As generative AI continues to reshape the educational landscape, Queen Mary Academy and departments across QMUL are actively exploring how to integrate these tools into teaching, learning and assessment in meaningful, responsible ways. We asked the team to share an update on progress to date, examples of practice, and where they see this work heading next.
Queen Mary’s Centre for Excellence in AI in Education has four ambitious objectives:
- Differentiate our graduates: By embedding AI and digital literacy into the curriculum, we will ensure Queen Mary graduates are equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving workforce.
- Enhance our reputation: This Centre will strengthen Queen Mary’s standing as a leader in educational excellence and scholarship.
- Augment the student experience: By leveraging AI, we aim to improve student outcomes and support educators in delivering impactful and engaging teaching.
- Empower our educators: The Centre will provide resources and professional development to empower staff with innovative tools that enhance pedagogy while supporting more effective working practices.
One of the first achievements as part of the Centre work was explicitly embedding AI literacy within the Queen Mary Graduate Attributes. Being AI and digitally literate is thus embedded in our Principles of Academic Degree Programme Design and the new Employability and Skills .
Looking ahead, we are focusing on empowering educators in delivering impactful and engaging teaching, updating our current Staff Guide to Generative AI to bring it in line with developments since 2023. This is due to be launched for Semester A 2025, at the same time as a new online AI literacy course for educators.
We are really proud of the work going on across the University to enhance the student experience and strengthen Queen Mary’s reputation as a leader in educational excellence and scholarship. Since its launch in February, the Centre blog has published five posts showing and celebrating a range of AI related educational activities and debates. We have a thriving community of practice and Affiliates membership scheme to help us support and promote scholarship across the University. Events are a key part of our plan for this, and, following our successful inaugural event in March, we are looking forward to showcasing AI on day 2 of the Festival of Education. The Festival will include a dedicated session on Excellence in AI in Education, featuring mini keynotes from all faculties and Professional Services. We are especially pleased that many of the projects and ideas discussed are the outcomes of co-creation initiatives and that learners as well as educators will be presenting. On the afternoon of the Festival, we are extremely excited about the Showcase and Share poster session which, among the nearly ninety posters submitted, will include several presentations about AI in education. Contributions from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry include:
- Mini keynotes from Dr Jo Elliott and DES team (Engaging students in discussion about AI) and Dr Shabana Bharmal from IHSE (Developing AI literacy to support reflective practice for medical students)
- Dr Shabana Younas from the Institute of Dentistry, who is sharing her poster ‘To what extent does the use of a VR video help dental students feel more prepared for their first paediatric clinical encounter via vicarious self-efficacy? The use of AI as a tool for personalised feedback, tracking progress and assessment’
- Tom Hinks and Giles Barber from DES will lead a mini keynote showcasing an AI chatbot activity they have implemented in the Education, Leadership, and Innovation module of the MA Medical Education Programme: “AI’m here to help: digital dialogues for developing ideas in medical education.”
AI presents challenges as well as opportunities for enhancing education. In addition to the upcoming AI literacy course for educators, the Queen Mary Academy offers a range of workshops and support on assessment design and practice, which support the implementation of the Principles of Assessment Design and include discussions of AI in assessment. This offer includes Assessment Design for Academic Integrity Workshop which can be requested through the CPD booking system. All QMA support on assessment can be arranged as bespoke sessions for programme teams.
There is so much going on in this area at the University – and still so much more to be done as we work to meet our ambitions for educators and learners. We are very excited about the progress we have made so far and of the new areas for development in delivering excellence in AI in education at Queen Mary.
By Shoshi Ish-Horowicz, Head of Innovation and Learning.