14 March 2024:  The need for critical responses to AI within and by Higher Education

To join this session please register via Zoom here

Date and Time: Thursday 14th March 2024, 3:00pm – 4:30pm SAST

Description of the session: 

Join our upcoming webinar that delves deep into the transformative impact of AI on higher education. In an era where AI, including advanced language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, can swiftly produce assessments, sparking questions about the future of universities, our panel of experts will explore this crucial intersection. The first set of speakers, Neil Kramm and Associate Professor Mags Blackie, will discuss how AI challenges conventional views of higher education and assessment, urging us to rethink its purpose beyond mere credentialing. Meanwhile, Dr. Nicola Pallitt and Sioux McKenna will examine universities’ role in shaping the societal implications of AI and the necessity of fostering critical AI literacy among students. Join us to engage in thought-provoking discussions on the evolving relationship between AI and higher education, from assessment practices to broader societal impact, as we collectively navigate this AI-infused educational landscape.

Panellists:  

Professor Sioux McKenna is the Director of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies at Rhodes University where she also manages a nationally funded PhD programme and a number of internationally funded projects. Her interest in postgraduate studies includes a concern with how nations build postgraduate numbers with retention and throughput.

Mags Blackie is an associate professor in the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning. She holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Cape Town and a PhD in education from Stellenbosch University. Her main research interest is in tertiary science education.

Dr Nicola Pallitt supports academics to use technologies effectively for teaching and learning. She supervises postgraduate students and co-teaches on formal courses and professional development offerings in Higher Education. She values contextual and culturally responsive approaches to learning design and educational technology usage. 

She seeks to expand critical perspectives on educational technologies in Higher Education.

Neil Kramm is part of the EdTech team in the Centre of Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) at Rhodes University and has been working with educational technology since 2015 in a teaching and development function that served both students and academic staff. Neil is a researcher on educational technology focusing on Artificial Intelligence in higher education, assessment and research working on a PhD in AI and how it will change assessment in Higher Education.For more information and sign-up here

26 October 2023: Publon Press Workshop 3: Dealing with data: Using Publon Press for Learning Analytics

 

Session format: Workshop Thursday 26 October 2023 10:00 – 12:00 (SAST)

Facilitated by: Professor. Randhir Rawatlal,  Architect of the AutoScholar Advisor, ScholarCloud and Publon Press systems and Associate Professor at University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN) 

To join this session please register via Zoom here

Session Description:  

In this session we look at Dealing with data – Using Publon Press for Teaching and Learning

Loading and exploring a data set. Composite data sets. Inherent tree structures. Automated statistical processing. Presenting insights, inviting user interaction 

Alternative description: 

In this third workshop dedicated to harnessing the power of Publon Press for Teaching and Learning, we delve into the intricacies of handling data effectively. This session will guide participants through the process of loading and exploring data sets, including the management of composite data sets and understanding inherent tree structures. Furthermore, we’ll explore automated statistical processing tools and techniques, ultimately enabling participants to effectively present data-driven insights while fostering user interaction and engagement.

Created Zoom for Registration:  https://uct-za.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYocemtpzMiH9aenbnUwUeTEmTwG_-3EU4I

[zoom link] 

Presenter’s Bio:  

Professor Randhir Rawatlal is architect of the AutoScholar Advisor, ScholarCloud and Publon Press systems which leverage Artificial Intelligence and modern web technologies to support student success initiatives. The work began some 15 years ago, when it was realised that there were so many processes in Higher Ed that could and should be automated. From the accidental discovery of the extreme sensitivity by students to auto-generated interfaces to the realisation that all role players in higher ed are in need of some form of advising, this initial hobby grew and matured to systems in use at several institutions by thousands of students. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randhir-rawatlal-a971a515/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/randhir.rawatlal.7

2 November 2023 Publon Press workshop 4: Studying our students

Session Description:  

In this final session of the programme, we finish by creating learning pathways. Integrating learning content with automated testing and student performance data to “close the loop” and facilitate guided self-study. 

To join this session please register via Zoom here

Presenter’s Bio:  

Professor Randhir Rawatlal is architect of the AutoScholar Advisor, ScholarCloud and Publon Press systems which leverage Artificial Intelligence and modern web technologies to support student success initiatives. The work began some 15 years ago, when it was realised that there were so many processes in Higher Ed that could and should be automated. From the accidental discovery of the extreme sensitivity by students to auto-generated interfaces to the realisation that all role players in higher ed are in need of some form of advising, this initial hobby grew and matured to systems in use at several institutions by thousands of students. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randhir-rawatlal-a971a515/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/randhir.rawatlal.7