Campus Talks by Times Higher Education

In the last decade, the computational power of AI has grown exponentially – doubling every six months since 2010 for some well-known tools. This, in tandem with more sophisticated machine learning models and increases in available data, has opened up possibilities for research and discovery that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago.

But most academics are relatively new to using AI and thus have a long way to go to understand its many potential applications. Something that comes more naturally to some than to others.

To find out how researchers can get the most out of AI tools while managing the associated risks, this week, we speak to a leading computer scientist who has been developing AI tools for research for more than 20 years.

Karin Verspoor is dean of the School of Computing Technologies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on the use of AI to support biological discovery and clinical decision making by analysing biomedical text and clinical records.

She has held previous posts as director of health technologies and deputy head of the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne, as the scientific director of health and life sciences at NICTA Victoria Research Laboratory.

Listen to Karin’s take on the good, the bad and the best way forward for AI in academic research.

And if you want more practical advice and insight on how to best apply GenAI to augment your own research, check out our latest spotlight guide: GenAI as a research assistant.

When students start university or return for a new semester, stressors such as cost of living and worries about academic performance or future job insecurity can exacerbate anxiety or other mental health issues. So, how can educators best support them in the classroom, while also ensuring learning objectives are met and they don’t burn out themselves? This is where skills such as emotional intelligence, observation, active listening and the ability to notice when students are becoming disengaged, falling behind or at risk of dropping out altogether come to the fore.

This episode of Campus talks looks at how to foster safe, inclusive learning spaces, how to spot students who are struggling, advice for starting conversations around sensitive topics like mental health, and how educators can be open and authentic while protecting their own boundaries and work-life balance.

We talk to Marissa Edwards, who is a senior lecturer and researcher in the University of Queensland Business School. A mental health advocate with a background in psychology and organisational behaviour, she is also the co-editor of the Research Handbook of Academic Mental Health and co-founder and co-curator of Voices of Academia, a blog dedicated to academic mental health and well-being.

This interview makes reference to eating disorders, anxiety, depression and trauma.

You will find more advice from educators and experts from institutions around the world on supporting students in the university classroom in Campus’ latest spotlight guide.

The arts and humanities bring multiple benefits to students, and society as a whole, but are often dismissed as lacking value by policymakers when pitted against STEM subjects. In this episode of Campus talks, a vice-chancellor-come-artist and a classicist explain why the arts and humanities are so vital to a healthy, well-informed society, the specific lessons and skills these subjects engender in those who study them and how university educators can foreground these.

You will hear from:

Michael Scott is pro vice-chancellor international and a professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Warwick. Michael’s research explores the intersection of ancient history and archaeology within the Mediterranean and beyond. He has published numerous books on the ancient world for the popular market and written and presented TV series on the BBC, ITV, History Channel and National Geographic. 

Mark Power is vice-chancellor and chief executive of Liverpool John Moores University and a professor of higher education leadership as well as being practising artist. Mark has worked at Liverpool John Moores University for 44 years, having taken up a role as a senior technician in the fine art department at what was then Liverpool Polytechnic in 1981. He has maintained his internationally recognised work as an artist alongside his academic career throughout this time.

For more insight and advice on why and how to make the case for the arts and humanities in higher education, take a look at the spotlight guide on Campus.

It is a truth (almost) universally acknowledged, that students should sit at the heart of – and take an active role – in their learning.

By inviting students to work with their teachers to shape course materials, activities and even assessments, co-creation appears to offer a textbook solution.

However, giving students greater agency over their learning is not without its challenges and some educators may find the idea of ceding control over their teaching decisions troubling.

On this week’s podcast, we speak to a leading proponent of co-creation in higher education, who has researched and published extensively on this pedagogical approach, as well using it in her own teaching.

Catherine Bovill is a professor of student engagement and head of the programme design and teaching enhancement team in the Institute for Academic Development at the University of Edinburgh. She is also a visiting fellow at the University of Bergen in Norway and the author of dozens of research papers and a couple of books focused on co-creating in teaching and learning.

She explains why and how educators should bring elements of co-creation into their teaching offering examples of how it can work in different contexts and addressing oft-voiced concerns.

For more insight and advice on making co-creation work in your teaching, check out our latest spotlight guide: The practicalities of co-creation with students.

How do universities ensure their programmes and curricula meet the demands from industry, government – and students themselves – for career-ready graduates equipped with vital transferable skills?

Skills – whether you call them soft, transferable, power, productivity, work-based or human skills – have come to dominate the conversation about employability. The rapid advance of artificial intelligence, coupled with a shrinking number of entry-level roles, means that graduates are looking for the capabilities that will give them an edge. Industry and governments, meanwhile, have their eye on the economic and innovation advantages that come with an agile, digitally literate and productive workforce.

Alongside academic skills, universities have long provided students with opportunities to develop communication, critical thinking and teamwork skills, but external demands mean they need to be more intentional about embedding transferable skills in curricula – and give graduates means to evidence this learning.

To find out how institutions in the UK and Australia are responding to the call for work-ready graduates with a skill set adapted to the modern economy, we talked to:

Sir David Bell is vice-chancellor and chief executive of the University of Sunderland. He is also vice-chair of Skills England. Sir David has served as Her Majesty’s chief inspector of schools, and his public sector roles include permanent secretary at the UK Department for Education, director of education and libraries for Newcastle City Council and chief executive of Bedfordshire County Council.

Dawn Bennett is a higher education consultant, with a focus on graduate outcomes and student success. She is also founder of the Developing Employ-ability Initiative, which gives students and educators a framework for managing career development and mapping employability skills, and a senior associate with consultancy Outside Opinion. She spent 14 years as the John Curtin distinguished professor of higher education and director of the Developing Employability and Creative Workforce Initiatives at Curtin University, Australia, and continues to engage in research. She is a former professional violist.

Derek Harding is manager of the VET Educator Academy at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. In this role, he works on professional development for staff to promote academic quality. A former high school teacher, he has experience in foundation education and instructional design.

For more advice and insight on developing transferable skills from academics and experts from universities around the world, read our spotlight Soft skills for hard times.