Thursday 19th June

Ethical Use of Generative AI in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities

Syeda Rakhshanda Kaukab (Ziauddin University)

Abstract: The integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools—such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude—into higher education has opened up new pedagogical possibilities while simultaneously raising pressing ethical concerns. Essay writing, content creation, formative evaluation, and research synthesis are just a few of the academic duties that these AI-powered platforms can assist with, making them invaluable resources for both students and teachers (Cotton et al., 2023). However, there are also complicated issues with authorship, data privacy, bias, academic integrity, and unequal access that arise with the quick adoption of GenAI.

The possibility of academic dishonesty, in which students abuse GenAI to avoid original work and critical thinking, is one of the main worries. In turn, educators struggle to identify AI-generated content and uphold equitable evaluation procedures (Selwyn, 2023). The opaqueness of these models—trained on enormous, frequently untraceable datasets—is another issue that raises questions about ethical use and intellectual rights. Additionally, bias in AI-generated outputs and unequal access to these tools could exacerbate already-existing educational gaps, particularly in institutions and locations with limited resources (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2023).

This study thoroughly examines these difficulties as well as the potential for more efficient, individualized, and inclusive learning that GenAI offers. It makes the case for a proactive, values-based strategy for integrating GenAI, putting special emphasis on the creation of transparent institutional regulations, training in AI literacy, and ethical frameworks. Higher education institutions may capitalize on GenAI’s promise while preserving academic integrity, equity, and trust by raising awareness and encouraging critical involvement.

References

Cotton, D. R. E., Cotton, P. A., & Shipway, J. R. (2023). Chatting and cheating: Ensuring academic integrity in the era of ChatGPT. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 60(2), 117–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2190148

Selwyn, N. (2023). Education and artificial intelligence: Navigating the politics of ed-tech. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2162258

Zawacki-Richter, O., Jung, I., & Bond, M. (2023). The ethics of artificial intelligence in education: Promises and pitfalls. AI & Society, 38, 1153–1166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01452-7

Navigating the Ethical Frontiers of AI in Higher Education: Insights from a Delphi Study on Academic Integrity

Ayşegül Liman Kaban (Mary Immaculate College; University of Limerick) and Aysun Gunes (Anadolu University)

Abstract: Drawing on a two-round Delphi method and engaging 12 international experts from academia, AI policy, and research ethics committees, this study investigates how the rapid proliferation of generative AI technologies is reshaping academic integrity frameworks in higher education. The study identifies the most pressing ethical challenges arising from the use of AI in research—including authorship ambiguity, algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the inadequacy of current institutional oversight. This paper will present evidence on how these challenges vary across global contexts and disciplines, and will demonstrate the degree of expert consensus on the ethical governance of AI in academic settings. The analysis was structured around consensus-building on twenty key ethical statements, which were quantitatively assessed using a five-point Likert scale and interpreted through interquartile range (IQR) analysis to determine alignment or divergence among experts. Findings indicate that while there is broad agreement on the importance of transparency, privacy protection, and accountability mechanisms in AI governance, significant variability remains around ethical data sharing, anonymization practices, and the independence of industry-funded academic research. These findings will be used to unpack the seven most critical institutional responsibilities for ethical AI integration in higher education: (1) clarity of authorship and attribution, (2) enforceable data privacy policies, (3) bias mitigation protocols, (4) transparent use of AI in student assessments, (5) inclusive policy formation, (6) structured AI ethics education, and (7) stronger academia–industry ethical alignment.

This presentation will argue that AI ethics in higher education cannot rely on post-hoc regulation. Instead, anticipatory and virtue-based ethical frameworks must be embedded in institutional culture to ensure integrity in the age of algorithmic authorship.

Towards an EDIA-based and AI-enabled pedagogy across the curriculum 

Mirjam Hauck, Rachele deFelice, Clare Horackova, Deirdre Dunlevy, and Venetia Brown

The Open University, WELS/LAL, KMI

Abstract: This contribution is inspired by Tracie Farell’s “Shifting Powers” project that proposes that rather than asking whether AI is good or fair, we have to look at how it “shifts power”. Power relationships, we are reminded, preserve inequality within our society in real and material terms. How will AI contribute to those inequalities? Is there any chance AI can help to foster new balances of power and if so, what will this look like in practice? Taking these questions as a starting point, our work is a first attempt at mapping out an agenda for learning and teaching with GenAI guided by social justice and inclusion principles. It is underpinned by a critical approach to the use of gen AI and wants to equip learners – including teachers as learners – with the skills that enable them to work with gen AI in equitable and inclusive ways and thus contribute to shifting powers in education contexts.

We will be using the learning and teaching of languages and cultures as a case in point and present and discuss the tenets of educator training informed by Sharples’ (2023) proposal for an AI-enabled pedagogy across the curriculum with an added focus on social justice and inclusion.

Our insights stem from our collaboration with two AL colleagues who are – like many others – new to GenAI and have been trialling the so-called “protégé effect” whereby we learn best when we teach it to others. We will present the outline of the educator training which will be available as a short course later this year in the OU’s Open Centre for Languages and Cultures. In doing so we will pay particular attention to the tension educators are experiencing who find themselves balancing anxieties regarding the shortcomings and challenges of GenAI and a perceived lack of technological expertise on the one hand, and expectations to harness the innovative potential of GenAI in inclusive and equitable ways on the other.

Designing Pedagogical AI to Scaffold Peer Feedback: Insights from a Classroom-Based Pilot

Zexuan Chen, Bart Rienties, and Simon Cross

Abstract: As generative AI tools increasingly enter educational settings, understanding how students interact with pedagogical AI during peer assessment becomes critical for supporting meaningful learning. This study aims to enhance self-regulated peer feedback through dialogic interaction with a pedagogical AI agent. Grounded in self-regulated learning (SRL) theory and educational dialogue research, we proposed a conceptual model that outlines how AI scaffolding can support students across the four SRL phases: task definition, goal setting and planning, tactic enactment, and adaptation.

To operationalize this model, we developed Aiden, a pedagogical AI agent embedded in a custom-built peer review platform called PeerGrader. A classroom-based pilot study was conducted with a second-year undergraduate English class at a university in southern China (N = 41). Students completed a peer feedback task on an EFL writing assignment using an early version of Aiden. Data sources included system interaction logs and a brief post-task survey to examine student engagement patterns, types of feedback behavior, and perceived usefulness and usability of the AI interface.

Preliminary findings suggest that students showed strong interest in interacting with Aiden, as evidenced by the chat logs, and that the tool was helpful in facilitating peer feedback, as reflected by an increase in feedback quantity. Students generally found the tool easy to use and supportive in guiding their thinking, though some expressed a desire for more flexible or personalized prompts. Teacher feedback also highlighted the potential of integrating such tools into classroom instruction to enhance student engagement and support learning processes.

Insights from this pilot informed the iterative refinement of Aiden’s scaffolding functions and the broader implementation of the conceptual model in a follow-up study. This work provides practical implications for the design and classroom integration of pedagogical AI in support of peer assessment and self-regulated learning.

AI-enhanced educational videos for online harm reduction: insights from the PRIME project

Elizabeth FitzGerald and Peter Devine

Abstract: The PRIME (Protecting Minority Ethnic Communities Online) project delivered innovative harm-reduction interventions, processes and technologies to transform online services and create safer spaces for Minority Ethnic (ME) communities. The project partners were Heriot Watt University, the Open University, Cranfield University, Glasgow and York universities. The project undertook racialised inequalities and discrimination in the design and delivery of digital health, housing and energy service and finished in March 2025. It produced academic publications, a Code of Practice, policy briefs, a technical toolkit and design guidelines.

One of the OU’s deliverables were three short videos, produced in nine languages involving speakers from diverse communities identifying the main types of harms, protective actions and sources of assistance. These videos were developed within IET’s Learning Technologies team, leveraging AI-generated and AI-supported approaches to enhance efficiency in content production.

This presentation will outline the step-by-step process involved in video development, the role of AI in streamlining design and translation, and initial findings from focus group evaluations on engagement and effectiveness. Early indicators suggest the videos contribute to more inclusive and accessible digital education, reinforcing PRIME’s commitment to safer online spaces for minority ethnic communities.

SAGE-RAI: Smart Assessment and Guided Education with Responsible Artificial Intelligence

Joseph Kwarteng, Aisling Third, John Domingue, Alexander Mikroyannidis, David Tarrant. Gráinne O’Neil, Siobhan Donegan, Tom Pieroni, Kwaku Kuffour-Duah, Thomas Carey-Wilson, Stuart Coleman

Abstract: Can responsible Generative AI (GenAI) lead to improved student outcomes? The SAGE-RAI project investigates this critical question through a partnership between The Open University’s Knowledge Media Institute and the Open Data Institute, developing and evaluating AI Digital Assistant that enhance personalised learning at scale. Motivated by Bloom’s 1984 study demonstrating that one-to-one tutoring enables students to perform two standard deviations better than traditional classroom instruction, we explore how responsible GenAI can unlock cost-effective, scalable personalised education. Our project addresses the practical limitations tutors face when supporting large cohorts, investigating whether AI-enhanced tutoring can bridge the performance gap while maintaining educational quality and equity.

Our AI Digital Assistant employs Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology, combining Large Language Models with task-specific knowledge bases to ensure accurate and relevant responses. The system supports flexible deployment across local and cloud platforms, accommodating LLMs from multiple providers including OpenAI and open-source models. Through user-centric design emphasising transparency, privacy, and ease of use, we democratise AI assistant creation for nontechnical educators. The project has deployed AI Digital Assistants across the ODI’s learning environment, where it functions as the “ODI AI Assistant” and supports both internal staff activities and personalised student learning by integrating with existing educational courses.

Central to our approach is responsible AI implementation, addressing critical challenges including misinformation, copyright concerns, and algorithmic bias. Our evaluation methodology measures pedagogical benefits and issues through real learner testing, comparing AI-guided approaches against traditional methods. The project delivers open-source reusable tools, contributes to popular RAG libraries like “embed-js” and produces ethical guidelines for responsible GenAI application in education, establishing best practices for scalable implementation.

Wednesday 18 June 2025  

Trends in the use of technology, the English language and inclusion in higher education across East and South Asia

Agnes Kukulska-Hulme and Saraswati Dawadi

Abstract: Our British Council funded research aimed to track and evaluate a set of interconnected, predicted trends concerning the impact of the growing use of digital/mobile technology (DMT) on regional and local ecologies of teaching, assessment and learning of English (TALE) in the four most populous countries in East and South Asia – Bangladesh, China, India, and Indonesia. With a focus on higher education, the two-phase longitudinal study adopted an ecological research approach for tracking and assessing predictions and trends for English and TALE practices.

In this presentation, we will share key findings of our study in which data was collected from nearly 6000 students and over 300 teachers from the four research countries in two different phases by using multiple methods (surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, Padlet discussions). Six to eight universities in each research country took part in the study. The findings point to current trends of the use of technology for TALE practices; the future of English in the research countries; and the role of English and technology in promoting or reducing inclusion in students’ access to quality learning in higher education. The research also reveals students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards the role and value of English in the next ten years in their communities in general and higher education in particular. The presentation ends with some implications for policy and practice.

Learning ecosystems: Understanding the processes and outcomes of technology-enhanced teacher professional development in Bangladesh

Agnes Kukulksa-Hulme and Tom Power

Abstract: This presentation presents the findings from a large-scale mixed research study into primary school mathematics teachers experiences of access to, and use of, digital technology for professional development in marginalised rural communities in Bangladesh. The study addresses high-potential evidence gaps in the global literature on technology-enhanced teacher professional development—where large scale studies, examining the needs and experiences of rural and marginalised communities, and providing rigorous evaluation of impacts on teaching and learning, are rare.

Developed through partnership between the Institute of Education and Research, University of Dhaka, and the Open University, this study explored the validity of assumptions in the theory of change linking teachers’ use of (one-off, self-paced and unsupported) online/mobile learning for professional development and any related changes in teaching practice and learning outcomes in numeracy. The first phase of research, exploring the processes of professional development, relied primarily upon participatory ethnographic evaluation research involving 40 teacher-researchers and 318 participating teachers. The second phase of the research, exploring the outcomes on teaching and learning, involved classroom observations of 220 teachers’ lessons and learning assessments for 2,200 primary-school children—with further qualitative contextual insights being gained through school case-studies, auto-photography and photo-elicitation. The research was conducted in ten administrative districts in four geographic regions of Bangladesh which are geographically isolated, prone to the socio-economic and physical effects of climate change, and home to marginalised (religious, ethnic, linguistic) minority groups.

In these marginalised communities, the findings provide rare evidence of impacts on teaching and learning associated with teachers’ active engagement in technology-enhanced professional development. They also point to the importance of taking a holistic ‘professional learning ecosystems’ approach in order to understand how professional learning is mediated into changes in the classroom.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF VISUAL AID TOOLS ON IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY IN ONLINE LEARNING OF THREE SELECTED PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MZUZU CITY 

Onick Gwayi, Stephen Pangani, Bridget Mbewe, Davison Nkhoma

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the use of visual aids in fostering inclusivity and accessibility in online learning. Dual Coding Theory, which states that the brain has separate memory systems for pictures and words since they are represented differently cognitively, was used. There are limited studies validating the impact of visual aids on inclusivity and accessibility of online learning in Malawi’s public secondary schools. The present study used a mixed methodology to assess the impacts of visual aids in ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in online learning for participating Mzuzu city public secondary schools. The study included 30 participants with a 34% drop rate (16 withdrew) while collecting data. Document analysis, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and lesson observations were used to collect data. Thematic and statistical analyses of data were used. The study revealed the impact of visual aid tools on inclusivity and accessibility in online learning. The findings show that brief, screen reader-accessible text, alternative formats like tactile diagrams, video captions, uncluttered visual aids, and digital copies enhance accessibility and inclusivity in online learning. The research suggests that educators implement universal design of learning (UDL) principles in visual materials by ensuring they are accessibility tool compatible, have high contrast displays, and include alternative text descriptions for images. They must use various visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic elements to address various learning requirements so that all students can access the content. Educators must also take care to create an inclusive online environment with visual content that addresses these needs. The schools and the communities can join together to support provision of visual aids to every student.

Exploring teaching and learning in Gurku IDP camps in Nigeria: A Participatory action research inquiry the lived experience of teachers and students, teachers’ adaptive pedagogies, and technology integration (Mobile learning) 

Stephanie Akinwoya

Abstract : Nigeria has one of Africa’s highest internally displaced populations (IDP), at 3.65 million (IDMC, 2023). This high migration rate is mainly due to factors such as terrorism (Boko Haram), activities of Fulani herdsmen, armed banditry, religious conflict, and, to a lesser degree, natural disasters. The activities of boko haram in the northeastern part of the country have led to a terror-driven internal migration, with communities fleeing to seek refuge in internal displacement camps. A large percentage of the IDPS are children who have the right to be educated ​(Suleiman et al., 2020 ;​Bessler, 2019).

A lot of studies point to the pivotal role teachers play in impacting the quality of education for students in displacement settings, where the teacher could be the primary or even sole educational resource that students in displacement settings may have access to (Richardson et al,2020). Although research has been conducted on refugees in terms of addressing the learning needs of students, teacher training interventions or even utilisation of mobile devices for learning in displacement settings (Mendenhall et al, 2015). However, there is still limited research on the IDPS on these above-mentioned aspects, as well as understanding the lived experience of IDPS.

This study seeks to examine the lived experiences of students and teachers in Gurku camp in Nasarawa State, explore what adaptive pedagogies teachers have employed, to creatively teach children who have undergone traumatic, if and how they have leveraged technology as a tool to enhance learning in these contexts as well as how they can be better supported using mobile devices for their professional development and to improve the education for students in the camp.

Reference

Bessler, M., (2019) Education needs, rights and access in displacement forced migration review, Education a humanitarian and development imperative.

Mendenhall, Dryden-Peterson, Bartlett, et al. 2015, ‘Quality education for refugees in Kenya: Pedagogy in urban Nairobi and Kakuma refugee camp settings’

Richardson, E, MacEwen, L, Naylor, R 2020, ‘Teachers of refugees: a review of the literature,’ viewed 25 February 2024, https://education4resilience.iiep.unesco.org/en/resources/2020/teachers-refugees-review-literature.

Suleiman, A., Yelwa Barde, L., Sabo, S. A. and Shettima, S. (2020) IJRISS) |Volume IV, Issue VI, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science [Online]. Available at www.rsisinternational.org.

Supporting doctoral researchers in the Global South through network federation: An update from the Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN)   

 Beck Pitt, Rob Farrow and Carina Bossu 

Abstract:The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN; https://go-gn.net) has supported doctoral researchers around the world working on open education topics for more than a decade. Open research practices and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are core to the network’s mission, and our activities include face-to-face workshops, regular online events, collaboratively authored publications and scholarships.  In May 2025 GO-GN had 193 members and alumni in 29 countries around the world, and a wider community of practice of more than 250.   

This presentation will share more on how GO-GN is supporting our diverse and growing network in uncertain and rapidly changing times. Following our 10th anniversary consultation with members during 2023 and subsequent publication of our GO-GN at 10: Strategic Review (https://go-gn.net/gogn_outputs/go-gn-at-10-strategic-review/) we share more on exciting work to explore a more federated model for GO-GN through establishing three regional ‘Hub’ pilots that are shaped and led by our membership.  

Title TBC

Munir Moosa.

Abstract: The rapid advancement in digital technology has increased educational accessibility and collaboration among global learning communities. Still, many people with disabilities lack access to basic education due to the rising costs and limited access to academic books and learning resources. As a result, their active participation in knowledge creation remains a far-sighted goal.

OER is an emerging concept in many countries, including Pakistan, particularly for people with disabilities. Pakistan’s recent Open and Distance Learning policy for higher education emphasized adopting OER in existing course materials (HEC 2024). However, it does not highlight its importance for learners with disabilities.

While technology can meet educational needs, the lack of digital literacy and OER awareness among people with disabilities limits its potential. Further, collaboration between people with and without disabilities in developing open resources is limited due to inadequate networking opportunities, making them passive education recipients rather than active knowledge contributors.

This research explores the social, academic, and technological challenges faced by people with disabilities in Pakistan. It also explores how OER is used globally by people with disabilities and the barriers to fully realizing its potential as a way forward.

Tuesday 17th June 2025

FACiliTating Physical Activity for people with long-term health conditions: understanding barriers and enablers for a fit society (FACT-PA) and how (educational) technology might help

Bart Rienties; Alison Buckler; Ben Oakley; Emma Harris; Fereshte Goshtasbpour; Jitka Vseteckova; Julia Sargent; Keetie Roelen; Zhraa Alhaboby; Liset Pengel; Randall Stafford; Genevieve Healy; Ashley Gunter; Sanja Musić Milanović

Abstract: 15 million people in the UK have a long-term health condition and are considerably less likely to undertake physical activity (PA). Living a sedentary lifestyle increases the risks of all-cause mortality and exacerbates long-term health conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. PA may counteract these risks as well as reduce anxiety, depression, psychological distress, cognitive decline and enhance quality of life.

Health services are under increasing pressure to care for individuals with long-term health conditions, leading to high associated economic costs, which councils and local authorities struggle to meet. In parallel, the levels of available support and opportunities for affordable PA vary across the UK. With the current cost-of-living crisis, being physically active is increasingly an individual “decision” strongly influenced by economic, medical, psychological, and social factors. This particularly disadvantages people with long-term health conditions and limited resources. The UK government and National Health Service have announced programmes focused on preventative health care, including specific initiatives for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

The development of sustainable, accessible solutions to enable working-age people with long-term health conditions to be physically active requires an interdisciplinary, complexity-aware research approach. However, most research to date is incredibly siloed, and has not resulted in proven solutions for the complexities around PA, which need an interdisciplinary approach across key disciplines (e.g., medical and public health, psychology, economics, social sciences and humanities). Furthermore, most research lacks patient and public involvement and engagement. Therefore, this symposium at CALRG aims to brings together 25 leading experts from ten universities and eleven hospitals in six countries to address the following objective:

What are the main economic, medical, psychological, and social barriers and enablers for people with long-term health conditions to initiate and maintain physical activity, including how to overcome these barriers and positively reinforce enablers?

We welcome everyone to contribute to this symposium, as everyone is a stakeholder in their own physical and mental health and others around them. We aim to use the insights and contributions to further fine-tune our UKRI proposal and we welcome contributions from across the disciplines.

Overcoming Tyrannies in Campaigns for Impact

Anne Adams (IET), Gareth Davies (RES), Gabi Kent (FASS), Gaia Cantellia (RES)

Abstract:  From the Northern Ireland Learning from ‘Why Riot?’ (LfWR) action research to ‘Spinal Injury Association’ projects we have been supporting impact for overcoming real-world problems.  In this paper we present how evidence cafés (EC) (Clough & Adams, 2020) produced engagement insights, challenges and impact opportunities.  A series of decision makers ‘Tyrannies’ were identified  (‘timeliness’, ‘accountability’ and ‘ownership’). Using change models ( Kotter, 1996; Reed et al., 2018), enablers (‘understanding’, ‘communities’ and ‘processes’) were identified as impact mechanisms.

LfWR (Kent et al, 2025) supported locally-led youth interventions in areas of political violence and social marginalisation. In it’s EC the tyranny of accountability was found to skew policy narratives producing familiar rationalities rather than addressing underlying drivers. A tyranny of timeliness also constrained interventions. The EC process helped crystallise policy messages that rather than containment or criminalisation, impact and meaningful change comes from re-framing youth violence as a social issue and legitimising youth and community agency in informing social policy responses benefitting all .

The Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) project (with the Spinal Injuries Association, see SIA 2030 strategy) developed a Theory of Change for UK-wide policy-engagement strategy. The tyranny of timeliness emerged through health and social care systems’ inability to deliver long-term coordination across life-course needs. Accountability was diffused across services, diluting responsibility and delaying systemic reform. SCI lived experiences were tokenistic with a tyranny of ownership focused on people as service users rather than policy co-creators. The campaign is now shifting narratives by positioning lived experience as essential evidence for national strategy, opening new opportunities for policy innovation grounded in user-led insights.

Organisations often fail to link policy solutions to realistic problem understanding or community realities. To achieve project impact, we need to overcome the three tyrannies with a sequenced progression through engagement enablers of ‘engaged understanding’ (evidence-based and relevant), ‘engaged community’ (lived with agency) and processes (realistic and effective) supporting creation of a joint vision.

References: 

• Clough, G. & Adams, A., (2020) “Evidence Cafés: Overcoming conflicting motivations and timings”, Research for All 4(2), 220–241. https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/r4a/article/id/1472/

• Kent, et al (2025) Learning from Why Riot? The Whys beneath youth violence (forthcoming).

• Kent G., & Mitchell, W. (2022). Why riot? Community, choices, aspirations [OpenLearn short course]. The Open University. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/why-riot-community-choices-aspirations/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab

• Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business School Press. https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/6e5efd05/files/uploaded/Leading%20Change.pdf

• Reed, M. S., Bryce, R., & Machen, R. (2018). Pathways to policy impact: A new approach for planning and evidencing research impact.Evidence & Policy, 14(3), 431–458.https://doi.org/10.1332/174426418X15326967547242

Using Digital Platforms for Inclusive Citizen Science and Sustainability in the PEACE of Mind Youth Wellbeing Intervention 

Jessica Carr[1]; Natalie Divin[1]; Caoimhe Millar[2], Geraint Griffiths[3], Kathryn Stanford[4]; Christothea Herodotou[1] 

^[1] Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University; ^[2] Verbal Arts Centre
^[3] Cedar Foundation; ^[4] Inspire Wellbeing 

Abstract: Rates of poor youth wellbeing in Northern Ireland are 25% higher than other regions of the United Kingdom (Bunting et al., 2020), with young people’s self-reported mental health in Northern Ireland recently reaching its lowest recorded levels (Bond & O’Neill, 2023). In the Republic of Ireland, over one in five young people report symptoms of depression, yet only 44% of those identified as requiring support are actively receiving mental health care (Lynch et al., 2022). Commonly cited reasons for poor youth wellbeing include school pressure, maintaining healthy relationships and more (Bond et al., 2023).  

In response to poor youth wellbeing in Ireland, the Peace of Mind project has been designed as a cross-border, multi-partner project to improve mental wellbeing and build resilience in young people aged 9-25 years. This project uses a multi-modal delivery model to deliver wellbeing interventions within mainstream schools, special schools and community groups to maximise inclusivity. Each project partner delivers a six-week tailored intervention using creative methods to deliver lessons on self-esteem, developing healthy relationships and more. 

Steps have been taken to undergo continuous co-production and co-research with young people such as the creation of a project Youth Advisory Assembly. Using existing online platforms for inclusive co-production and co-research, such as nQuire, ensures that a wide range of young people’s voices are continuously represented. A community-led citizen science approach will enable us to co-produce aspects of the projects such as a mental health and wellbeing online platform, peer mentor training, citizen science studies and other project resources that support Peace of Mind’s sustainability. 

This presentation will share preliminary findings from the Peace of Mind’s pilot phase from multiple project partners, and will detail how digital platforms are being used for co-production, citizen science and project sustainability to capture and represent the voices of young people. 

Podcasting and Peacebuilding: Stories from Rwanda, Nepal, Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan in the Everyday Peacebuilding through the Arts Podcast

Sherezade García Rangel and Koula Charitonos

Abstract: In his 2021 paper, ‘Everyday peace: how so-called ordinary people can disrupt violent conflict’, Roger Mac Ginty explains that everyday peace attends to the “personal, informal , hyper-local and relational” which, he says, create “small acts of peace.” These small acts enable ordinary people “to navigate through life in societies affected by violent conflict” (Mac Ginty, 2021: 2-3). Our podcast, Everyday Peacebuilding through the Arts, examines how through the use of participatory arts-based methods, young people got involved in peacebuilding across four countries: Rwanda, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia as part of the Mobile Arts for Peace project (MAP, 2018-2024). This podcast brings together explores artworks created by young people from these countries and how these artworks can travel across personal narratives, project activities, contexts, themes of violence and displacements, and different geographies. Each episode explores how art reflects not only individual and context-specific experiences, but also universal experiences. The podcast asks young people, researchers and practitioners to reflect on how they use participatory arts-methods for peacebuilding in conflict settings (Breed et al. 2024. Mkwananzi and Cin, 2022). Examining the art works, ideas and learnings from the MAP project, this project understands podcasting as a wide-span cultural practice (Llinares et al. 2018: 2) from which to enable an open-ended conversation on the meaning of art for identity, community and peacebuilding. In this paper, we will discuss the making of Everyday Peacebuilding through the Arts through innovative podcasting practice. We will explore how we navigated the challenges of a podcast that conjures visual arts through the use of creative and evocative storytelling; how we went about creating a translingual space that could hold the knowledge, experiences and insights of practitioners, young people and researchers across four different countries; and how we built soundscapes to position the listener at the centre of this multilingual and art-forward experience. Reflecting on remote recording techniques and dynamic editing practices, we will bring together our insights into capturing the making of art for peacebuilding in meaningful international collaborations and holding the podcast as an intentional digital archive of learning for a multinational project.

nQuire for students: Enabling students to develop scientific thinking skills 

Sagun Shrestha and Christothea Herodotou

Abstract :  nQuire for students (https://learn.nquire.org.uk/)  is a home-grown digital survey tool for use by schools, teachers, and students. It has been developed by the IET team who are part of Exten.(D.T.)2 project (https://extendt2.eu/). Within a password-protected environment, students design, manage, pilot and improve their own studies and collect data from their peers to examine socio-scientific issues of interest. Teachers can review studies created by students and provide them with feedback as to how these could be improved. The designed and perceived affordances of nQuire for students are that this tool enables learners to develop research and inquiry skills related to the design of a scientific study. In this presentation, we will discuss how UK school students developed scientific thinking skills with the support of nQuire for students. We will report findings from UK primary and secondary schools across three years. Data from the analysis of students’ artefacts (nQuire for Students missions), the user experience journey, student focus group discussions and teachers’ interviews will be presented. Through this presentation, it is expected that researchers, learning technologists and primary educational stakeholders will gain insights on how a web-based, interactive technology enables learners to develop scientific thinking skills.

Relational Research as a Civic Method for Generating Policy Impact from Community Engagement 

Gareth Davies, Anne Adams, Nudrat Hopper and Timothy Hall

Abstract:  This presentation introduces relational research as a structured yet adaptive method for co-creating impactful, community-embedded research that responds to real-world challenges. Drawing on insights from a recent international roundtable at King’s College London, and informed by the publication The Relational Method (Tattersall & Stears, 2025), we explore how relational research challenges traditional, top-down research models by embedding the research process within community organising principles. These include the prioritisation of lived experience, iterative cycles of listening and action, and the conscious negotiation of power within researcher-community relationships.

The session will discuss how relational methods offer particular value to education technology researchers interested in digital inclusion, widening participation, and policy engagement. Through case studies such as “Parent Power” and “The Real Deal,” we will highlight how relational approaches have already influenced educational access and institutional change. These examples demonstrate the potential to use anecdotal evidence rigorously (when embedded within civic coalitions and collective sense-making) to inform bottom-up policy development.

We argue that relational research is timely and relevant in the context of place-based funding initiatives, such as the UK’s civic missions and local innovation partnerships, which increasingly call for participatory, place-sensitive evidence. For researchers working with digital technologies, the method offers both a framework and a set of tools (e.g. relational meetings, power mapping, civic feedback loops) that can elevate the voice of marginalised communities and create more meaningful metrics of social impact.

This presentation will be of interest to those working on citizen science, public engagement, widening access, and researchers grappling with how to legitimise non-traditional forms of evidence within systems still shaped by positivist assumptions.

Monday 16th June 2025

The Importance of Context in Deploying AI in Educational Arenas

Audrey Ekuban, John Domingue

Knowledge Media Institute, The Open University, UK.

Abstract:

Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into educational environments can transform how Distance Learning students access learning resources. This paper explores Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) strategies used in the AIDA@OpenLearn innovation project. In Education based scenarios, RAG enhances learning by finding relevant information from ingested trusted course material and then using it to generate comprehensive explanations or answers. Chunking, a fundamental part of RAG, involves dividing content into manageable sections to improve retrieval efficiency. RAG ensures that students receive accurate, course related educational content tailored to their specific queries or topics of study.

Student opinions were gained through surveys and interviews. The initial study indicated that students had a more positive sentiment towards using an AI system with curated content provided by the institution, rather than commercial solutions such as ChatGPT.

The RAG strategies in this paper leverage the XML data structures in the OU’s OpenLearn Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). XML is used in VLEs for structured data representation and standardisation, ensuring customisable and extensible content management. RAG with XML content offers structured retrieval and flexibility, enhancing accuracy and adaptability. However, challenges include processing complexity, especially in nested content, and ensuring data consistency across schemas.

This paper examines two RAG strategies. Strategy 1 employs chunking the leveraged XML structure to focus retrieval on the most relevant paragraphs within a student’s current section or subsection of focus. Strategy 2 adopts a different chunking approach, incorporating a holistic retrieval process that considers parent chunks, titles, headings, and commentary. Our research involved deploying the strategies into studies aimed at Distance Learners. The results indicate that Strategy 2 improved students’ perception of accuracy and specificity.

Thus, the studies demonstrate the importance of context-aware retrieval mechanisms in AI-driven educational tools, and that broader contextual elements enhance AIDA@OpenLearn’s effectiveness as a Digital Assistant. Future work will include moving to GraphRAG which will further enhance the way context can be embedded. GraphRAG combines graph-based knowledge representation with RAG to offer an improved method for capturing complex semantic and relational connections within educational content.

Designing and Evaluating an OU AI Digital Assistant (AIDA): What do students value? How will educators maintain influence?  

Tim Coughlan and Bart Rienties

Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University

Abstract

This presentation will share findings and reflections from an ongoing Design-Based Research project to understand the potential for an AI Digital Assistant to be embedded into Open University study, working in collaboration across the Institute of Educational Technology (IET), Knowledge Media Institute (KMi), OpenLearn, Digital Services, and faculties.

Many students already use publicly available AI Digital Assistants like ChatGPT for academic purposes. However, there are concerns around the use of such tools in areas such as academic integrity, data privacy, intellectual property, and the impact on the quality of education. Therefore, we explored perspectives on and experiences with 315 students and 20 staff across five consecutive studies using multiple methods and data sources (including surveys, interviews, think-aloud, alpha- and beta-testing). The findings indicated that 24/7 immediate feedback relevant to academic learning was essential for learners. The beta-testing with students indicated that, beyond chat, participants particularly appreciated features such as flashcards and quizzes to support their understanding. Participants’ perspectives on i-AIDA significantly improved after their engagement with a prototype version.

We are also exploring where and how educators’ technological, pedagogical and content expertise could be brought to bear in the way in which the assistant behaves. We draw on feedback from 20 educators and education researchers who took part in one of the trials of the prototype system and reflect on ways in which the system has been designed to embed educator expertise. We highlight methods through which educators can exert influence over the behaviour of such assistants and reflect on the alignment, possibilities and limitations of these to meet educator goals.

48th Computers and Learning Research Group Annual (Online) 

16-19 June 2025 

We’re delighted to share the schedule and abstracts for this year’s 48th CALRG conference. The conference will take place online and is open to all.

If you are external to The Open University (UK) then please email us for links to join the conference sessions.