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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

Far from it - email to a role account should reach a human who's there & able to address the issue #LTHEchat

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

A6 #LTHEchat (sorry had to step away to eat something) I think much more signposting & indication of where to go for help...

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

There's a tension unfortunately that once named people are known to be helpful they get overloaded & there are problems if they're away for any reason #LTHEchat

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

Also hard to achieve if there's a significant turnover of teaching staff. We also need to know where to direct students for professional help #LTHEchat 2/2

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

A4 #LTHEchat as others have said we need to be in a workplace that supports us mentally so all the things that contribute to a teaching team being focused & collegiate. That's hard to achieve on a big course with many lecturers 1/2

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

Acknowledging that (in the UK) things can get tough when the clocks go back so evenings are dark. Reminding students of sources of help such as counselling service at regular intervals. Reassuring them that, within reason, they can talk to staff members with whom they feel comfortable #LTHEchat 2/2

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

A3 #LTHEchat being able to notice when students are struggling is among (many) benefits of always having some small-group teaching. Pacing & managing student workload not just within a module but across a whole degree so that demands on time are sensible 1/2

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

I find myself saying 'you might have heard this before but it's important so bears repeating' including to final years who could well have forgotten stuff we just assume they knew from the 1st year #LTHEchat

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

A2 #LTHEchat perhaps it's among the things which only get noticed if they are missing: students aren't conscious of it when all goes well but whether it's mild mid-term blues or major problems they become aware if there are difficulties & nobody to help

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

It's also difficult to get the timing right, if anything even more so in person. The danger is it gets lost in masses of info communicated at the start of term & then doesn't even reach latecomers #LTHEchat

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

Also (& the 1st aid analogy is useful here) knowing the limits of what educators can do so when to bring in specialists/professionals to support students #LTHEchat

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

A1 #LTHEchat I think of creating an environment especially in 1st year undergraduate or 1st term postgraduate - so where there's a transition - where if students go somewhat outside their comfort zone, which they should be prepared to, it's in a way which doesn't make them unduly vulnerable

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 3d

Hi - I'm Martin in London here for this #LTHEchat - for all sorts of reasons this is a vital topic especially for undergraduates where much of my work is

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

Thanks Nurun for a great #LTHEchat . My takeaways are around thinking of AI specifically in conjunction with concepts of dialogic learning & also fast & slow rather than just broader question of what it means for HE

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

Fast learning is great for facts but also a quick immersive blast of learning can work in some contexts. AI has something to offer both modes I would suggest #LTHEchat 2/2

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

A6 #LTHEchat Ha! Just talking last week to new students about Kahneman thinking fast & slow incl vulnerability to biases when thinking fast. Across a complete degree you need both: slow learning is important where students need to develop a new way of thinking typically analytical & critical 1/2

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

A5 #LTHEchat a challenge in dialogic learning is getting the right level of direction in a conversation: I'd argue that it needs to be guided so that it covers learning points but not scripted even loosely. Potentially AI could help to manage this balance

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

I worry about biases - more when they are subtle than when they are obvious. But the same is true of talking to people & interpreting written/online material so AI could provide an environment in which students could explore bias #LTHEchat

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

A4 #LTHEchat used it a little but I tend to see it as a tool to help with facts & understanding though I recognise that for most students there's more to it than that

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

A3 #LTHEchat I feel as though these are guiding principles of any use of AI: keep up to date about what it can do & learn your own personal ways to use it effectively. Watch out for any problems including hallucinations & bias & figure out how you would intervene & explain limitations to students

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

Con is that participants become so instrumental in using AI to drive a conversation that it takes place without the students' minds being involved & they don't internalise anything. Of course the same could happen with students just looking up facts with the help of Google #LTHEchat 2/2

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

A2 #LTHEchat pro is that generative AI could be a good source of conversation starters & arguably the way that somebody could guide AI using prompt engineering is similar to the way they'd guide a group of students through a structured conversation 1/2

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

Good question. If it's between students & facilitated by the teacher, even if only to the exent of providing space, then I'd think of that as dialogic #LTHEchat

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Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

Also A1 #LTHEchat good to see Gordon Pask mentioned in the blogpost to reinforce the importance of a conversation. In large-scale higher ed the challenge is carrying on a worthwhile conversation with a large group of students

Martin Rich @martinrich106.bsky.social · 10d

A1 #LTHEchat a concept I've long been aware of but unpacked in more detail recently. It implies that learning takes place when there's a (typically to some extent guided) conversation between teacher & learner. It implies that engaging in the conversation reinforces facts & conecpts for the learner

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