Category: Education

Robot markers and online submissions: what will exam assessments look like in the future?

Article by SA Mathieson, Guardian Labs, (Transforming the student experience series paid for by Jisc), 20 February 2020

Throughout their study, students today routinely use virtual learning environments, online resources and other digital services. But at the end of their courses, many will be assessed using an old-school method: answers written with pen and paper in a few high-stakes hours.

“We’ve got quite an old-fashioned assessment system that hasn’t kept pace with student expectations,” says Chris Cobb, pro vice-chancellor of the University of London. “I don’t think I could write a start-to-finish essay with a pen nowadays. I don’t write like that any more.” Continue reading “Robot markers and online submissions: what will exam assessments look like in the future?”

How cloud computing helped one university to digitise the student experience

Article by SA Mathieson, Guardian Labs, (The Connected University series paid for by Staffordshire University), 4 December 2019

Until recently, a university that wished to remind students about lectures, answer their questions around the clock and provide personalised suggestions on which societies to join would have needed a call centre of support staff working shifts. Staffordshire University is now providing all of these services and others through its app, Beacon, a digital coach for students available on mobile devices accessed through voice and text. Continue reading “How cloud computing helped one university to digitise the student experience”

Mr Robot: will androids ever be able to convince people they’re human?

Article by SA Mathieson, Guardian Labs, (The Connected University series paid for by Staffordshire University), 29 November 2019

In his quest to build robots that can pass as human, Carl Strathearn has drawn on various fields including prosthetics, materials science, computing and animatronics – the last by talking to John Coppinger, designer of the Jabba the Hutt animatronic puppet used in the 1983 Star Wars film Return of the Jedi. “He helped me out in my master’s when I was doing research in advanced animatronics and gave me plenty of inspiration in my PhD,” says Strathearn. Continue reading “Mr Robot: will androids ever be able to convince people they’re human?”

Reinventing higher education: ‘Can we use AI to give the lecturer superpowers?’

Article by SA Mathieson, Guardian Labs, (Transforming the student experience series paid for by Jisc), 9 April 2019

Technology sometimes makes people’s lives more impersonal. But in higher education it is leading in the other direction, as large group lectures are replaced with tutorials, digital resources and software-based coaching.

“We believe the technologies that are coming will reinvent higher education teaching,” says Paul Feldman, chief executive of Jisc, a membership organisation that provides digital solutions for UK education and research. “We think it will turn the whole thing on its head.” Continue reading “Reinventing higher education: ‘Can we use AI to give the lecturer superpowers?’”