Universities and the rise of AI - Part 3: Risks and opportunities

The Secret Life of Language

What might we lose or gain as AI reshapes academia? Can AI be leveraged ethically to foster learning, or does it fundamentally undermine academic integrity? And how do we ensure authentic learning in an AI-augmented world? Join us as we ponder the shifting roles of educators and students, and consider whether the future of assessments lies in oral exams, digital literacy, or something entirely different.

In this episode of The Secret Life of Language, hosts Prof John Hajek and Dr Yu Hao examine the fast evolving impact of generative AI on university teaching, learning, and assessment. Prof Raoul Mulder and Dr Julian Harris, two experts who've long been thinking about how learning happens and how it can be measured, join in for a thought-provoking discussion on whether traditional forms of evaluation are still relevant when AI can almost effortlessly generate essays, presentations, and even research papers.

Guests for this episode:

• Professor Raoul Mulder, Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne
• Dr Julian Harris, Education Services, La Trobe University

The Secret Life of Language is a podcast from the University of Melbourne’s School of Languages and Linguistics. This episode was produced by Eric van Bemmel and Kelvin Param of Profactual and Gavin Nebauer. Recorded and mixed by Gavin Nebauer at The Horwood Recording Studio, the University of Melbourne.

The Secret Life of Language is licensed under Creative Commons.