We are happy to announce the release of the recording of the seminar:
Whispering to the Machine: Pedagogical Experiments in the Age of ChatGPT
Event held on: 3rd June 2025, 10 - 11am GMT+1
Speaker: Dr Simone Smala
Chair: Dr Ivana Milojevic
Hybrid: in person (Room 2.55, Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh) and online
Watch the recording: Whispering to the Machine: Pedagogical Experiments in the Age of ChatGPT - Media Hopper Create.
Abstract
This presentation reports on a year-long study of 38 Australian primary and secondary educators exploring their prompting practices with generative artificial intelligence (GAI), specifically ChatGPT, in the wake of its public release. Drawing on 252 prompts deemed pedagogically useful and 19 considered poor, alongside semi-structured interviews with 35 participants, the study provides empirical insights into how teachers are co-creating pedagogy through GAI. ChatGPT emerged as a collaborative tool for designing instructional tasks, differentiating materials, supporting assessment, and managing administrative duties. Interviews reveal its perceived value in expanding dialogic spaces for idea generation, assessment design, and modelling student engagement with AI. However, emergent discourses also point to the need for clearer policies, professional guidance, and recognition of the risks of widening the digital divide. By framing ChatGPT use within co-creative pedagogies, this study contributes to understanding how educators integrate GAI into teaching practice — and the support structures required to ensure its equitable and ethical use in schools.
Biography
Dr Simone Smala is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland, specialising in learning theories, multilingualism, and emerging technologies in teaching. Her current research explores how educators engage with generative artificial intelligence in everyday classroom planning and practice. She is also a collaborator on the AI for Life Cooperative Research Centre Bid, led by the University of South Australia, which brings together interdisciplinary experts to explore responsible, human-centred applications of AI across sectors.