A Step into the Future
Harnessing the power of AI and VR to enable students to explore their potential education and career pathways for addressing global sustainability challenges.
Project summary
The Challenge
How can AI and VR be used together to help students explore education and career pathways that can address global sustainability challenges?
The Approach
In-person workshops at the University of Hull using AI and VR provided a student perspective; an online survey provided an educator's perspective.
The Outcome
A range of outputs including a case studies report and Academic AI Resource Package.
Institutes and centres
Lead academics
Project funded by
Project Partners
The Challenge
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently gained prominence across many aspects of society. The education sector has been particularly affected by the wider emergence and greater accessibility of AI technologies. Opportunities include the operational efficiencies (e.g. reducing the administrative burdens associated with elements of teaching provision), in learning and programme design, and in assessment marking and feedback.
Furthermore, there is an opportunity to develop and deliver more personalised learning experiences through the use of AI to ‘revolutionise’ education. However, AI also exacerbates existing challenges of maintaining academic integrity and detecting plagiarism. Additionally, concerns include ensuring students are learning skills, such as critical thinking, and not effectively outsourcing them to AI.
Research is needed to understand the impacts and wider consequences of AI in classroom teaching. Particularly in terms of their potential for personalised and tailored approaches.
The Approach
This project explores current and future approaches to enhance teaching through AI and virtual reality (VR) technology. In two stages, the project firstly investigates the current use of AI and VR by educators using a survey and interviews; with outputs developed focusing on sharing knowledge and best practices. Secondly, through two workshops, the project utilises AI and VR in helping students better understand complex academic progression and post-university pathways. With an emphasis on career pathways that fall into the interface of disciplines, such as careers solving global sustainability challenges, the purpose of these in-person workshops is to support students in developing a stronger and more tangible understanding of their future career pathways.
The Impact
The experience of speaking and having a real-time conversation was beyond my expectation. It was so interesting!Student Participant 7
Outputs include:
Best Practice Case Study Report: illustrating ongoing practice to explore interdisciplinary education pathways that address environmental and sustainability challenges using AI.
Academic AI Resource Package: Sharing project findings through an Educator’s Guide Video on engaging students on personalised education pathways; Student Voice Video; Instructional Teaching Guide; AI Training Webinars for Educators.
Based on my experience, I realized that even though it may be a great mentoring tool, it does not replace the experience of asking a human for career advice ... humans ask questions and are able to evaluate your strengths by interacting with youStudent Participant 6
