On-the-ground at Sussex: The Sixth Meeting of the Teaching with AI Community of Practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nOn Monday 8th<\/sup> June Educational Enhancement hosted the sixth in-person meeting of the University of Sussex\u2019 Teaching with AI Community of Practice. In a change to\u202fprevious\u202fsessions, we focused on providing opportunities for all attendees to reflect on their professional use,\u202funderstanding\u202fand perspectives of AI. The atmosphere was positively buzzing with conversation,\u202fcreativity\u202fand collaboration as colleagues from across the university\u2019s faculties and divisions shared their insights.\u202f \n<\/p> \nThis report of the session runs quite long, but is not a challenging read. We hope you find it interesting. There are links below to where different activities are discussed. \n<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n Tables were arranged with five separate activities with which members of the community were invited to engage. Colleagues were invited to move between the tables and activities as they\u202fliked, and\u202fwere also given two time-checks to\u202ffacilitate\u202fthis.\u202f\u202fWe heard from representatives of the groups during the time-checks which provided further information on the activities.<\/p>\n The activities were:<\/p>\n Click on the activity titles above to learn more about each one and the outcomes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The\u202fconversation activity\u202funcovered a lot of positive experience with AI, including task refinement and success with asking AI to follow formulaic instructions, and frustrations including AI output being too general and the challenge of knowing whether one can be confident in what is generated. One member of the group,\u202fDr Leonardo Garcia Garcia, shared experience of using AI with students to create CAD images and the colleagues at the table took the opportunity to try this for themselves, comparing Gemini (Google) and CoPilot (Microsoft) and evaluating how the different platforms performed the same task of illustrating a gear. This was an excellent example of the value of having these tools at our fingertips while we\u2019re discussing them, and how crucial it is to critically and experientially engage with generative AI by comparing output across platforms and to what an expert would\u202fexpect, and\u202fadjusting our input \u2013 for instance by giving an example \u2013 to improve the result.<\/p>\n Two outputs from GenAI models, Microsoft CoPilot and Google Gemini, showing illustrations created by the platforms in response to the prompts to draw a CAD image of a gear. The Gemini example is more detailed, but both are inaccurate.<\/p>\n Microsoft CoPilot (left) and Google Gemini (right) CAD-style renderings of a gear. While the illustrations may look convincing, Dr Garcia Garcia was able to identify faults in the design and in the formatting.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The\u202freading activity\u202fstarted quietly as the colleagues at that table took the time to study the article they chose to engage with.\u202fThe structure was quite loose; colleagues were welcome to read and consider the texts on their own or to select a text they could discuss as a group.\u202fIt seemed to develop quite naturally that colleagues who chose the same article were drawn to explore it together, while some were more inclined to work independently.\u202fThe three publications were:<\/p>\n The colleagues at the reading table reported in their notes that it was reassuring to read in the\u202fGallup\u202fpoll that Gen Z (generally considered to be people born between 1997 and 2012) seem more aware of the contentious issues of using AI but that their concern that AI use risks replacing human skills rather than enhancing them must be taken seriously.\u202fSuggestions were made that Sussex must emphasise how AI can be used to enhance student experience and outcomes, if it is used at all, and that the university must ensure that suitable training is implemented across the institution.<\/p>\n Professor Luckin\u2019s\u202fpost, which was in response to Alex Imas\u2019\u202fGhosts of Electricity\u202farticle<\/i>\u202fWhat will be scarce?<\/a>\u202fwas well-received, but didn\u2019t generate much reaction as Luckin is\u202fessentially making the point that so many of us in Sussex\u2019s Teaching with AI Community of Practice already understand \u2013 that while AI and automation has a place in education, the value that comes from the elements that only humans can deliver must be preserved.\u202f(Luckin cautions that\u202fthe relational goods in education are devalued\u202fif AI is perceived to have \u201cleaked\u201d into them.)\u202fThe\u202fhard task\u202fwe should all be asking is where those distinctions lie: \u201cwhere, in this institution, does human provenance matter?\u201d<\/p>\n It was the article from\u202fThe Spectator\u202fthat generated the most discussion, probably because it is a polemic against the ills of AI and \u201clazy\u201d students who use it.\u202fSussex colleagues, as ever, identified the unfairness in the piece: that there are numerous reasons a student might be tempted to explore how generative AI could solve a problem for them in the moment, that not all students have equal access to such tools and this disadvantages students who cannot employ expensive or sophisticated systems, that actually the advent of AI only makes it more crucial that we develop assessments that are proportionate and relevant,\u202fand so on.\u202fMembers of the CoP who are far from enthusiastic about adopting AI, rallied to the defence of the hypothetical students\u202fHamilton labelled \u201clazy\u201d and\u202ftore to shreds the points the author tried to make about in-person exams and removing anonymous marking.\u202fReading the piece was useful though as the rhetoric about AI and universities published in a magazine\u202fthat features in the Top\u202f10 of current affairs titles in the UK (Press Gazette, 2026<\/a>) is not something we can afford to ignore.\u202fColleagues\u2019 suggestions for Sussex are to ensure that information pages for staff and students, with a clear position on responsible use of AI and what this means, are made available and explicit, not hidden behind passwords and logins.\u202fColleagues agreed that while the issue Hamilton writes about is sector-wide, we need a \u201ccohesive, strategic approach\u2026integrated into our policies\u201d and that \u201csome students will use AI; we\u202f[Sussex]\u202fneed to adapt\u201d.<\/p>\n One of the iterations of the Reading Table group (colleagues moved between activities as the session went on)<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The\u202f\u201cBe\u202fThe\u202fExpert\u201d activity\u202finvited colleagues to position themselves as the expert expected to provide\u202fa\u202f30 minute training or coaching session\u202ffor a new colleague joining their team in September 2026, with a focus on\u202fhow the\u202fnew starter\u202fcould use AI to directly support their work or to improve student experience.\u202f\u202fPrompts were provided, including variables such as what would change if the session were completely theoretical with no practical element, or if the session were extended to include multiple attendees.<\/p>\n \u202fWe had two responses to this activity, one by a teaching colleague who worked independently and one by a group\u202fcomprising\u202fcolleagues from across specialisms. The teaching example included suggestions such as using AI to support initial subject research, future trends,\u202ffact-checking, lesson planning and giving students examples of poor AI output for them to critique and learn from. The group example included reference to our institutional resources such as Skills Hub, the Library, assessment and academic integrity guidance, Employability and Entrepreneurship and wider research on how students use AI. The two responses\u202fdemonstrated\u202fhow AI can be used well to support students and staff at Sussex, and how our response is developing across the university. Both responses made the point that details\u202fregarding\u202fpermitted or prohibited use of AI must be transparent, and that while using AI is not automatically misconduct, we have a responsibility to set clear expectations.<\/p>\n My observation was that while this was initially a less popular activity, colleagues who\u202fapproached\u202fit after completing the reading activity\u202fseemed more prepared to tackle it, which highlights how important it is that experts have the chance to engage with literature and data, developing their own scholarship, before being expected to deliver training or advice to others.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The\u202fPractical Hands-on\u202factivity\u202fwas\u202ffacilitated\u202fby\u202fGeorge\u202fRobinson<\/a>, EE\u2019s Senior Learning Technologist, and\u202fprovided the\u202fopportunity\u202ffor members of the CoP\u202fto\u202fexplore and build\u202fAI\u202fagents using Microsoft\u202fCoPilot.\u202fGeorge\u2019s encouragement,\u202fvast\u202fknowledge\u202fand enthusiasm\u202fwere perfectly suited\u202fto this task as he put colleagues at ease and encouraged them to give it a go.<\/p>\n \u202fWhat started as a small one-on-one session soon grew as colleagues became more confident to join George and learn from him.<\/p>\n George Robinson, Senior LT, guided and supported colleagues to build AI agents using Microsoft CoPilot.<\/i><\/p>\n Colleagues were surprised how easy the process turned out to\u202fbe, and\u202frecognised that while this is certainly\u202fa point\u202fin favour, such ease also calls for caution: we must be careful not to become mindless in our interaction with the technology.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, the Visual and Artistic Expression activity, which was borrowed and adapted by Mark Thomas<\/a> from one he saw at a JISC event, invited colleagues to illustrate how they perceive AI at Sussex now and in the future. Mark provided useful prompts to include in the artwork and to guide reflection, which were:<\/p>\n The visual\/artistic activity proved\u202fvery popular\u202fand generated a lot of conversation and reflection among attendees.<\/i><\/p>\n Perceptions\u202fof\u202fcurrent\u202fAI use at Sussex\u202fwere varied, but the common themes\u202freflected the uncertainties and\u202fconflicts that we would expect so early in\u202fa paradigm\u202fshift.\u202fA\u202fdesire for clearer institutional guidance\u202fwas\u202fevident, as was concern that\u202frisks such as\u202fthreats to academic integrity, critical thinking, environmental\u202fresources\u202fand equity are not being sufficiently addressed.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n In this thought-provoking example, AI is depicted as shaky\u202fground separating people from reaching\u202fa destination.\u202fThe building the person is trying to reach could\u202frepresent\u202femployment (I read \u201cLtd.\u201d on the roof) or another\u202fgoal.\u202fIt is clear that the\u202fartist\u202fviews AI as a necessary but insecure part of the path to\u202freaching the target.\u202fThe person\u202fhas to\u202ftraverse the\u202flandscape without a guide who has gone before, but they do have a companion who might be encouraging them or urging caution.<\/p>\n Illustrations of how members of the Teaching with AI Community of Practice perceive AI\u202fat\u202fSussex in the present.<\/i><\/p>\n When asked to consider how AI at Sussex might look in the 2030s, the responses were mostly optimistic that the university will find a way to adopting informed and\u202fequitable\u202fuse. A well-resourced and human-centred experience is envisioned, informed by initiatives such as the Sussex Academic Framework, with discernment and balance.<\/p>\n \u202fHowever, visions of the future did also include a stark warning about what we stand to lose if AI is\u202fallowed to overrun our values and our\u202fworld: the threat to the natural\u202fenvironment\u202fis\u202freferenced, and the depiction of Sussex\u2019s Arts A building alight drives home the\u202frisk to our creativity.<\/p>\n I was particularly struck by this illustration\u202fby\u202fHelen Todd<\/a>, the Learning Technologist who supports Sussex\u2019s Online Distance Learning provision, which shows\u202fAI as a tool used by skilled humans for the benefit of our community:<\/p>\n Illustration of the future<\/i><\/p>\n For reference,\u202fHelen\u2019s vision of the present\u202fsituation with AI is the illustration depicting conflict\u202fbetween\u202fopposing camps, while \u201cthoughtful engagement\u201d tries to achieve peace.<\/p>\n Illustrations of how members of the Teaching with AI Community of Practice perceive AI at Sussex in the\u202fcoming decade.<\/i><\/p>\n In terms of the\u202fbarriers\u202fwe are facing, and what members of the CoP understand to be priorities for achieving\u202fconfident and critically informed use of AI, the number one call was for support\u202ffor colleagues and students to\u202fdevelop their AI Literacy and their wider Digital Skills, echoing the second of our Principles for AI in Education<\/a> which were published in Summer 2025.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 6th\u202fmeeting of the Teaching with AI Community of Practice\u202fwas a success, generating much discussion and\u202fproviding time and space for colleagues to reflect on\u202fhow they have worked with AI throughout 25\/26, and what they would like to try for 26\/27.\u202f\u202fThe activities and the structure\u202fwas\u202fwell-received and I really valued the chance to learn from everyone who came along.<\/p>\n Feedback on the session, and what colleagues would like to see from us in the future is invited\u202fon the MS Form here\u202fTeaching with AI Community of Practice – What’s Next for 26\/27?<\/a>.<\/p>\n You may view the resources we provided for the session here\u202fhttps:\/\/sussex.box.com\/s\/knm67qntxrt95l3bdfl6klrigr27lf14<\/a>.\u202fIf you would like to use them for your own event,\u202fwe\u2019d\u202fappreciate a credit.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The University of Surrey have announced that AI is to be embedded in discipline-specific ways in every Surrey degree from September 2026. Read more here: Surrey embeds AI in every degree from 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n JISC\u2019s HE AI Community Meetup\u202ftook place on 11th June. Read more about the topics here June HE AI community meetup – Artificial intelligence<\/a> where you\u2019ll see a lot of the perspectives at Sussex are echoed across institutions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coming up on 5th July, the BBC podcast The Artificial University will feature Kathryn Claire Higgins, a working academic in the UK, who wants to raise an alarm and ask \u201ccan university education survive AI?\u201d Tune in here: BBC Radio 4 – Currently, The Artificial University<\/a>.<\/p>\n Announcements were made by the UK Government during London Tech Week, including details such as UK infrastructure, online safety and defence. The announcements were covered by The Guardian here: UK sets out AI infrastructure push at London Tech Week \u2013 how does it stack up? | AI (artificial intelligence) | The Guardian<\/a><\/p>\n This was a Spotlight on AI in Education update from Educational Enhancement Welcome to June 2026\u2019s Spotlight on AI in Education bulletin. With how fast things are moving, this will help you cut through the noise and catch what\u2019s important.\u202fThe bulletin highlights\u202fon-the-ground\u202fpractice, institutional perspectives and\u202ftrends in generative AI use\u202facross the sector\u202fand\u202fbeyond. We…<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Illustrations](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/All-Illustrations-2-scaled.jpg\")
Illustrations produced at the sixth meeting of the AI CoP, depicting our perceptions of AI at Sussex now and in the future. Read more about these below<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\nFormat of the Event<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Let\u2019s\u202ftalk about it:<\/h3>\n
![\"Microsoft](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/Gear-Examples-MS-on-Left-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRead All About\u202fIt!:<\/h3>\n
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![\"Photograph](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/reading.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBe the Expert:<\/h3>\n
Practical Hands-on:<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/hands-on.jpg\")
<\/p>\nVisual\u202fand Artistic Expression:<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"A](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/illustration-table.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/Present-Vision-AI-as-Wobbly-Bridge.jpg\")
Illustration of the present showing a stick figure crossing a ravine where the only support is the letters A and I. The letters are shaky and the person is unsteady. It is necessary to cross the AI bridge to reach a building the other side of the ravine. Another stick figure stands on the side before the ravine and looks concerned.<\/i><\/p>\n![\"Illustrations](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/Present-AI-Use-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"An](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/Future-Vision-Ploughman.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Illustrations](\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/files\/2026\/06\/Future-AI-Use-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSummary and Next Steps for the CoP<\/h3>\n
Across the Sector<\/h2>\n
Further Afield<\/h2>\n
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