Dr Cesare Giulio Ardito
Watch a recording of the plenary presentation from Dr Ardito here.
Download the slides from Dr Adito’s talk here
Generative AI, teaching and learning: an overview
At the conference, he will give a general overview on the integration of AI tools in mathematical education, showcasing their strengths, weaknesses, and potential to revolutionize how we teach and learn.
Bio:
Dr Cesare Giulio Ardito is a Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Manchester, with a PhD focused on Modular Representation Theory. He is a member of the LEMMA (Leveraging Educational Methodologies for Mathematics Advancement) initiative in the Department of Mathematics, aimed at developing and sharing good practice and scholarship. Cesare is a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE, reflecting his commitment to teaching excellence, and a Member of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.
His current work intersects the realms of mathematics education and artificial intelligence, particularly exploring some pedagogical implications of generative AI and large language models technologies like ChatGPT, with a focus on the student perspective.
Dr Julia Sarju
Watch a recording of the plenary presentation from Dr Sarju here.
Download the slides from Dr Sarju’s presentation here
Amplifying the Voices of Disabled Scientists
Disabled scientists often face considerable barriers and exclusion in laboratory environments. In this talk, I will give an overview of the diversity landscape for disabled scientists (students and staff), amplify lived experiences, and share case studies where disabled scientists are informing and transforming lab environments and cultures for the better!
Bio:
Dr Julia Sarju is a senior lecturer in Chemistry Education and centres Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice in all her work, informed through scholarship and lived experience of disability. She is the departmental assessment lead (2023 – present), former disability lead (2018-present), and co-lead of the NADSN STEMM Action Group (2020-present), which challenges ableism in academia. Dr Sarju has won awards for excellence in teaching (including the RSC Early Career Prize for Excellence in HE) and holds significant, influential departmental and university-wide roles focussed on student experience.
Professor Sam Nolan
Watch a recording of the plenary presentation from Prof Nolan here.
Download the slides from Prof Nolan’s presentation here
Changing Times: From Individual Scholarship to Cross Institutional Approaches to Educational Change
In this talk I will explore how my own initial work in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at Durham University, such as using virtual screen experiments to prepare students for the laboratory and designing online courses to facilitate students’ transition into university life led me to develop institutional wide support for SOTL. I will share insights into the development, rationalization, and successful acquisition of funding for an Education Lab that supports SoTL across the institution. Highlighting recent projects, the talk will delve into how Generative AI, Virtual, and Augmented Reality technologies have been employed to enhance the student learning experience, showcasing their transformative potential in educational settings. I will discuss how this initiative not only empowered faculty but also is catalysing a cultural shift within academic departments towards more innovative and inclusive teaching methodologies. Through focussing on creative and inclusive approaches to education leadership I will conclude on how we’re trying to reimagine the educational landscape, demonstrating the impact of strategic support in promoting the evolution of teaching and learning.
Bio:
Sam Nolan is Professor of Learning at Teaching and Director at the Durham Centre for Academic Development at Durham University. With 20 years’ experience as a researcher and teacher, Sam’s career evolved following roles as a research physicist to have a stronger focus on adult science education before moving into an institutional wide role. Sam’s scholarship interests include AI; augmented reality; the use of active learning pedagogies to enhance student engagement and leadership development. Sam is chair of the Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovation Scholarship conference the national conference for Education and Scholarship focussed staff from all disciplines. For the national impact of his work, Sam has been awarded National Teaching Fellow status and is a Principal Fellowship of the HEA.
Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference 