YSJ, Academic Development Programme
Professional Development for Learning, Teaching and Research
RIPPLE Reading Group: Automating Academia?
December 19 @ 9:30 am - 10:30 am
How should we understand the use of generative AI in academia? Does it represent an exciting new tool for enhancing student learning and assessment, a useful time- and labour-saving device for an over-stretched workforce, or the ‘apotheosis of academia’s decline’ (Watermeyer et al, 2024)? Will GenAI ensure higher education remains relevant and functional in an ever-changing techno-world, or will it help hasten the demise of the ‘public institution best placed to protect and nurture independent, informed and free human thought’ (Hayward, 2024)?
For this RIPPLE reading group, we will meet on Teams to discuss two readings on GenAI and academia:
- Watermeyer, R., Phipps, L., Lanclos, D., et al. ‘Generative AI and the Automating of Academia’. Postdigital Science and Education 6, 446–466 (2024) [open access here]
- Hayward, K. ‘Machine unlearning: AI, neoliberalism and universities in crisis’. Red Pepper (August 2024) [online here]
Don’t worry if you don’t have time for both; please just read what you can and join for the discussion! We will also spend 5 minutes at the end of the session gathering ideas for RIPPLE sessions and themes for Semester 2.
RIPPLE (Research Into Professional Practice in Learning and Education) is co-convened by Emma Walker, Katherine Cross and Lucy Potter. If you haven’t come along before, please do join us on 19th December and/or drop one of us an email to be added to the RIPPLE Team.
Booking information:
To sign up for this session and receive the Teams link, please complete a copy of our CPD booking form.