Informed Scotland Dec23/Jan24 – AI, XR & education

The impact, opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) in education featured right across the learning & skills landscape. Research, resources and projects that aim to illuminate, alert, reassure, challenge and advise include:

• The future of AI in education and learning in Scotland, the report of a Goodison Group in Scotland and Scotland’s Futures Forum seminar
• Edinburgh Napier University’s new project ‘Investigating the experiences of ChatGPT and AI by students in UK universities’, funded by the Leverhulme Trust
• A UK POST briefing on the Use of artificial intelligence in education delivery and assessment by educators and learners in schools, FE and HE
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education’s collection of resources and tools on generative AI, its uses, impacts and implications for HE
• Generative AI in education: Educator and expert views, a study by England’s Department for Education
• University of Glasgow’s XRed ‘white paper’ summary and detailed report on the benefits and challenges of extended (immersive) reality (XR) for education, part-funded by Meta
• The impacts of AI in digital learning: A guide for L&D professionals, by Kineo (part of City & Guilds)
• Jisc’s new project on ‘Accessible digital futures: unlocking the potential for accessible digital and AI technologies in HE’, with the Glenlead Centre.

Issue 117 also covered the usual raft of annual statistics and surveys, budget and investment announcements, partnership projects, new courses and personnel notices. Also look out for:

• Interesting reports on green skills, training and jobs from Enginuity & Green Edge, PwC – general and the financial services sector, and the Environmental Policy Forum
• Scottish Government reports on achievement in Curriculum for Excellence levels and the national improvement plan, and plans to update the maths curriculum
• The OECD’s PISA survey results for Scotland
• The sixth report on Fair Access to higher education – the first by the new Commissioner
• The launch of an Independent Review of Community Learning & Development.

Themed weeks coming up: Cyber Scotland Week 26 February–3 March, Scottish Apprenticeship Week 4–8 March. Check out the Learning & Skills Events Calendar for in-person events.

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