Our AI Journey – Glasgow Clyde College

The rapid advancement of generative AI tools has presented both opportunities and challenges for educational institutions. At Glasgow Clyde College, we recognised the potential to enhance efficiency and creativity for our staff, while also acknowledging the need to support those less familiar with emerging technologies. The proliferation of AI platforms led to uncertainty, with educators seeking guidance on appropriate tools and their application.

To address these needs, we initiated the TeacherMatic project, aimed at integrating generative AI seamlessly into learning and teaching workflows. Our vision was to create an environment where educators could improve efficiency, boost productivity, and foster innovation. By democratising access to AI, we sought to empower all staff members, regardless of their technical expertise.

We chose to implement TeacherMatic, starting with a pilot group of 50 staff members, with plans for expansion based on reception and results. TeacherMatic offered an intuitive interface specifically designed for educational purposes, aligning perfectly with College’s strategic vision of fostering innovation, inclusivity, and excellence.

We have taken our colleagues beyond the fear and uncertainty of something new and unknown, to embrace a philosophy of confidence and adaptability. By introducing TeacherMatic and supporting our staff to use it successfully, we have sparked curiosity, encouraged experimentation, and opened the possibilities that generative AI offers for creativity and efficiency.

Our approach focused on guiding colleagues beyond initial apprehensions about this technology, towards a mindset of confidence and adaptability. By introducing TeacherMatic and providing comprehensive support, we aimed to spark curiosity, encourage experimentation, and unlock the creative and efficiency-enhancing potential of generative AI.

Navigating Staff Training with TeacherMatic

We created a workflow that staff could easily follow to create schemes of work, lesson plans, activities, and quizzes directly from SQA specifications, thus ensuring the content created was relevant to their unit and subject. The output generated by TeacherMatic also allows content to be shared easily via our VLE (Canvas) thereby promoting digital learning by design.

Our training strategy combined face-to-face sessions, virtual meetings via Teams, and a mix of small faculty groups and individual instruction. Over the course of the year, we delivered more than 220 hours of CPD training to 230 staff members, across 29 schools.

The key to our success was addressing concerns about AI by:

Setting realistic expectations on what AI can and cannot do.
Reassuring staff that AI platforms such as TeacherMatic are not there to replace them.
Reinforcing the importance of subject knowledge.
Encouraging individualisation and contextualisation of resources.
Supporting staff to experiment with generators.

We also created a comprehensive bank of resources hosted on Canvas featuring best practice case studies, acceptable use guidelines, and instructional videos on using generators, incorporating AI output into teaching, and enhancing resources within Canvas.

Outcomes

The outcomes have been encouraging. Staff who engaged with AI and TeacherMatic have demonstrated improved digital skills, including the ability to manipulate AI-generated content, save it in appropriate formats, and share it with students via platforms like Canvas. This has not only expanded the pool of online resources available for student learning but also fostered a more digitally competent teaching environment. This increase in confidence and competence, then positively affects learners through an overall improved college experience.

Moreover, staff have become more attuned to accessibility issues and the importance of producing inclusive resources. TeacherMatic generators allow users to specify additional support needs within their learner groups, enabling the adaptation of content to maximise accessibility. AI has also facilitated the creation of materials at multiple ability levels, ensuring a more inclusive learning experience.

Uptake

Feedback gathered at the end of year 1 on uptake of the project can be categorised into three broad areas:

Category 1
Staff who did not fully use TeacherMatic due to workload issues, lack of confidence to experiment or time constraints. These staff will be offered a licence to continue engaging with AI and will be supported through regular training and feedback sessions.

Category 2
Staff who engaged fully with the process, used TeacherMatic on a regular basis and will continue to do so into the next academic year.

Category 3
Staff who took part in the project and now feel confident to use platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude.ai or Copilot to generate resources. While TeacherMatic provided the training wheels and support to begin their AI journey, using iterative prompting now offers them more scope to manipulate outcomes and contextualise to their individual needs. This cohort of staff now form the second stage of the AI
journey at Glasgow Clyde.

What’s Next for Glasgow Clyde and AI

We will continue supporting staff using TeacherMatic in the 2024/2025 academic year through ongoing training. Additionally, we are launching the second stage of our AI roadmap, focusing on iterative prompting using Microsoft Copilot. The potential for staff to leverage both TeacherMatic and Copilot in tandem is substantial, and we anticipate exciting developments in this area.

Our experience demonstrates the transformative potential of AI in Further Education. By providing the right tools, support, and encouragement, educational institutions can harness AI to enhance teaching methodologies, improve resource creation, and ultimately provide a richer, more personalised learning experience for students. As we continue this journey, we remain committed to exploring innovative ways to integrate AI into our educational practices, always with the goal of empowering our staff and enriching the learning experience for our students.

For more information, please contact:
Amy Butler
Accounting Lecturer & eLearning Development Officer
Glasgow Clyde College
E-Mail: AButler@glasgowclyde.ac.uk

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