QUID Funding Showcase 2024
The Quality and Institutional Insights Office was thrilled to host our inaugural QuID Funding Showcase Event on Monday, December 2nd. This milestone gathering celebrated the achievements of DCU’s Quality Improvement and Development Fund (QuID), established in 2012 to foster community-led quality enhancement initiatives across the university.
Attendees enjoyed insightful presentations from the 2024 QuID funding recipients, highlighting the innovative outcomes and impacts of their AI-focused projects. These initiatives underscored DCU's commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, demonstrating how AI is shaping the future of education and research at our institution.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants for making this event a success and look forward to seeing these projects continue to flourish.
Ger Cannon, ISS
Project Team: Ger Cannon
Project Details: Our chatbot initiative revolutionised support during high-demand periods like registration. The ISS chatbot addresses common issues, such as password and MFA problems, by guiding users to tailored resources and providing timely updates. Starting with the purchase of Copilot Studio in February, the project progressed through development and testing across departments. The ISS chatbot launched in May, followed by the People chatbot in July, with ongoing improvements. Future plans include expansion to Placements, Finance, and Communications for enhanced support.
Project Slides: Here
Padraig Ó Catháin
Project team:Padraig Ó Catháin, Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge
Project summary: In 2024, our team hosted events highlighting AI and the Irish language. Key moments included Seachtain na Gaeilge outreach, engaging 250 secondary students at DCU's All Hallows Campus, and workshops for educators and leaders, sparking discussions on AI in education. Our efforts led to a research initiative benchmarking AI's Irish fluency, set for 2025 publication. Team members also shared insights at national conferences, promoting AI in Irish-medium education.
Project Slides: Here
Monica Lechea
Project: Monica Lechea, Research Development Office, ADAPT
Project Title: AI Assistance in Proposal Development
Project Summary: This project created a tool to evaluate funding proposals using insights from Generative AI training. Input from the EARMA AI Day and a workshop shaped practical AI guidelines for Research Development, shared via an abstract submitted to INORMS Congress. In August 2024, a Generative AI in Research Management event, co-hosted with ADAPT and AMBER, gathered 85 participants and expert speakers to discuss AI's potential and challenges in research management.
Project Slides: Here
Dónal Mulligan
Project: Donal Mulligan
Project Title: Developing and Assessing Critical Approaches to Generative AI in Media, Communications, and Journalism
Project Summary: This project examined AI in Media, Communications, and Journalism (MCJ), involving a legal advisor to address IP and data use concerns. Workshops provided staff with AI skills and ethical guidelines, resulting in the TOPIC model for citing AI in student work. Alumni-led industry events highlighted the School’s commitment to ethical, industry-relevant AI education, boosting its reputation and curriculum.
Project Slides: Here
Catherine Dean
Project Team: Fiona Brennan – Director of Research Support/Research Support Manager (Project Lead) & Dr Catherine Dean - Research Ethics and Integrity Officer
Project Title: Supporting DCU researchers to integrate AI ethically into their research activity
Project Summary: The project upskilled DCU ethics committee members and Faculty Research Integrity Advocates on AI use in research. Focus groups with faculty in April and May 2024 informed a "Train the Trainer" workshop in September. The DCU Research Ethics Committee published AI ethics guidelines on the DCU website in August. In October, DCU joined the EARMA Ethics and Research Integrity Officers Network event to share best practices for AI ethics with EU institutions.
Project Slides:Here
Anderson Simiscuka
Project Team: Anderson Simiscuka, Postdoctoral Researcher, Performance Engineering Lab, School of Electronic Engineering. Project PI (Design of Assignments, Data Processing and Publication Leading)
Project Title: Understanding and comparing the benefits of Google’s Gemini AI and ChatGPT for Python Learning
Project Summary: This project examined the use of ChatGPT and Google's Gemini LLMs in teaching Python to 204 first-year BSc students. Students coded two games, "Morra" and "Quarto," with LLMs used for the second assignment. Various input methods, like diagrams or pseudocode, generated Python code, and outcomes were compared to evaluate LLMs' impact on learning. Ethical approval and assignment releases occurred in March 2024, with student feedback collected via questionnaires.
Project Slides:Here
Loop-ing in genAI
Project Team:Rob Lowney & Steve Welsh, Teaching Enhancement Unit
Project Title:Loop-ing in genAI
Project Summary: This project pilots integrating OpenAI’s large language model with Loop, enabling lecturers to generate content and assess generative AI’s benefits and limitations. Key steps include installing an AI plugin, supporting lecturers in creating and refining quiz questions with ChatGPT, and evaluating their experiences. Progress includes activating ChatGPT, installing and securing the plugin, REC evaluation approval, and a pre-pilot with four participants ahead of the full rollout.
Project Slides:Here