Overview

The Spring 2024 Technology Enhanced Learning Centre (TELC) Newsletter Is Out!

Emerging AI Technologies

With the wide-scale introduction of Large Language Model (LLM) platforms in 2023, the world arguably experienced the most disruptive technology year in its history. The rate of development now in AI is simply ‘astoundingly’ exponential, with ever more powerful LLMs and associated AI applications.  A key implication for educators to consider will be how to harness the affordances of AI to enhance the learning environment further. Additionally, changing the way assessment is constructed is now essential.

This Newsletter is packed with cutting-edge content to help support faculty and staff with their general understanding of AI affordances. The newsletter is divided into three sections: (1) Featured, (2) AI Content Creation and (3) Other Mainly AI News. Of particular interest should be some new ideas for reimagining assignments and AI content-creation voice-cloned avatar or text-to-video technologies.

There is also a post on TELC’s new one-to-one training page, with PowerFlow and Accelerate training options included.

We therefore are at the beginning of an exciting period of change!

So, join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to our Telblog (found in every article sidebar) for regular updates on mainly AI news!

Overview

The Spring 2024 Technology Enhanced Learning Centre (TELC) Newsletter Is Out!

Emerging AI Technologies

With the wide-scale introduction of Large Language Model (LLM) platforms in 2023, the world arguably experienced the most disruptive technology year in its history. The rate of development now in AI is simply ‘astoundingly’ exponential, with ever more powerful LLMs and associated AI applications.  A key implication for educators to consider will be how to harness the affordances of AI to enhance the learning environment further. Additionally, changing the way assessment is constructed is now essential.

This Newsletter is packed with cutting-edge content to help support faculty and staff with their general understanding of AI affordances. The newsletter is divided into three sections: (1) Featured, (2) AI Content Creation and (3) Other Mainly AI News. Of particular interest should be some new ideas for reimagining assignments and AI content-creation voice-cloned avatar or text-to-video technologies.

There is also a post on TELC’s new one-to-one training page, with PowerFlow and Accelerate training options included.

We therefore are at the beginning of an exciting period of change!

So, join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to our Telblog (found in every article sidebar) for regular updates on mainly AI news!

Overview

The Spring 2024 Technology Enhanced Learning Centre (TELC) Newsletter Is Out!
Emerging AI Technologies

With the wide-scale introduction of Large Language Model (LLM) platforms in 2023, the world arguably experienced the most disruptive technology year in its history. The rate of development now in AI is simply ‘astoundingly’ exponential, with ever more powerful LLMs and associated AI applications.  A key implication for educators to consider will be how to harness the affordances of AI to enhance the learning environment further. Additionally, changing the way assessment is constructed is now essential.

This Newsletter is packed with cutting-edge content to help support faculty and staff with their general understanding of AI affordances. The newsletter is divided into three sections: (1) Featured, (2) AI Content Creation and (3) Other Mainly AI News. Of particular interest should be some new ideas for reimagining assignments and AI content-creation voice-cloned avatar or text-to-video technologies.

There is also a post on TELC’s new one-to-one training page, with PowerFlow and Accelerate training options included.

We therefore are at the beginning of an exciting period of change!

So, join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to our Telblog (found in every article sidebar) for regular updates on mainly AI news!

Featured

UNIC Accelerate: Essential Training Videos For Starters in English and Greek

This second batch of training videos will help new users familiarise themselves with UNIC’s cutting-edge Accelerate platform.

My Voice-Cloned AI Avatar Speaking Perfectly In 10 Languages!

Empowering you to reach more people. Will we all be having our own AI avatars in the future?

Incorporating AI And Non-AI Tasks Into Student Assignments: This Prompt In PowerFlow Can Generate A Wealth Of Ideas

This prompt could potentially generate many interesting ideas for consideration.

Some Guiding Principles For Tweaking Assignments To Make It Harder For Students To Use AI Chatbots

Putting certain specific conditions on an assignment should make it harder for students to get ‘alternative’ output using AI chatbot prompting strategies that acceptably meet such assignment requirements.

Coming Soon: Upgraded TELC Training Service: Exclusive 1-1 Sessions With Follow-Up Support (PowerFlow & Accelerate Training Available Too)

This new redesigned page focuses on 1-1 training sessions on cutting-edge learning technologies. The process of signing up has also been streamlined to maximise ease-of-use.

TELC Suggested APA Referencing And Intext Citing Styles For PowerFlow And Other AI Chatbots

Use this guide to cite generative AI in the APA style.

AI Content Creation

These AI technologies can generate excellent complementary/supplementary course materials
Lecturer Voice-Cloned Avatars: Is This The Future Of Content Development?

Human-directed AI-enhanced content development with such avatars could be a complementary way to go in online education. 

Generate A Professional Video In 2 Minutes Using AI

New Text-to-video Content Developing Tool that TELC is Using. Interested in learning more? Contact TELC

HeyGen AI Video Generator: Balancing Future Prospects With A Fairer Pricing Policy

HeyGen is an AI video generator that uses generative AI to streamline the video creation process. It offers 120 AI avatars, 300 voices, and 300 templates for various use cases.

General Interest

Proctorio New Developments: Extension Options (To Counter Potential AI Cheating During Exams), Companion App, Mobile App

Here’s a few short updates directly from Proctorio, letting us know about their new developments.

Official MLA Style Sheet For Referencing And Citing PowerFlow And Other Generative AI

Use this guide to cite generative AI in the MLA style.

How Suno Text-To-Music AI Empowers Artists And Educators

This platform combines artificial intelligence with music creation, allowing users to generate music across various genres and styles effortlessly.

Gemini’s Older 1.0 Version’s Creative-Writing Ability Also Fools AI Detection

Imagine what the newer 1.5 and Ultra versions will be able to do.

Are The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s New AI Features Any Good?

Samsung’s new phone lineup includes the Galaxy AI features, starting a new trend of AI-Phone pairings.

“Strategies For An Accelerating Future” By Ethan Mollick

“I didn’t expect to have to update my views on the state-of-the-art in AI so soon after writing about Google’s Gemini Advanced, the first real competitor to GPT-4”

Genie: Transforming Static Images Into Interactive Worlds With Text-To-Interaction

From Imagination to Play: Exploring the Potential of Google DeepMind’s AI Model

Introducing ‘Groq,’ The AI Chip That Outperforms Elon Musk’s Grok

Two AI businesses claim ownership of the science fiction name “Grok,” but only one is driving the AI industry forward.

Google Pauses Gemini Image Generation After It Tries To Change History

The results appeared to overwhelmingly or exclusively show AI-generated people of colour in historical moments – running counter to historical accuracy.

Adobe Brings Conversational AI To Trillions Of PDFs – Students Are Sure To Use It

This new feature, in Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat is designed to enhance the digital document experience by leveraging generative AI for both consumption and creation.

Sora AI: OpenAI’s New Text-To-Video And Video-To-Video Tool Is Causing Massive Rifts

Sora is an AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions. This could be the future of media content. Though it still has problems.

Third Top AI Platform In 2023: Quillbot. It’s Safe To Assume Our Students Are Using It

Learn how Quillbot’s AI-powered writing tools can aid lecturers and students in universities with its key features and practical uses.

7 AI Enabled Apps For 2024 – For Lecturers, Staff And Students To Boost Their Productivity And Creativity

TELC has looked at many mobile AI apps and has decided on 7 that might be of interest for lecturers, staff and students.

Engageli’s New AI: Summaries, Recordings, Recaps And More

A move to enhance learning outcomes, collaboration, and efficiency while empowering lecturers.

The Journal Of Teaching English With Technology (TEWT) New Issue

The Editors In Chief Would Like To Announce Some Exciting Recent News In This Issue-One Message!

Contact TELC

Dr Chris Alexander
Technology Enhanced Learning Centre (HEAD)

 alexander.c@unic.ac.cy

Mr Vladislav Kolev
Multimedia Expert & Learning Technologist (TELC)

kolev.v@unic.ac.cy