Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical framework

Generative artificial intelligence has confronted academic developers with the challenge of understanding new technologies and simultaneously providing authentic pedagogical support for academics who are also struggling to adapt. This empirical study responds to these challenges by reviewing a staf...

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Main Authors: Nicholas Bowskill, David Hall, Melody Harrogate, Ebere Eziefuna, Ben Marler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
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Online Access:https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1261
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author Nicholas Bowskill
David Hall
Melody Harrogate
Ebere Eziefuna
Ben Marler
author_facet Nicholas Bowskill
David Hall
Melody Harrogate
Ebere Eziefuna
Ben Marler
author_sort Nicholas Bowskill
collection DOAJ
description Generative artificial intelligence has confronted academic developers with the challenge of understanding new technologies and simultaneously providing authentic pedagogical support for academics who are also struggling to adapt. This empirical study responds to these challenges by reviewing a staff development workshop for generative AI and collaborative learning delivered to academics from various disciplines at the University of Derby, UK. This is an example of online academic lecturers working in ‘third space’ roles, providing professional development support for other academics on campus. A focus group was used immediately after the experiential workshop as a means of gathering empirical data. Findings show lecturers are concerned about AI, but classroom-based staff development workshops can provide useful third spaces for discussion and sharing good practice. Interestingly, AI prompts emerged as a way of making cognitive effort visible, and the article responds to this finding with Iterationism as an emergent theory for learning with generative AI. This reflects a process-oriented view of learning with these technologies. Beyond developing theory for generative AI and learning, we make four contributions to the literature on third spaces. They are (1) that online lecturers occupy and create third spaces across different modes; (2) that collaboration on applications of AI technologies can address relational tensions highlighted in third space research (Daza, Gudmundsdottir and Lund, 2021); (3) that AI can be understood as a third space for the way it feeds into discussions across students, academics, and external organisations; and (4) that we have developed theory from cross-modal third space practice.
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spelling doaj-art-aa132e1fa8cf44c1b65c9fab11c5b9a52025-01-31T07:56:35ZengAssociation for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE)Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education1759-667X2025-01-013310.47408/jldhe.vi33.1261Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical frameworkNicholas Bowskill0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3015-193XDavid Hall1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2972-4689Melody Harrogate2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3195-8281Ebere Eziefuna3Ben Marler4University of DerbyUniversity of DerbyUniversity of DerbyUniversity of DerbyUniversity of Derby Generative artificial intelligence has confronted academic developers with the challenge of understanding new technologies and simultaneously providing authentic pedagogical support for academics who are also struggling to adapt. This empirical study responds to these challenges by reviewing a staff development workshop for generative AI and collaborative learning delivered to academics from various disciplines at the University of Derby, UK. This is an example of online academic lecturers working in ‘third space’ roles, providing professional development support for other academics on campus. A focus group was used immediately after the experiential workshop as a means of gathering empirical data. Findings show lecturers are concerned about AI, but classroom-based staff development workshops can provide useful third spaces for discussion and sharing good practice. Interestingly, AI prompts emerged as a way of making cognitive effort visible, and the article responds to this finding with Iterationism as an emergent theory for learning with generative AI. This reflects a process-oriented view of learning with these technologies. Beyond developing theory for generative AI and learning, we make four contributions to the literature on third spaces. They are (1) that online lecturers occupy and create third spaces across different modes; (2) that collaboration on applications of AI technologies can address relational tensions highlighted in third space research (Daza, Gudmundsdottir and Lund, 2021); (3) that AI can be understood as a third space for the way it feeds into discussions across students, academics, and external organisations; and (4) that we have developed theory from cross-modal third space practice. https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1261staff developmentthird spacesartificial intelligencecollaborative learninglearning theoryiterationism
spellingShingle Nicholas Bowskill
David Hall
Melody Harrogate
Ebere Eziefuna
Ben Marler
Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical framework
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
staff development
third spaces
artificial intelligence
collaborative learning
learning theory
iterationism
title Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical framework
title_full Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical framework
title_fullStr Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical framework
title_full_unstemmed Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical framework
title_short Staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using Iterationism as a theoretical framework
title_sort staff development for generative artificial intelligence and collaborative learning using iterationism as a theoretical framework
topic staff development
third spaces
artificial intelligence
collaborative learning
learning theory
iterationism
url https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1261
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AT melodyharrogate staffdevelopmentforgenerativeartificialintelligenceandcollaborativelearningusingiterationismasatheoreticalframework
AT ebereeziefuna staffdevelopmentforgenerativeartificialintelligenceandcollaborativelearningusingiterationismasatheoreticalframework
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