The TELSIG Podcast

David Read: E-authoring tools and their impact on teaching

E-authoring tools like Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate have had a transformative impact on education. They allow teachers and course writers to quickly create visually appealing, interactive learning materials. Despite these benefits, their uptake often remains restricted to small circles of enthusiasts.
Today I talk to David Read from the University of Sheffield about and the benefits and potential challenges faced by teachers in adopting these technologies. We talk through the benefits of interactive digital content, the evolution of teaching methodologies, and the critical role of training and support in successful technology integration. We also explore the use of AI in content creation and the future of educational technologies. Perfect for educators, learning designers, and technology enthusiasts seeking to enhance their teaching and learning processes. Finally, we discuss how teachers and materials writers can get started with their own digital projects.
David Read is Academic Director for Technology Enhanced Learning at the University of Sheffield. He has been involved in language teaching for over 20 years, and recently spearheaded the introduction of e-authoring tools in the language provision at Sheffield.
Resources:
https://www.articulate.com/360/storyline/
https://h5p.org/
https://www.xerte.org.uk/
https://wordwall.net/

Rob Shaw and David Anderson: Has technology changed teaching?

How has classroom practice changed as a result of the ever increasing availability of teaching technologies? We look specifically at polling tools, and consider the broader influence of such platforms.
Rob Shaw is an Educational Adviser in the Programme Design and Learning Technology Team and the Faculty contact for the Arts and Humanities. He is the service lead for Mentimeter classroom polling at the University, and he is interested in the effective integration of learning technologies at activity, session, module and programme levels.
David Anderson has been involved in teaching for over 30 years in Spain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. He is currently based at the University of York where he teaches English for Academic Purposes to international students. He has a diverse range of interests, with a particular emphasis on reading strategies, vocabulary acquisition and materials development. A recurring theme over the years has been the desire to leverage technology (from Tipex to AI) to enhance teaching and learning.
Related links Shaw, R. (2023). Does the use of Mentimeter classroom polling spark joy (or at least some positivity) in learning and teaching? Forum Magazine. [Online]. Available at: https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/forum/Forum-Magazine-Issue-51-Summer-2023.pdf

Sam Hazeldine: Virtual reality in higher education

In this episode, Sam Hazeldine discusses the integration of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in education. We discuss the potential of AR and VR to enhance learning, clarify the definitions of VR, AR, and mixed reality, and talk about their practical applications in classrooms, such as simulations and interactive learning environments. Sam also addresses the accessibility of such technologies and the impact of AI on creating educational content. He emphasizes the importance of using these technologies to complement traditional teaching methods rather than replace them.
Sam Hazeldine is a learning technologist at the University of York's Creativity Lab. He is a former primary school teacher, and currently works with departments across the university to help them use digital technologies to improve learning.

Stephen Gow and Lucy Turner-Voakes: A new chapter for artificial intelligence in higher education

This conversation from May 2023 took place in the wake of the launch of ChatGPT 3.5. We cover responses from institutions, policy, implications for teaching and assessment, questions raised and opportunities for research, and other topics.
Stephen Gow is responsible for the coordination of standards, assessment and academic integrity at the University of York, he has been working in this evolving role since 2014. Stephen spent 5 years in China prior to working at the University, he studied Chinese at Fudan University before teaching EAP at the Sydney Institute of Language and Commerce, Shanghai University and Tsinghua University. While working in China and then at the British Council, Cairo, Stephen completed his MRes at the Institute of Education before completing a PhD at the University of York. His research concerns understanding the educational, social, cultural, political and economic causes of the stereotype of Chinese students as susceptible to plagiarism. He is Chair of the Northern Academic Integrity Special Interest Group exploring sector wide approaches to contract cheating and is now focusing his research on the implications of artificial intelligence for academic integrity.
Related links European Network for Academic Integrity: https://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/
JISC: Explore AI: https://exploreai.jisc.ac.uk/
UNESCO report on ChatGPT: https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/2023/04/14/chatgpt-and-artificial-intelligence-in-higher-education-quick-start-guide-and-interactive-seminar/
Sinica podcast: https://thechinaproject.com/2023/03/11/chinas-draft-regulations-on-generative-ai-with-kendra-schaefer-and-jeremy-daum/
Li, Y., et al. (2023). Can large language models write reflectively? https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X2300019X?via%3Dihub
Bearman, M. & Ajjawi, R. (2023). Learning to work with the black box: Pedagogy for a world with artificial intelligence. https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.13337