Reflections on using the Blackboard AI Conversation Tool

By laurenmccann Comment Closed

Find out how Global Academy Lecturer, Brian Turner, has used the Blackboard Socratic Questioning Chatbot feature (part of Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant) in a class, and his thinking on its broader T&L application and meta-use for multiple T&L outcomes.

Overview

I used the Blackboard Socratic Questioning chatbot in my International Foundation Programme Academic English class (1) as a tool as part of the early stages of the process of students generating ideas for a summative essay project, and (2) for student to briefly reflect on the usefulness of the tool itself.

Objectives

  • For students to use the Socratic Questioning chatbot to generate ideas for their summative essay project;
  • For students to then reflect on its use and evaluate how much, if at all, it helped them,
  • Brief class discussion on the two points above but also on the nature and ethics of AI.

Context

I used the Blackboard Socratic Questioning chatbot in an IF0AE2 – International Foundation Academic English class. I wanted to try it as beckoned to by a CQSD session I attended soon after it had been developed and introduced, but also to measure and evaluate student engagement with it as a new possible lesson tool.

Implementation

During Semester 2 of AY 2025-26, I used the Blackboard Socratic Questioning chatbot tool as a means for students to generate ideas in the early stages of their summative essay. Further, I also wanted them to reflect on the use and usefulness of the tool. Two prompts were set:

  1. Use this chatbot to work out a focus for your essay to link the theme of aesthetics to your discipline.
  2. In what ways did the conversation advance your understanding of the topic?

The ‘AI persona’ was set at the default basic of ‘Supportive’ to reflect the scaffolded nature of the class and indeed my pedagogic approach (plus set up was within limited time resource).

Remembering advice from the session I attended, I set ‘Complexity of responses’ at middle level to reflect an appropriate level for a language class.

Afterwards, we had a brief discussion to reflect on the activity and the tool.

Impact

There were varying degrees of engagement with the tool. 4/6 students used it, but 2 abstained, possibly as ‘conscientious objectors’. Some engagement with the first prompt was done a little ‘flippantly’…

…but otherwise, it was used more in the spirit intended.

For the reflective prompt, 3 of the 4 left comments noting a positive experience. In this sense, the activity leant mostly on the side of objectives being met.

However, I also detected a slight reluctance from the students to use it again. This irony does exhibit an interesting phenomenon though, that students will vary their responses to the same event, depending on the ‘format’.

Reflections

It was successful in that most students present engaged and noted the tool’s usefulness. It also allowed discussion around the nature and ethics of AI, wherein we shared our knowledge and views on the AI phenomenon. In the future, I will dig deeper into this element.

My conscientious objectors’ reservations had environmental and data concerns. Next time however, I will be better able to signpost the TEL Guidance and UoR’s assurances RE sustainability, energy use and DP. Discussions around these issues are essential, and indeed teacher-student dialogue thereof is a vital conceptual arena and element in creating a collaborative classroom and safe space. This thus all falls within my key pedagogic approaches of student belonging, whole self teaching, exploring wider T&L opportunities and transformational leadership.

In the future, I will experiment with AI personas and the Role Play tool with an aim to improve value and engagement. In my personal use of ChatGPT, which in some instances I have turned into lesson materials to on using GenAI critically, I often have it adopt a persona or two. One example is when I had philosopher Socrates and fictional character Uhtred from The Last Kingdom books/show discuss veganism. In content lessons, to have the AI speak in the persona of someone students are studying creates great opportunities for students to assess how accurate the AI is against their knowledge of the person and their works. This is also the case with contextual information also. This are points I intend to incorporate in later uses of these tools.

Follow up

Though I was unable to develop the activity further or indeed use it or the Role Play chatbot again due to limited time resource, I have signposted them in the teacher notes of the new module materials that have been developed for AY 2026-27. Again, I intend to explore the persona function more to have students test content knowledge in their own fields. I will also give more options to the students, i.e. they can choose the kind of persona, e.g. supportive again, or perhaps authoritative, depending on what the tool allows.

Further information

CQSD TEL guidance: Blackboard AI Design Assistant AI Conversations

University of Derby: Enhancing student engagement with Blackboard’s AI Conversation Tool

Using Blackboard AI Design Assistant to Enhance Students’ Engagement

By laurenmccann Comment Closed

Find out how Hanan Hamad from the School of Pharmacy and NHS has used Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant to enhance student engagement in MPharm ‘Prescribing in Practice’ workshops.

Overview

To improve student engagement with pre-session learning materials, Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant was used to redesign the online learning environment for a Prescribing in Practice workshop within the MPharm programme. The redesigned Blackboard page resulted in increased student engagement, attendance and highly positive student feedback.

Objectives

The activity aimed to:

  • Increase student engagement with pre-session Blackboard materials;
  • Improve attendance at Prescribing in Practice;
  • Create a more attractive and intuitive online learning environment;
  • Encourage active learning through AI-generated formative knowledge checkers,
  • Evaluate the impact of the Blackboard AI Design Assistant on student engagement and learning experience.

Context

Prescribing in Practice workshops are delivered to MPharm students to develop clinical examination, patient assessment and prescribing skills in preparation for Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Despite their importance, student engagement with pre-session Blackboard materials and workshop attendance had been lower than anticipated, prompting exploration of strategies to enhance participation.

Figure 1: Blackboard page prior to using the AI Design Assistant tool. 

Figure 2:  Student engagement with the page prior to using AI assistant tool.

Implementation

Following attendance at a CQSD TEL workshop introducing Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant, I redesigned the Blackboard session page for one Prescribing in Practice workshop. Rather than uploading resources within a standard folder structure, the AI Design Assistant created a visually engaging, well-organised learning page with clearly structured content and improved navigation.

Figure 3: Where to find AI assistant tool.

Figure 4: designing the page with the AI Assistant tool.

I also used the AI-generated Knowledge Checker to create formative multiple-choice questions based on the uploaded learning materials. Students were encouraged to complete these activities before attending the face-to-face workshop to reinforce key concepts and .identify areas requiring further study.

Student engagement with the Blackboard page was monitored using Blackboard Analytics and compared with a previous delivery of the same workshop where the AI Design Assistant had not been used. Attendance data and student feedback collected after the workshop were also reviewed to evaluate the overall impact of the redesigned online learning environment.

Impact

The redesigned Blackboard page was associated with a marked improvement in student engagement. Blackboard Analytics showed that 76.5% of students accessed the AI-designed learning page compared with 40.1% for the equivalent workshop without AI support.

Figure 5: students’ engagement after using AI assistant tool

Completion rates also increased from 9.2% to 11.7%. Workshop attendance improved to 73.8% from 61.3%, suggesting that greater engagement with pre-session materials encouraged participation in face-to-face teaching.

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with learners describing the workshop as engaging, well organised and highly relevant to clinical practice. Many valued the opportunity to practise prescribing and clinical decision-making within realistic scenarios, while also appreciating the supportive teaching approach.

Reflections

This initiative demonstrated that relatively small changes to the presentation of online learning materials can positively influence student engagement. The Blackboard AI Design Assistant significantly reduced the time required to create an attractive and structured learning environment while maintaining full academic control over the educational content. The AI-generated Knowledge Checker was an unexpected benefit, providing students with an accessible method of self-assessment before attending the workshop.

Although improvements in engagement and attendance cannot be attributed solely to the AI Design Assistant, the combination of enhanced online resources and interactive face-to-face teaching appeared to support better student preparation and participation.

Follow up

Student suggestions, including providing additional guidance during prescribing exercises and making supporting resources easier to locate, will inform future iterations of the workshop. I intend to extend the use of Blackboard AI Design Assistant across other clinical skills sessions and continue evaluating its impact on student engagement and learning outcomes.

Further information

CQSD TEL guidance: Blackboard AI Design Assistant

Enhancing Students’ Sense of Belonging in a Global University

Enhancing Students’ Sense of Belonging in a Global University

By curriculum-framework Comment Closed

 

By: Professor Elisabeth Wilding & Professor Daguo Li, International Study and Language Institute (ISLI), e.a.wilding@reading.ac.uk; d.li@reading.ac.uk

 

Excerpt

“This case study reports on a one-year initiative to develop collaborative exchange activities for undergraduates involved in transnational (TNE) programmes offered at both the NUIST Reading Academy (Nanjing, China) and the University of Reading”.

Overview

By working with students, we developed both staff-led and student-led activities to create opportunities for inter-campus interaction. As a result, there was an increased level of collaboration between students in China and the UK, through online conversation cafes, an intercultural communication seminar, and two live broadcasts.

 

Objectives

· To develop collaborative exchange activities for students involved in programmes offered at both the NUIST Reading Academy and in the UK.

· To build sustained interaction that would enhance the students’ feeling of belonging within our global university.

· To have a positive effect on the overall student experience.

 

Context

The project was designed in response to concerns voiced by students at the NUIST Reading Academy (China), who reported how they felt a lack of interaction or connection with the UK campus. We aimed to engage students on the two campuses in shared activities that could enhance experiences for everyone.

 

Implementation

1. To launch the project, we collected input from Nanjing-based students on their ideas for collaborative activities.

2. We held a series of meetings with our student partners, including an induction, as well as brainstorming and planning sessions.

3. We encouraged students to tak

e the initiative to suggest and lead activities.

o Two student partners worked together to successfully organise broadcasts from the UK to enable Nanjing-based students to sample “live” the UoR campus life and town life.

o Other partners attempted to engage RUSU student societies in collaborative activities (though with less success).

4. Staff-led activities were run concurrently, including an intercultural communication workshop with Nanjing- and Whiteknights-based students during a flying faculty visit to the Academy. We also arranged for Academy students to have access to the Online English Conversation Cafes at UoR, which attracted a number of enthusiastic participants from China. Both of these activities will be sustained beyond the project end.

5. Student feedback was collected at each stage.

 

Impact

The Project has achieved its objectives overall. , There was an increased level of interaction between students in China and the UK. Here is one example: The Academy students now have access to the online English Conversation Cafes that take place about every two weeks during term time. We have records that students signed up to the Cafes, and a number gave positive feedback to the organiser. Both students in Nanjing and Reading benefitted from the online intercultural exchange, so we will continue in 2024/25.

We have also learned valuable lessons from this experience. Challenges included engaging student partners on the student-led activities. It was partly due to assessments and crunch points in student life.

 

Reflections

· For student-led activities, they were more successful if student partners had experience of organising similar activities already.

· Initial staff encouragement, support and monitoring for student-led activities were important.

· Integrating staff-led activities proved to be successful and sustainable.

· Long-term planning would be needed if activities are to involve student bodies such as the Students’ Union or its societies. The length of the Project meant that it was impossible to do long-term planning.

 

Follow up

Online English conversation club, Intercultural Communication workshop and increasing student exposure to UoR presence in Nanjing have continued even after the project.

 

 

From Prompt to Dialogue: Blackboard AI Conversation Role-plays in Languages

From Prompt to Dialogue: Blackboard AI Conversation Role-plays in Languages

By laurenmccann Comment Closed

Overview

Find out how Spanish Lecturer, Oscar Garcia Garcia, used role-play activities through Blackboard’s AI Conversation tool to support Intermediate and Advanced Spanish III classes, enhancing authentic conversational practice.

Objectives

• Facilitate interaction in Spanish in real-life contexts.
• Practise transferable skills such as negotiation and problem-solving.
• Reinforce and practise the content covered in class through activities.
• Trial the AI Conversation tool in Blackboard for language learning and share findings with colleagues teaching languages in the Department of Languages and Cultures (DLC).

Context

I wanted to trial Blackboard’s AI Conversation tool in two modules to provide students with a new interactive way to practice Spanish in the context of their course content. I chose the two Intermediate Spanish modules I convene, using role-plays based on day-to-day scenarios: a visit to the GP and a negotiation with a landlord/lady to rent a room. I trialled it in Advanced Spanish III with more complex conversations with a task identifying dialectal features and a debate on social media.

Implementation

The implementation of each activity started with identifying the most appropriate sessions in which to introduce it, ensuring alignment with the module content and appropriate timing. I designed each activity carefully, providing clear student instructions and a prompt for the AI with its role, with information on its level of Spanish and background (job, regional origin, age, personality). Before introducing it to my students, I conducted dry runs to test functionality and refine prompts where necessary. In class, I presented the activity and guided students so they could access it, complete it effectively, and understand how the AI Conversation tool works.

Students then completed each task. We did two activities in class: a doctor’s appointment role-play in Intermediate Spanish, and a task identifying dialectal features in Advanced Spanish III. Two other activities – a negotiation with a landlord/lady (Intermediate, scenario shown in the image below), and a debate about social media (Advanced III) – were set for homework.

After completing the two classroom activities, we discussed them; for instance, Intermediate Spanish students had to mention why the patient at the GP was feeling unwell and why they reached their conclusion.

I then proceeded to review their contributions to provide further feedback, draw conclusions, and redesign activities where necessary to improve their effectiveness for my use with future classes. For the two independently completed activities, the process was reversed: I first reviewed the students’ participation in the role plays and subsequently discussed them in class.

Screenshot of AI Conversation activity in Blackboard.

Impact

I believe the activities were successful as students engaged effectively with the AI Conversation tool and completed the tasks. The objectives were met, particularly in relation to practicing transferable skills such as negotiation and problem-solving, as well as reinforcing and consolidating classroom content and language skills. I also shared my findings at a departmental TEL event, where it was positively reviewed by colleagues, with a further session planned ti share more widely.

An unexpected outcome was that, although no reflections were required, some students still added brief comments on the usefulness of the activity and what they had learned, which has encouraged me to use the Reflection Question feature in the future in a more effective way.

Reflections

The activities were interactive, motivational and almost game-like, requiring students to solve problems individually or in small groups, or deal with everyday situations in real-life contexts using a language they were learning.They were well received by students and they were closely integrated with the course content. A key factor that made the activity successful was that I instructed the AI to use specific language levels: B1 for Intermediate Spanish and C1 for Advanced Spanish III, aligned with the levels of the respective modules students were studying. This allowed students to put into practice the topics and language, such as grammar and vocabulary, covered in class. I also completed the activity by previewing the chat several times to ensure it worked properly and the AI behaved as expected – I would advise doing this.

The two activities assigned as independent work beyond the classroom had a low completion rate. In the future, they could be carried out in class, or there should be a stronger emphasis on ensuring they are completed. I would also like to use the Reflection Question feature more effectively and clearly, as I consider it very useful for encouraging students to reflect on the activity and its objectives.

Follow up

Since these activities were carried out individually at different points during the academic year, I was able to refine the way I created prompts, making them increasingly concise. In the future, I would welcome the inclusion of voice recognition and pronunciation features within the tool, as these would provide significant benefits for language learning and the development of oral proficiency.

Further information

CQSD TEL guidance: AI Conversations

University of Derby: Enhancing student engagement with Blackboard’s AI Conversation Tool

 

Across the pond: Working in partnership with students to enhance international students’ experience

Across the pond: Working in partnership with students to enhance international students’ experience

By michaelkilmister Comment Closed

 

By: Dr Mirjana Sokolovic-Perovic, Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, m.sokolovic@reading.ac.uk
photography of purple petaled flower near body of water during daytime
Photo by bady abbas on Unsplash

Overview

This post reports on a PLanT student-staff partnership project in which students and staff from the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences worked together on exploring the experience of international speech and language therapy (SLT) students. Student partners created an International Students’ Guide providing additional support for international students when they join the programme.

Objectives

  • To explore the experience of international speech and language therapy students
  • To identify key areas where international students may need additional support from the School
  • To create resources to support international students’ transition and to enhance their experience

Context

Student feedback has suggested that international SLT students face unique challenges that may affect their wellbeing, academic achievement and student satisfaction. SLT is an Allied Health profession, and these students, in addition to needing to adjust to a new culture and a new educational system, have an additional challenge of understanding the UK health and care system, the British National Curriculum, and speech and language therapy as a profession.

Implementation

The main aim of the project was to better understand these challenges and to create a student-led resource to support international students’ transitions. Student partners were included in planning and decision-making at all stages of the project.

In the first phase of the project, student partners led focus group discussions, which identified several areas where additional support would be beneficial.

The second phase consisted of a student-led workshop. Based on the main themes from focus group discussions, student partners designed a Guide for new international students providing detailed information about the issues identified. The focus was on supporting international students during the pre-arrival period and on joining the university. It contains practical information (arriving in the UK, transportation, banking) as well as information about the Welcome Week, about DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and Occupational Health checks, and some common terminology used in the higher education in the UK. The Guide was sent to all SLT international offer holders in summer 2024 and 2025.

Impact

The International Student’s Guide received positive feedback. Students reported that it helped them feel more prepared for coming to the UK and for joining the course. We will continue to update and share it with new students in the coming years.

The outcomes of this partnership have been shared within the School, University and presented at national conferences. Within the School, a summary of our findings was shared with teaching staff, which initiated a change in staff perceptions of the unique circumstances of international students, enabling them to better identify and support students who may be struggling. Further, based on the highlights from focus groups, the Admissions Team updated information we share with candidates during the admission process and all communication we send to international offer holders during the pre-arrival period. It now includes a separate section for international students and provides a checklist of actions they need to complete before joining the course, which offer holders found to be helpful.

Reflections

This has been a hugely successful project, not only because of its direct outcomes, but also because of the other initiatives that were inspired by it.

The project team thoroughly enjoyed working together. In the words of the lead student partner Marie Elena:

“It was a truly affirming experience, not only to be heard as a student but to relate with all students who participated in the project, and to create a piece that will help future international students ….”

On the other hand, because of the relatively short timeline for the project, we encountered some challenges when planning and scheduling our work. As students from all year groups and from both programmes were involved in the project, it was difficult to find times when all partners were free to meet, especially towards the end of the term.

Follow up

On the suggestion of the student partners, I introduced a welcome meeting for current and new international SLT students, to foster creation of an international student community and to help new students settle in the course. The feedback was excellent, and we plan to keep this event as part of our Welcome Week Programme.

Following a suggestion from the focus groups, I led a PCLS-funded T&L partnership project to create an SLT Glossary, which was shared with first year students when they started the course.

A special thank you goes to my student partners (in alphabetical order) Ameera, Emily, Jamielyn, Jessica, Jojo, Mariana, Marie Elena, Shannon and Tegan for their time, enthusiasm and creativity when working on this project!

References

  • Sokolovic-Perovic, M., & Goddard, M-E. (2024, 17 October). Across the pond: International SLT Students’ Guide. Invited talk. CQSD PLanT Showcase: Applying for Partnerships in Learning and Teaching (PLanT) project funding.
  • Sokolovic-Perovic, M. (2024, 4 July). Across the pond: A PLanT Project. [Staff talk]. PCLS Away Day.
  • Sokolovic-Perovic, M. (2025, May 27 & 29). Supporting international students’ transitions using student-created resources [Paper presentation]. Change Agents’ Network (CAN) Conference. University of Plymouth, UK.
  • Sokolovic-Perovic, M. & Low, J. (2025, September 4-5). A student-staff partnership as a catalyst for change: Co-creating support for international students [Paper presentation]. Researching, Advancing, and Inspiring Student Engagement (RAISE) Conference. University of Glasgow, UK.
Improving student accessibility, learning opportunities and experience through enhanced fieldtrip information

Improving student accessibility, learning opportunities and experience through enhanced fieldtrip information

By michaelkilmister Comment Closed

 

By: Dr Laura Girling, Agriculture, Policy and Development, Laura.Girling@reading.ac.uk
A group of people are kneeling and crouching in a row outdoors, engaged in an archaeological dig. They are working close to the ground, using small hand tools to scrape and uncover soil. Several black plastic buckets are placed in front of them for collecting material. The ground is a cleared dirt area, and the background shows greenery, equipment, and partially visible structures indicating an active dig site.
© University of Reading

Overview

Funded through the T&L Initiative Fund, we co-designed a user-friendly template that allows staff to generate clear and relevant fieldtrip information leaflets. Whilst the focus was to better support Students with Accessibility Needs (SAN), the products tested also held benefits for the wider student cohort and enables students to make more informed choices about field trip attendance and maximise their learning opportunity.

Objectives

To develop a template for staff to use to optimise the learning value of fieldtrips by:

  • Enhancing quality and clarity of field-trip information to maximise the student experience and learning opportunities.
  • Supporting SAN through in-built leaflet design, presentation and inclusion of specialist content. For example, details of important on-site facilities, identification of additional support available/ allowed, and use of British Dyslexia Association (BDA) recommended font type, size and spacing.
  • Incorporating staff considerations into the template design to ensure practicality and ease of use.

Context

Student absence from fieldtrips leads to unnecessary costs, missed learning opportunities and sometimes requires alternative assessments. Pre-fieldtrip information currently varies widely between staff, which may leave students failing to recognise the trip’s value or leave them feeling unprepared, uncertain or anxious. Research literature also claims prior information can support student capacity to learn and reduce anxiety (Haynes et al.,2005: Tucker et al.,2022).

Implementation

We undertook an iterative approach to co-designing a template for fieldtrip leaflets, engaging with a range of stakeholders and incorporating research literature. Design aspects around formatting and style were informed by BDA (2014) guidelines (2014).

Project students jointly defined our use of the term Student with Accessibility Needs’ (SAN) and identified these learners to be our priority focus for the work. These SAN learners included students facing physical, mental and/or learning difficulties. Project students identified key content including a specific section on learning support, details about onsite grouping, keywords and acronyms likely to be used onsite, identification of sensory triggers, and also ensured the wording of the leaflet was student friendly.

Staff piloted populating the template and fed comments back to the project team. Colleagues noted the section on making learning support explicit was valuable, as they had previously just assumed students would reach out if they needed additional support.

Two pilot leaflets were trialled with students and evaluated through an online survey with Likert-style questions. Results were analysed with project students, interpretations discussed and learning fed back into the template.

Impact

Improved ‘student organisation’ was the largest benefit for non-SAN learners, and for SAN individuals, it was ‘being mentally prepared’. Sixty-five per cent of students reported an “improved experience”, and 88% wanted staff to use leaflets on some or all fieldtrips.

The template has been used on more than four fieldtrips (see figure 1 for an example), has been presented at the 2024 Enhancing Fieldwork Learning Conference in Edinburgh, and the template shared with external individuals. In modules where fieldtrips are linked to assessment, we anticipate students will use the leaflets for information and as visual reminders.

The project has raised awareness in the school around accessibility, encouraging colleagues to view the environment in a different way and recognising more of the challenges some students may face.

A particularly eye-opening theme in the comments from project students concerned the need for time to unwind, re-energise, or clean up after field trips, either due to transition fatigue or sensory overstimulation. In response, fieldtrip timetabling has been extended by an hour to ensure students are not late for their next lecture, which can cause anxiety, and have space to decompress before refocusing on remaining lectures.

A side‑by‑side comparison of two field‑trip planning documents.
Figure 1. Example of an Excel generated fieldtrip leaflet available for students prior to their trip. Blackboard statistics suggest 53% of students have accessed this information. © Laura Girling

Reflections

I am proud to see how this project empowered the project-students to share their experiences openly. Their reflections highlighted that students may be afraid or embarrassed to speak out about their needs, and as a result, choose not to attend field trips. Hopefully, the increase of information and the action implied by the leaflet, to better support students, will initiates more conversations between students and lecturers.

Sourcing images was the most time intensive element of creating the leaflet, and images illustrating accessibility features were either difficult to find, or just unavailable. This may result in staff undertaking greater reflection during field-site visits when they are trying to identify appropriate images to take. Because fieldtrips often run annually, investing the time to capture clear, informative images and material will benefit students and staff in future years.

The alternative ideas the students generated through the project were both simple and addressed directly their barriers and concerns. These were shared after the ‘leaflet’ approach was adopted and suggests that if the project had initially started with a blank ‘canvas’, the output may have been different.

It is exciting that this project may benefit for not only SAN but also may address some of the broader engagement concerns around poor student organisation and in students not recognising the value in attending.

Follow up

The most challenging part of this project was identifying a user-friendly platform suitable for the template. Currently, Excel is used, but this is inefficient and threatens the longevity of the work.

Revisiting some of the students’ alternative ideas for improving accessibility would be beneficial, as is continuing to gather user experience from staff and students.

References & further reading

 

The suitability of personalised AI models for ancient language T&L

The suitability of personalised AI models for ancient language T&L

By michaelkilmister Comment Closed

 

By: Jackie Baines and Edward A. S. Ross, School of Humanities; Department of Classics, j.baines@reading.ac.uk; edward.ross@reading.ac.uk 
A robot and a human hand almost touching.
Photo by Cash Macanaya on Unsplash

Overview

This article outlines the work undertaken in the Department of Classics to test the effectiveness of GenAI model personalisation to reduce hallucinations and output refining time. These tests found that personalised model using OpenAI’s GPTs, Google’s Gems, and Blackboard Ultra’s AI Assistant made some efficiency improvements, but personalisation had no impact on reducing hallucinations.

Objectives

• To test if personalised GenAI tools can reduce hallucinations related to ancient language vocabulary and reduce the number of required inputs to achieve an expected output, compared to the equivalent freely-available GenAI model.
• To develop ethical and sustainable methods for training personalised GenAI tools.
• To collaborate with students to test the GenAI tools from a learner’s perspective.

Context

Based on previous research on the effectiveness of using GenAI tools to support ancient language T&L, we found that ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude all frequently outputted hallucinated vocabulary that was not included in the restricted vocabulary lists prescribed in our modules. We found that this would cause problems for students without a firm understanding of their vocabulary requirements, so we sought to determine whether personalised GenAI models would significantly reduce these hallucinations. Furthermore, for sustainability purposes, we hoped that personalised models with pre-prepared guiding prompts would potentially reduce the required number of inputs to achieve an intended output.

Implementation

  • We developed an exhaustive dataset of all possible Latin words and forms that a student in CL1L1 (Beginners Latin) would be expected to know at the end of the module.
  • This dataset included 21,825 datapoints and took 48 hours to tabulate.
  • We prepared personalised models using OpenAI’s GPTs and Google’s Gems interfaces, where we uploaded the datasets and created guiding prompts based on our previous work developing guiding phrases.
  • Teaching staff and students then tested the personalised models for their effectiveness at supporting ancient language learning in two different tasks: creating and marking vocabulary quizzes and generating additional homework questions.
  • The personalised model outputs were then compared to equivalent outputs from the general versions of ChatGPT and Google Gemini available at the time.
  • Teaching staff then tested these same prompts with Blackboard Ultra AI assistant, which only had access to the prepared datasets and CL1L1’s module materials.
  • Based on the results of these tests, we updated our departmental AI guidance and instructional booklets.
  • At the beginning of the 2025–2026 academic year, we informed students and staff in the Department of Classics of best practices for supporting ancient language T&L with GenAI ethically and effectively.

Impact

The original intention for this project was to try and reduce the hallucinations present in GenAI outputs related to ancient language vocabulary and thereby reducing the number of prompts required to obtain an accurate desired output. Over the course of this research, we discovered that end-user-friendly GenAI personalisation models are largely ineffective, and sometimes more problematic, when compared to the equivalent general use models. Vocabulary hallucinations were just as persistent in the personalised models as in the general-use models. The major issue, however, was that the personalised models would insist that hallucinated vocabulary was in the original dataset to begin with, while the general-use models would apologize and try to make the mistake a learning opportunity for the user. There was some reduction in the number of required inputs to obtain an accurate desired output, but the hallucination issues tended to outweigh these improvements. For more details about the effectiveness of OpenAI’s GPTs and Google’s Gems, please see Ross and Baines (2025).

Blackboard Ultra’s AI Assistant was able to provide quizzes and extra homework, acting as a tutor. However, despite having access to the vocabulary dataset and module materials, we found that the hallucinated vocabulary issues were also present. When challenged about the presence of unneeded vocabulary, the tool took a balanced approach, compared to the OpenAI and Google’s models.

Screenshot of genAI chatbox
Figure 1. Anthology, Blackboard AI Assistant 3900.121.0, 3 July 2025 version, personal communication, generated 23 July 2025. Prompt: “Write a vocabulary quiz using 2nd declension nouns.”

In the above image (Figure 1), oppidum is a hallucinated noun that is not included in the vocabulary dataset, but the word does exist otherwise. Blackboard Ultra AI Assistant responds to the input that highlights this issue by still providing grammatical details and the opportunity to learn the noun as additional vocabulary. Although this tool does produce the same kind of hallucinations as the other personalised models, it does generate outputs which are similar to a teacher in a classroom.

Reflections

We think that this research is important, despite the lack of positive results. These tests demonstrate that personalisation using general-use AI models like ChatGPT and Google Gemini will not be appropriate for supporting specific language learning tasks, especially for ancient languages. Instead, smaller, independent, bespoke AI models that are trained on restricted datasets would be more effective. However, these models and datasets do not yet exist. Through collaborative work, AI developers and ancient language teachers can create accessible, ethical models to support ancient language T&L.

References and further reading

Video vignettes for pharmacy education

Video vignettes for pharmacy education

By michaelkilmister Comment Closed

 

By: Atta Naqvi*, Sam Bizley, & Shweta Ghosh, School of Pharmacy
Three people standing in front of doors with a sign above them that says "Welcome to Harry Nursten Home of Pharmacy & Food and Nutritional Sciences."
From left to right: Dr Atta Naqvi, Dr Shweta Ghosh, and Dr Sam Bizley. © Atta Naqvi

Overview

This innovative project produced four video vignettes that simulated culturally complex patient interactions in pharmacy settings. Developed collaboratively between the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Film, Theatre & Television (FTT), the vignettes enabled students to reflect on non-verbal cues, patient diversity, and inclusivity. The project was funded by the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Projects (TLEP) scheme and informed by student feedback.

Objectives

  • Support pharmacy students in recognising and interpreting non-verbal cultural cues.
  • Improve students’ ability to respond inclusively to diverse patient needs.
  • Provide simulated exposure to real-world patient communication scenarios.
  • Enhance cultural competence education through an interdisciplinary, research-informed approach.
  • Build sustainable capacity for future simulation-based learning

Context

The initiative stemmed from cultural competence teaching embedded in the newly accredited MPharm programme. Previous student feedback revealed challenges in recognising non-verbal cultural cues, especially in potentially sensitive scenarios involving pain, gender, and disability. Traditional workshops were insufficient in exploring these making it challenging for the students’ to put the knowledge into practice, prompting the exploration of immersive, simulation-based learning through video vignettes.

Implementation

The project was based on years of feedback from MPharm students on cultural competence education. One year prior, a research study on placement experiences highlighted specific challenges—such as interacting with LGBTQIA+ individuals, patients from the d/Deaf community, and those who underreport pain due to cultural norms. Dr. Naqvi proposed developing video vignettes as a simulation method to observe and reflect on these challenges. The School of Pharmacy collaborated with the FTT to develop four vignettes: a d/Deaf patient using an interpreter, a trans patient engaging in health consultation, a Southeast Asian woman downplaying pain, and a Western patient masking pain with a smile.

Dr. Naqvi wrote the scripts, which were reviewed by Dr. Bizley and Dr. Ghosh. Two FTT student teams undertook production planning, script refinement, shooting and editing via the Commercial and Community Filmmaking module through Semester 1 of 2024/25, with filming taking place at the JJT Clinical Suite between December 2024 and January 2025 (see Figures 1& 2). The vignettes were delivered as workshops in Years 3 and 4 of the MPharm programme during April–May 2025 and reached over 200 students.

Two people filming near a table with an old cash register, keyboard, and papers under studio lights.
Figure 1. Filming the learning videos. © Atta Naqvi
Pharmacy-style room with people working at a counter labeled 'Day Lewis'; camera setup for filming.
Figure 2. Filming on location. © Atta Naqvi

Impact

The workshop sessions using the vignettes received positive student feedback, with learners expressing increased confidence and awareness in interpreting cultural cues (see Figure 3). The activity enabled students to better understand the complexity of patient communication and to reflect critically on their own approaches.

A follow-up research study is currently collecting data to formally evaluate the educational impact. Early responses indicate that the use of realistic, context-rich simulations fostered deeper learning compared to traditional methods. The project demonstrated a successful interdisciplinary collaboration, fostered a student-centred learning approach, and set the groundwork for integrating film-based simulations into healthcare education more broadly.

Students in a classroom working in groups; a slide titled 'PRIVILEGE AND OPPRESSION' is displayed
Figure 3. A photograph of the workshop where the vignettes were used. © Atta Naqvi

Reflections

This project’s success lay in its deep grounding in student feedback and educational research. Unlike traditional lectures or workshops, the video vignettes enabled learners to visually and emotionally engage with complex scenarios. Students appreciated the diversity of the patients represented, including those with visible and invisible cultural differences. The collaboration with the Department of Film, Theatre & Television proved invaluable—not only for technical expertise but also for storytelling and visual representation.

One challenge was the logistics of coordinating actors, locations, and filming during term time. Another area for development is expanding the scenarios to include more intersectional and multi-lingual cases. Familiarity with the filmmaking process has equipped our team to undertake similar projects in the future more independently. Overall, this experience has encouraged new forms of pedagogical creativity and interdepartmental collaboration.

Follow up

A research study is currently underway to evaluate the impact of the vignettes on student learning. The team has acquired filmmaking equipment through the TLEP fund, enabling future projects. We aim to expand our vignette library and welcome collaborations with educators at Reading and beyond.

Links

Supporting academic and social transition of first year speech and language therapy students

Supporting academic and social transition of first year speech and language therapy students

By michaelkilmister Comment Closed

 

By: Dr Mirjana Sokolovic-Perovic & Joe Spackman, Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, m.sokolovic@reading.ac.uk, j.spackman@reading.ac.uk 
yellow smiley emoji balloons on grey textile
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Overview

This is an overview of a buddy system for speech and language therapy students which aims to support students’ academic and social transition to university and to enhance their sense of belonging and wellbeing. We paired each first-year student with a second-year ‘buddy’ and provided opportunities for the two cohorts to get together.

Objectives

  • To support academic and social transition of first year MSc and MSci speech and language therapy (SLT) students
  • To help build a community of students and a peer-support network
  • To support development of students’ sense of belonging, and to enhance their wellbeing
  • To enable students to start building a professional network

Context

Transition to higher education has been recognised as a multi-layered process involving academic, social and lifestyle adjustments. It has a long-term impact on students’ academic achievement and satisfaction, social integration, mental health and wellbeing, and retention rates (Briggs et al., 2012).

Peer support has been suggested as an effective strategy in supporting various aspect of student transition (Heirdsfield et al., 2005). For students on allied health programmes, Health Education England (HEE) have advocated for a student buddy scheme in HE institutions, advising it provides educational, social and pastoral support (Stokes, 2022). Peer-to-peer support adds an extra layer of student support and is often the first step in accessing professional services. HEE report on attrition and retention (Lovegrove, 2018) found that healthcare students who had participated in a buddy scheme felt it was important to settling into the course and helped with engagement, learning and any possible anxieties and fears.

This has led us to consider how the existing SLT peer-support scheme could be improved to aids SLT students’ academic and social transition.

Implementation

Recent feedback indicated that first year students felt anxious and sometimes lonely, not knowing what to expect from the programme and from day-to-day life as SLT students. They needed a wider community of SLT students they could reach out to for advice and support.

A buddy system has existed in Clinical Language Sciences department in the past, where each first-year student was paired with a second-year student (there are currently around 215 students on the two SLT programmes: approximately 40–45 students in each MSci cohort, and 20–30 students in each MSc cohort). However, it was left to students to initiate and maintain contact, and consequently the uptake was low and there was little impact on student experience. Unfortunately, during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the following years, this has fallen away, and the scheme was abandoned.

In academic year 2023–24, we decided to reconsider our approach and to revive the SLT buddy scheme, by not only pairing students from different cohorts, but also by providing them a safe space on campus where they could meet and socialise with students from the year above.

Students were allocated a buddy at random. Pairings were shared with both cohorts via email and advertised in teaching sessions. Students were invited to an informal get together where buddies could both meet each other in person and get to know the other cohort. Students were encouraged to either contact their buddy beforehand or to arrange to meet at the get together. Two different formats were used for MSci and MSc students because of different cohort sizes.

For the MSc SLT cohorts, which are smaller than the MSci groups, a room was booked on campus at a lunch time and both cohorts were invited. Attendance was high for this meeting. We organised a small ice-breaker activity and had talking point questions and well-being activities (colouring-in, pom-pom making) available. The students were very welcoming of each other and conversations started immediately and spontaneously throughout the session.

The MSci SLT cohorts are larger, and for this buddy get-together we booked two rooms, with the same format. However, the attendance was lower, so in the end we only used the larger room.

Impact

Participants were asked to complete a MS Forms questionnaire about their experiences. Student feedback was very positive overall, demonstrating achievement of our initial objectives:

‘It was so reassuring talking to the 2nd year students and widening our network of SLTs in the department. I intend to keep in touch with my buddy.’

‘Really good opportunities to mingle and talk. Like that it was a big group so we could meet more people than just our buddy….’

‘I thought it was a lovely idea. I got to speak to my buddy in a chilled environment.’

‘The informality of the session worked really well to get to know each other and find out about the specific information….’

Reflections

Buddy meet-up sessions were very successful. The atmosphere was relaxed and student feedback suggested that it helped them settle better into the new environment.

First year MSc students reported that speaking with a second-year buddy alleviated some of their anxieties about the workload and studying on a professional course. They suggested that they would prefer the buddy system to start earlier in the academic year, and to have regular meetups, which is something we will try to implement for the next year.

Our reflections on the lower attendance for the MSci cohort led us to consider whether there was some uncertainty among the second-year undergraduate students about the role of a buddy and expectations in terms of their engagement. We could have provided more support on this. HEE suggests creating a buddy fact sheet/contract to explain the scheme and boundaries (Lovegrove, 2018). Next year we plan to introduce this at the beginning of the process.

Following some feedback about the impact of interacting in a large space with multiple students, we will investigate different options for the environment to support students who may find this uncomfortable or challenging.

Follow up

Using an adapted Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1984), we will continue to refine the format of the buddy scheme, based on feedback from this year’s cohorts and subsequent cohorts, making sure that these events benefit all groups of students.

The reflections and recommendations on the SLT buddy scheme have been shared at an Advance HE Conference (May 2024) and PCLS Teaching and Learning Away Day (July 2024).

Links and further reading

References

ChatGPT: A conversational language study tool

ChatGPT: A conversational language study tool

By michaelkilmister Comment Closed

 

By: Jackie Baines and Edward A. S. Ross, Department of Classics, School of Humanities, j.baines@reading.ac.uk and edward.ross@reading.ac.uk
classical Greek/Roman style columns on a classical ruin with a bright futuristic sky background
Photo by Yusuf Dündar on Unsplash

Overview

This project outlines the work undertaken in the Department of Classics to demystify generative artificial intelligence for ancient language staff and students over the 2023-2024 academic year.

Objectives

  • Codify and standardise methods for using conversational AI models (such as ChatGPT, Claude-2, and Google Bard) in ancient language classes.
  • Produce tested guiding phrase documents for students to copy and paste into conversational AI models so that their outputs are standardised to match course expectations.
  • Lead interactive testing sessions in all levels of ancient language classes (i.e. Latin and Ancient Greek) to test these documents and inform students about the ethical considerations for using generative AI.

Context

At the time when this project was instigated, there was a dramatic surge of generative AI development and use at a generally accessible level. This led to extreme anxiety among educators and students alike as to how these tools could impact the known models for teaching, learning, and assessment in classics and beyond. We sought to approach this issue ‘head on’ in order to contextualise the nature and value of generative AI tools for staff and students, dispelling any unwarranted preconceptions and informing them of necessary ethical considerations.

Implementation

  • Surveyed ancient language teaching staff about the necessary elements of their courses.
  • Led sessions with staff to develop the departmental AI guidelines and citation guide in Summer 2023.
  • Led AI ethics information sessions for all undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Department of Classics over the Autumn 2023 term.
  • Held survey sessions with all ancient language students studying Ancient Greek and Latin, gathering data on their views on generative AI before and after the information sessions, in Autumn 2023.
  • Hired three undergraduate research assistants to test guiding phrases on a variety of conversational AI tools to determine the effectiveness of the tools and guiding phrases for supporting various aspects of their ancient language learning.
  • Published the tested guiding phrases as a digital and physical pamphlet for staff and students to freely use in March 2024.
  • Recorded and published a series of tutorial videos on generative AI ethics and digital tools for Classics.
  • Carried out a follow-up survey in Spring 2024 with the same ancient language students that completed the Autumn 2023 survey to gauge the impact generative AI had on their studies over the 2023-2024 academic year.
  • Analysed and published survey data in two academic journal articles (one is currently in press) and on secure data repositories.

Impact

The initial intention for this project was to investigate how effective generative AI tools were for supporting ancient language teaching and learning, but our research and response from students led us to work more towards improving general AI literacy among humanities teachers and students. When we were giving our ethics presentations, teachers and students were shocked by the ethical considerations behind generative AI, especially the environmental and copyright implications, and as soon as they saw this and learned that their own work could be used to train these models, they were much more sceptical of using the tools. At the time of writing, the tutorial videos and guiding phrase pamphlet have been downloaded around 150 times each, and this continues to grow as we present our tutorials to future course groups.

Reflections

We found this work was successful in many ways, particularly through our collaboration with our undergraduate students. By working with our students, who are seeing large swaths of generative AI tools on a daily basis, we were able to get a wider perspective on the impact and use cases of these tools for ancient language teaching and learning. Any research into generative AI and teaching and learning should involve student-teacher collaboration. In some aspects, we were also interdisciplinary in our reach, making some presentations for the Modern Languages Department, but there is scope for many more interdisciplinary collaborations for this work. In the future, we intend to continue making ethics tutorials for ancient language students, and the materials developed during this TLEP-funded project will help us illustrate the current issues more effectively.

Links

Further reading

  • Ross, E. A. S., & Baines, J. (2024). Treading water: New data on the impact of AI ethics information sessions in classics and ancient language pedagogy. Journal of Classics Teaching, 25(50), 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2058631024000412