Upskilling academics for Gen AI

The arrival of ChatGPT in late 2022 and the subsequent explosion of Gen AI tools and apps has had a significant disruptive effect in the higher education sector and has required a rapid response across the higher education sector. This response is needed at the institutional level of policy, as well as quality assurance. However, responses are also required at the level of learning design, with a particular focus on assessment. While the focus has largely been on implications for academic integrity and potential changes to assessment, this position paper explores the role of third space workers, such as learning designers, academic developers and educational leaders, in developing and updating the skills required of academics to stay current and to maintain and ensure education quality in the era of Gen AI. While responses to Covid-19 have shown the potential for rapid upskilling of academic staff, the emergence of Gen AI requires a more fundamental rethink of what and how we design for learning and assessment. The expertise of third space workers is crucial in this process.