Learn from each other

Sharing and discussing experiences with other teachers provides ideas for your own teaching and is also an excellent way to learn more about the possibilities and limitations of generative AI. Often, this happens informally, in conversations with colleagues over coffee, but given the ongoing rapid development of both technology and the practices of students and teachers, there may be reason to create more structured forms for exchanging experiences.

At the Department Level

Within a department, a subject, or a program, heads of departments, directors of studies, etc., can take formal responsibility for managing experiences. The simplest way to organize the exchange of experiences is within the framework of regularly recurring teacher days and subject conferences. Feel free to vary the formats (perhaps poster sessions and not just presentations) and the content (by sometimes focusing on specific issues rather than a mixed smorgasbord of experiences). An important aspect to consider is how to document and follow up on what emerges.

Collegial Networks

For ongoing discussions, collegial networks work better. For a network to function, it is wise to find a realistic level of ambition, a form that matches it, and to distribute responsibility within the network.

In a network with many engaged members and where a lot is happening, it often works best to work asynchronously, online; if there are fewer participants and long intervals between sharing, it probably works better to plan a few real-time meetings, preferably in person. Someone needs to take formal responsibility for the network (to manage the online environment or to schedule network meetings), but if the activity level is too low, with more readers than contributors, it is advisable to agree on rotating responsibility among the network members to contribute something. When a network is kept alive solely by the efforts of the responsible person, it is usually time to shut it down and find another form.

Choose How You Communicate with colleagues

If you want to work online and share materials, discuss with each other, and collect links to other resources, you can create collaboration spaces online in SharePoint, which all employees have access to (see the link at the bottom of the page).

As usual with tools that offer many possibilities, it also requires more from the users. Make sure you choose tools that really suit your network and its level of ambition! Sometimes a traditional mailing list may very well suffice for a network. It is often better to start simple and let it grow in line with the network’s needs than to create an advanced collaboration space from the beginning that largely remains deserted and underused.

Across Subject and University Boundaries

There is currently no network where teachers from all of Uppsala University can share and discuss experiences of using AI in teaching. However, the seminars and workshops organized by the unit for Academic Teaching and Learning can serve as a possible arena for exchanging experiences. Every other year, a higher education pedagogical conference is also organized where you can submit contributions.