lowest. Among departments, the “Administration area” had the highest average, whereas “Research” scored the lowest.
