What do academic skills do students need in higher education today? Does ‘embracing’ AI come at the cost of developing higher order thinking skills? I’m joined by Computer Science Lecturer Mike O’Dea and Associate Lecturer in Academic Skills Paulina Melichova to get their take on this. We reflect on Mike’s recent AI training session, and talk about how much curriculum time should be given to AI literacies, whether authentic assessments come at the cost of validity, the merits of the traffic light system, and how to make digital skills training accessible to all students and staff.

Michael O’Dea is a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of York and a Senior Fellow of the HEA.. He holds an Ed.D. from the University of Leeds, which was a technology Enhanced Learning study looking at Serious Games. His current research interests are focussed on AI literacy, Technology Acceptance and Computer Science Education. He is particularly interested in the application and integration of AI into learning and teaching.

His recent publications include articles for Policy Futures in Education, The Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, The Times Higher Education Campus, Wonkhe and Emerald Publishing. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. He has delivered a number of workshops and invited talks on AI literacy and on the impact of GenAI in education, including for the Chartered Association of Business Schools, QAA, SRHE and the Open Access Publishing Association. Currently he is the Principle Investigator on a QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project looking at the impact of disruptive technologies on Graduate Attributes.

Further reading

HEPI (2014). Student Academic Experience Survey 2024. [Online]. HEPI, UK. Available at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2024/06/13/student-academic-experience-survey-2024/

O'Dea, M. (2025). AI: an introduction to the basics. Available at : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1egvD8Y-MSyWctEQID_3_WN1ZXPBSd2Sj/view

Perkins, M. and Roe, J. (2024). Rather than restrict the use of AI, let’s embrace the challenge it offers [Online]. Times Higher Education. Available at https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/rather-restrict-use-ai-lets-embrace-challenge-it-offers

As we approach the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we discuss the impact of the war on Ukrainian higher education. Many university buildings have suffered extensive physical damage, especially those in the east of the country, and online teaching, a distant memory for most, is for many Ukrainian students and teachers still a reality. Despite the hardships, learning and teaching carries on, and technology and innovative teaching techniques have helped Ukrainian education to thrive.

In this episode we talk to academics from the field of Geography: Dariia Kholiavchuk, Kate Borysenko, Liz Hurrell and Simon Hutchinson about their collaborative paper on the role of digital technology in supporting geographical education in Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. We discuss the practical applications of virtual field trips, and the implications of teaching geography under war conditions. Topics include using tools like Google Earth and ThingLink to provide remote and hybrid learning experiences, the importance of fieldwork, sustaining student motivation and mental health, and the importance of the field of Geography to the eventual reconstruction of Ukraine. Finally we also talk about how the international academic community can contribute to educational resilience in Ukraine.

Further reading

Hutchinson, S.M., Hurrell, E.R., Borysenko, K., Popov, V., Kholiavchuk, D. & Popiuk, Y. (2024) Resilient education: The role of digital technology in supporting geographical education in Ukraine. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 00, e12728. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12728

Guest bios

Kateryna Borysenko is Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Geography and Cartography Faculty of Geology, Geography, Recreation and Tourism at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. She is dedicated to the development of education and science in the city of Kharkiv, is widely published in the field of Geographical training and education, and leads educational practices in her department.

k.borysenko@karazin.ua

Daria Kholiavchuk is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Geography, Geomorphology, and Paleogeography at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University in Western Ukraine. As the program leader for bachelor students in Geography, she is dedicated to fostering the next generation of geographers skilled in sustainability and postwar recovery. Her research focuses on climate change and natural hazards management. Daria is involved in projects to build adaptive capacities in the Ukrainian Carpathians and promote cross-border ecological management. Currently, she participates in the resilient education and research initiative, supported by British colleagues through digital tools. d.kholyavchuk@chnu.edu.ua

Dr Simon M Hutchinson is a Reader / Associate Professor at the University of Salford. He believes that Environmental Education should be accessible to everyone and the using Digital Visualisation Tools (DVTs) can help to achieve this equity. His research on palaeoenvironmental records(e.g., peat, cave and lake sediments) in the Carpathian Mountains (mainly in Romania) mean that his own field work has taken him close to the border; he hopes one day to be able to extend this into Ukraine. s.m.hutchinson@salford.ac.uk

Liz Hurrell is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geographer in the Department of Environment and Geography at York and an Associate Lecturer for the Open University. She has a passion for Geography Higher Education with interests in climate education, equality, diversity and inclusion, hybrid/online education as well as fieldwork. The latter opened up a conversation between York-Salford-Kharkiv on how virtual field trips can support education during the war. liz.hurrell@york.ac.uk

In this third installment of the SoTL flavoured TELSIG podcast, Phil is joined again by Lucy Turner Voakes from York's Academic Practice team, and Nick Glover from Inclusive Learning to discuss equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in higher education and its interactions with SoTL. The conversation explores the catalysts for heightened attention on EDI, such as award gaps for black students, the interplay between broader social issues and higher education, and the importance of data-driven approaches. We talk about the barriers to implementing inclusive practices, the role of scholarship, and the complexities of measuring success. The discussion also touches on the potential benefits of partnerships between students and staff in fostering a more inclusive educational environment.

Guest profile

Nicholas Glover works in the Inclusive Education Team as an Inclusive Education Adviser. He has a background in critical approaches to student engagement and student voice. He is interested in the co-creation of learning, teaching and assessment in HE, particularly the ways in which student-staff partnerships can foster and embed inclusive practices within the classroom and throughout universities. He is currently working on a number of educational enhancement projects, including the University’s new Student Success Projects Fund, which is supporting students and staff to work collaboratively to innovate aspects of learning, teaching and assessment.

• Matthews, K. (2017). Five Propositions for Genuine Students as Partners Practice | International Journal for Students as Partners
• Advance HE Framework - Student Engagement through Partnership
• University of York Inclusive Learning Toolkit