Are You AI Ready? Investigating AI Tools in Higher Education –Faculty Guide

Creator(s)

Liam Fogarty

Organisation(s)

UCD, University College Dublin

Discipline(s)

Administration and Law, Agriculture, Arts and Humanities, Business, Education, Engineering, Fisheries and Veterinary, Forestry, Generic programmes and qualifications, Health and Welfare, Information and Communication Technologies, journalism and information, Manufacturing and Construction, Mathematics and Statistics, Natural Sciences, Services, , Teaching & Learning

Topic(s)

Digital Learning, Professional Development, Teaching and Learning Practice

License

CC BY-NC

Media Format

Website

Date Submitted

Submitted by

Export Resource Data

Description

This faculty guide aims to help educators navigate and understand GenAI’s potential role in higher education. Created for faculty who want to explore AI tools and their implications for teaching and learning, the resource allows educators to learn at their own pace about the opportunities and challenges of these technologies.

Benefit of this resource and how to make the best use of it

The guide provides practical insights for faculty interested in understanding and potentially incorporating AI tools in their teaching practice. It approaches the topic with a balanced perspective, acknowledging both the potential benefits and limitations of these emerging technologies. The resource is organised into five main sections:

1. Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence:

This section offers a straightforward overview of AI concepts, helping faculty understand the basics of GenAI tools and their capabilities. It avoids technical jargon while providing the foundational knowledge needed to engage with these technologies.

2. Exploring GenAI Tools & Prompt Crafting:

Here, faculty can learn about currently available GenAI tools and how to use them effectively. The section includes practical guidance on writing clear prompts to get useful results, focusing on educational applications.

3. Teaching and Learning & GenAI:

This section examines practical ways GenAI might support teaching and learning, with a particular focus on task support and accessibility. It includes real-world examples while acknowledging areas where evidence of effectiveness is still limited.

4. Responsible AI: Social and Ethical Considerations:

Faculty will find guidance on navigating ethical considerations when using AI tools in education. This includes information about academic integrity, data protection, and responsible use of AI in teaching contexts.

5. Navigating AI Advancements: Making Informed Choices:

The final section helps faculty stay informed about AI developments in higher education while maintaining a practical perspective on what these changes might mean for teaching and learning.

This project has been funded by the Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement funding administered by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, in partnership with the Higher Education Authority.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)

This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC license, permitting sharing and adaptation for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
? This citation is automatically generated and may require adjustment. Always verify it against your style guide.
Fogarty, L. (2024). Are you ai ready? investigating ai tools in higher education –faculty guide. National Resource Hub (Ireland). Retrieved from: https://hub.teachingandlearning.ie/resource/are-you-ai-ready-investigating-ai-tools-in-higher-education-faculty-guide/ License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC).

Adapting this resource? Share your version!

If you have modified or adopted this resource, share your version here. Tracking adaptations helps us measure impact and connects others with useful updates.

Related OER

The Manifesto for Generative AI in Higher Education is a living resource for educators, students, and institutions. It invites reflection and dialogue across thirty statements exploring teaching, ethics, and imagination – helping higher education navigate AI with curiosity, integrity, and humanity.

These presentation slides, developed by Dr Amanda Platt and Colette Murphy (Ulster University) for the Advancing Quality and Leadership in Sustainable Higher Education workshop hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), provide a detailed institutional case study of how Ulster University has systematically embedded Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) across all aspects of academic quality and curriculum design.

The slides outline Ulster’s six-year journey, highlighting strategic milestones including the development of the Integrated Curriculum Design Framework (ICDF), alignment with institutional strategies and sector frameworks such as QAA and Advance HE guidance, and successful accreditation under the SOS-UK Responsible Futures programme. They also illustrate how ESD principles have been built into programme approval, staff development, and quality enhancement processes—ensuring sustainability is embedded as a core academic value. The presentation provides an overview of Ulster’s commitment to collaboration, transparency, and evidence-based practice, offering valuable insights for institutions seeking to align ESD with academic standards, curriculum assurance, and sector quality codes.

These presentation slides, created and delivered by Dr Alex Ryan (Learning Energy) for the Advancing Quality and Leadership in Sustainable Higher Education workshop hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), introduce the principles and practice of Anti-Greenwash Education within the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The slides outline findings from the QAA-funded project Students Driving Curriculum Quality for Sustainability and provide a visual summary of how student-led approaches can strengthen transparency, quality, and credibility in sustainability education. They include key concepts, activity prompts, examples of course evaluation frameworks, and student feedback on applying ESD quality principles.

The workshop offered a structured overview of how institutions can embed authentic, evidence-based ESD across courses and policies, connecting workshop learning to wider sector priorities and the Government of Ireland’s ESD to 2030 Strategy.

This curated collection includes key materials, toolkits, and reports from the Anti-Greenwash Education initiative, developed to support quality, transparency, and integrity in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It provides direct access to the education kit, training resources, worked examples, film series, sector review, and action guidance, along with related reports and international frameworks informing current ESD policy and practice.

The resource is designed for students, course representatives, and staff engaged in sustainability education and quality enhancement. It connects practical learning tools with wider evidence on ESD trends, student demand for sustainability, and institutional quality frameworks, offering an overview of current developments in the field.

This resource was shared as part of the Advancing Quality and Leadership in Sustainable Higher Education workshop hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and facilitated by Dr Alex Ryan. The workshop supported Irish higher education institutions in strategically implementing high-quality ESD in alignment with the Government of Ireland’s ESD to 2030 Strategy and the HEA’s ESD programme objectives.