Paul Hollins Professor

This paper investigates the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) technology and educational policy in higher education, highlighting key research and implementation. The paper focuses on critical considerations for AI policy development with a view to producing a roadmap focused on contextual higher education AI policies. The rapid development of AI presents both significant opportunities and challenges for higher education institutions in Europe and globally. As AI technologies become ubiquitous, integrated into teaching, learning, and administrative functions, it is essential to identify critical considerations at the core of the AI integration process, namely: (1) regulatory framework, (2) stakeholder-specific guidelines, (3) AIED research, and (4) AI literacy. As a starting point, the paper presents a review of existing AI policy frameworks within higher education, drawing on recent empirical research, identifying four design and implementation priorities for higher education stakeholders aiming to create responsible AI governance frameworks. As a result, we propose a roadmap designed to be used as strategic planning instrument for higher education stakeholders developing AI policies and guidance. In proposing a strategic roadmap for AI policy development, the work offers valuable insight into how higher education can effectively leverage the potential of AI whilst ensuring ethical considerations, equity, and maintaining academic integrity. Additionally, the paper contributes to the ongoing discourse regarding AI’s role in higher education in proposing research pathways that will benefit all stakeholders involved in the academic ecosystem.

In this paper, we explore the use of a playful dilemma activity, a survey and public data analysis to spark citizen awareness and reflection on water use within the UK. Water security ensures access to fresh water for survival and society’s needs. There is significant citizen agency in water security that impacts the freshwater reserves. However, in many countries, water security is under-discussed. Encouraging spaces for individuals to assess their water use, identify waste, and adopt sustainable practices is key to sustaining freshwater resources for the future. We present a case study conducted as part of the GREAT project to stimulate citizen discussion on water use and its subsequent impact on the broader water system. Through a series of activities, citizens can reflect on their water use, consider the future forecast of water security within the UK, and experience a playful dilemma to save a city from the effects of drought. In this dilemma, players are part of an organisation tackling a city’s water crisis. Faced with limited water resources, players analyse data on the population's usage and suggest behaviour changes to reduce consumption. The challenge lies in balancing the need for water conservation with the risk of proposing changes that are resisted by the population. The players must convince the facilitator of both the practicality and acceptability of their plans. Success restores water security, but failure reveals the consequences of inaction. Within this playful discussion space, we create an exchange for citizens to elicit attitudes and preferences on current water use and explore how individuals might be “nudged” into less wasteful behaviour. In this paper, we describe the co-design of this qualitative approach, share findings on attitudes and preferences elicited (n = 19), and reflect on this method as a tool for fostering awareness and meaningful citizen discussions.

This paper examines the potential of digital games as communication tools to reach global audiences, extending beyond established cultural and geopolitical divides. It shows the empirical data gathered in our EU and UKRI-funded Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation (GREAT) project, where we collaborated with several organizations to investigate this potential. Namely, a significant case study called Play2Act was undertaken in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which forms the focus of this paper. The aims of this study were to find out how much of the world’s population could be reached via digital games and how many citizens would be willing to communicate their climate attitudes in a simple and short survey that was inserted into popular mobile games. Currently, there are 3 billion gamers in the world and the idea of reaching citizens via games to understand their opinions on critical global issues and then passing this information to policy-makers emerged. This is the main objective of our project, as to whether games can act as an effective communication channel between citizens and policy-makers, the context being the climate emergency. Governments do not typically have the opportunity to understand their citizens’ needs fully. The aim of this project is to decrease the barrier and increase representation and democracy. The findings obtained from the Play2Act study suggest that games, moreover their ability to engage, and inherent social dynamics create a unique opportunity to support meaningful dialogue with a large proportion of citizens reached, engaged and completed the surveys. The study engaged with almost 1 million players from every UN recognised country, with only two exceptions, and ca. 181,000 surveys completed, confirming the global reach of games. The next steps are for UNDP to take this information to individual countries with recommendations of appropriate climate policies based on their citizens’ voices, this having huge potential for digital games being policy transformational tools. This research contributes to knowledge on the intersection of technology, culture, and communication and offers valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholder groups seeking to leverage digital games for social impact.

This study addresses the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the whole institutional approach undertaken to develop an AI literacy framework for students in a UK HEI. Drawing upon established models of AI literacy developed for higher education, informed by Leavitt’s People, Process, and Technology model (1965), and grounded in pedagogic theories, the study synthesises principles that address the interplay between emerging technologies, institutional resources, and learner needs. An analysis of existing AI literacy frameworks revealed a gap in terms of aligning institutional readiness, AI literacy and learner needs. To bridge this gap, this study proposes a conceptual AI literacy framework that is learner centred. It integrates practical knowledge and competencies to enable students to
confidently collaborate with AI systems for academic and professional development. Using a mixed-methods study approach and a convergent parallel design, primary data was collected using a survey (n = 110) and two focus groups (combined n = 63) involving multi-ethnic students to capture their perspectives on AI usage. A thematic analysis of secondary literature on AI literacy frameworks was undertaken along with a survey of academic staff (n = 66) to understand the relevance of incorporating AI literacy within curriculum. The resulting framework takes a four-step approach to cultivating AI literacy in higher education students: (i) prepare (ii) understand (iii) apply and (iv) responsible use. This conceptual framework is anticipated to offer a scalable, robust model that will help guide any HEI to cultivate adaptive learners prepared to responsibly navigate and innovate in an AI-driven world.

The decline of traditional media and channels of communication has led to policymakers experiencing difficulty in understanding public sentiment. A case study was conducted to explore how games-based activities can be used to provide a link between citizens and policy makers. A system developed by PlanetPlay, and extended in the GREAT project, was used to embed a survey in the game SMITE. The intervention and survey questions were designed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Hi-Rez game studio. The effectiveness of the infrastructure and the collaborative approach were demonstrated. The results revealed some significant differences in views on climate change between different age groups, genders, and education level. However, the data was heavily skewed towards males in the 18-35 age group, and to respondents in the United States, which limited the generalizability of the findings. It was concluded that in-game placement in collaboration with games studios is more effective than paid placement, and that a wider variety of games is needed to ensure that a study has an adequate range of respondent profiles. Finally, reflections are offered on the possible role of AI in gathering such data.

This paper analyses 15 AI policies for higher education from eight European countries, drawn from individual universities, from consortia of universities and from government agencies. Based on an overview of current research findings, it focuses the comparison of different aspects among the selected AI policies. The analysis distinguishes between four potential target groups, namely students, teachers, education managers and policy makers. The paper aims at contributing to the further development and improvement of AI policies for higher education through the identification of commonalities and gaps within the existing AI policies. Moreover, it calls for further and in particular evidence-based research to identify the potential and practical impact of AI in higher education and highlights the need to combine AI use in (higher) education with education about AI, often called as AI literacy.

This report provides a detailed summary of a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) exploratory Case Study (GCS1), conducted as part of the EU Horizon-funded Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation (GREAT) project. UNDP1 Case Study (GCS1) is the first in a series of eight that are undertaken by the project team, engaging with authentic policy stakeholders. Each case study iteratively contributes to the refinement of GREAT case study documentation, research methodology and overall design. GCS1 started in December 2023 and was finalised in March 2024, involving the case study sponsor UNDP, and the GREAT project research team, coordinated by The Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DIPF). This exploratory study adopted the GREAT case study cycle design (figure 1.0), representing an eight-stage process of inquiry underpinned by an established mixed-methods research (MMR) methodology.

In this paper, the authors present the findings of an empirical case study examining the efficacy of the Games Realising Effective & Affective Transformation (GREAT) Case Study design process. The process is underpinned by an established Mixed Methodological Research (MMR) framework for eliciting the preferences of gamers and determining their priorities in climate change policies. Funded by the Horizon Europe programme, the GREAT Project examines the impact and affordances of games for social engagement. The project explores the innovative potential of games as new forms of dialogue between citizens and policy stakeholders. The games are used as tools for players to express their preferences and actively shape policy issues. We present the first case study on this approach, which is one of ten to be undertaken with various partners over the next two years to test and validate the methodology, investigate its potential, and present findings. In partnership with the popular PC & Console game Smite, by the Hi Rez, game development studio. The study involved stakeholders’ participation in the co-creation of research questions, designed to influence the prioritisation of future climate policies. The activity was embedded the Smite game playing community via the Playmob platform in January 2024 and engaged over four thousand active players with a completed response rate of 58 %. Quantitative analysis of the data collected during this period will be presented by the authors. In summary, the engagement in and completion rates of the activity were high, validating the initial GREAT project approach. The methodological approach and the substantive data sets produced are of interest to any organisation considering engaging diverse groups active in gaming communities in the political process, including NGOs and policymakers. The project and methodology applied is at the core of this paper.

This deliverable provides a summary of the research undertaken by the GREAT project in examining the business models applied in the domain of the use of games to link citizens in dialogue with policy makers examining policy dilemmas related to the climate change crisis. The existing and current business models applied by the industrial partners SGI and PlanetPlay are examined, using the combined lenses of three variants of the Business Model Canvas, The Business Model Canvas, The Value Proposition Canvas and the Lean Canvas. This approach exposes the attributes of the partners business models and provides formal conceptualisations of how these organisations function in what is an emerging domain of activity. The assumptions underlying the models, specifically the value propositions, are tested and evaluated in the GREAT case studies currently being undertaken in the accompanying work package 4 of the project. A number of alternative revenue models are considered, and informed by this analysis, and by contemporary business literature, we conducted in-depth interviews with the industrial partners SGI and PlanetPlay, GREAT stakeholder groups and sponsors to further develop refined business models informed by our research. This public report highlights the GREAT partners’ research into the business aspects of the project. It is anticipated that the content will be of interest to a wider audience including the EU, games development studios, policy-makers and potential sponsors of activities.

There has been a significant revolution seen by AI getting incorporated into the management and customer relations of companies. The research of the present Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution that influences a variety of fields i.e. video games are the topic of the article. AI systems such as machine learning and data analytics can help brands understand consumer behaviour in much greater detail; hence, companies can better reach and interest potential consumers through personalized marketing plans and campaigns. What is more, this is another case of citizen science projects that can host a large number of artisanal anglers who can together provide data that can make the research wider-reaching. This is when the conclusion is reached, which means, for gaming neither marketing nor game-play is the energy source. The proposed scheme improves the level of customer accuracy and tackles trends timely as well as creates slight space for real-time communication by applying neighbour-based recommendation techniques, neural networks, and sentiment analysis. Its supremacy over the conventional methods of statistical significance is highlighted through the advent of predictive analytics and dynamic pricing approaches. The advantage of deploying natural language processing (NLP) is that it helps to understand what the customers mean with how they write. Measuring the key performance indicators at the end of this approach can be called the method of adaptation and flexibility which makes digital marketing not just refer only the success but also turn to the happiness of customers.