Matt Jarvis
C.Psychol, AFBPsS, CMALT, SFHEA

In this workshop, esteemed textbook author and learning technologist Matt Jarvis discusses how Generative AI continues to change everything, but at the same time, the various backlashes that have gathered pace. The aim of this session is to briefly overview research findings on the changing applications of GenAI - including vibe coding, some psychology-related examples of which I will share – but also to take a broader, more critical view, and give balanced coverage to the reasons why many people reject generative AI. For example, AI has an environmental footprint, yet this is being mitigated through server efficiencies. GenAI can also have a significant impact on human cognition when overused, however pedagogies designed to minimise and even reverse this effect now exist. The relationship between GenAI and employment is paradoxical; on one hand GenAI has had a negative impact on employment opportunities. On the other hand, using GenAI has become an employability skill, so eschewing it on the grounds of harm to our students’ employment prospects is not really an option. There are no straightforward answers to these questions, but I hope to at least clarify the issues and offer some concrete suggestions for practical classroom applications for GenAI.

Matt is part of the Learning Design team at Bournemouth University, with particular responsibility for AI literacy and development. He is also the founder of Digigogy, a Chartered Psychologist and Certified Learning Technologist.