“A Co-Pilot for Learning Design?”

Perspectives from Learning Designers on the Uses, Challenges, and Risks of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education

Abstract

Recent rapid developments in generative artificial intelligence (genAI), including large language models (LLMs), have the potential to radically transform higher education—perhaps especially the work of learning designers. This paper investigates how learning designers are making sense of and adapting to the current challenges and future changes caused or enabled by ongoing advances in genAI and LLMs. A team of learning designers was surveyed to gain insights into how they are currently engaging with genAI and LLMs in their professional practice and in teaching and learning contexts. This paper describes how these learning designers see genAI and LLMs emerging as not only useful tools but as agential actors and collaborators in teaching and learning contexts, and how they see this changing their practice and profession now and potentially into the future.