The Educated Guess

Category: AI

  • The Unseen Hand: AI, Authenticity, and the Future of Learning

    This past week, I had the privilege of attending a dynamic academic roundtable, a gathering that brought together educators from a variety of professions and academic levels to grapple with one of the most pressing challenges facing modern education: the profound impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). The discussions were vibrant, ranging from the incredible potential of GenAI to transform learning experiences to the complex ethical tightropes we must navigate. It was a powerful reminder that while the future of AI in our classrooms is still being written, the questions it poses about how we learn, how we teach, and, crucially, how we assess, are immediate and urgent.

    What struck me most throughout the debates was a recurring tension between the exciting possibilities AI offers for personalisation and efficiency, and the deep-seated anxieties it stirs regarding academic integrity and the very essence of what we aim to cultivate in our students: genuine learning and critical skills. These aren’t abstract concerns for distant futures; they are live dilemmas impacting classrooms nationwide right now. They demand careful consideration and proactive strategies from everyone dedicated to fostering genuine learning and a true enjoyment of learning. My reflections and research in this episode of The Educated Guess are deeply shaped by those conversations, aiming to explore the intricate relationship between GenAI, the concept of authenticity in student work, and the evolving landscape of assessment.

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  • From Both Sides of the Bedside: My Virtual Ward Experience & The Future of UK Healthcare at Home

    The pandemic threw many established healthcare norms into stark relief, accelerating changes that once seemed distant possibilities. My own experience-being informed I would be ‘nursed on a virtual ward’ during COVID-19s frightening and uncertain first wave-transformed the abstract concept of decentralised care into a deeply personal reality. While familiar with hospital processes as a nurse, navigating this new model as a patient was disorienting, blending the undeniable comfort of my own home with a profound sense of isolation and a unique reliance of the then-nascent technology. It was a stark illustration of a healthcare system under duress, innovating at speed.

    This episode of The Educated Guess will explore this significant systemic movement towards ‘hospital at home’ and other decentralised care models, a shift driven by urgent hospital pressures and catalysed by rapid technological advancement. Drawing upon my dual perspective – the insights gained from the frontlines of nursing, alongside the lived experience of receiving care within such an evolving system – we will dissect the drivers behind this transformation, the technologies that underpin it, and critically examine both the compelling potential and the inherent pitfalls. The aim is to foster a deeper understanding of how these models are reshaping healthcare delivery and what is required to ensure they are safe, effective and truly – patient-centred.

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  • Conquer Information Overload: How NotebookLM AI Can Help with Documents

    As healthcare professionals and educators, we’re constantly drowning in a sea of documents. New guidelines, updated policies, essential research papers, training materials….. these complex and often lengthy documents can take time to read and extract the information needed. Synthesising and understanding the document is also another issue in a time when we are all being asked to do more with less. Could Artificial Intelligence (AI) help us? While we often hear about complex AI in diagnostics or administration, what about tools that help with everyday challenge of managing information? Following on from previous episodes of The Educated Guess, let’s explore Notebook LM and its potential to help staff interact with their documents.

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  • AI and Equity: Revolutionising Inclusive Learning Environments

    Imagine this: a student with dyslexia, struggling to keep pace with a lecture, while another student, a visual learner, thrives with interactive simulations. This is the reality of our classrooms – a rich tapestry of learning differences and preferences that often go unaddressed with a one-size-fits-all approach. Time, as with many industries, is our most valuable commodity, especially in healthcare and education. As an educator, I strive to provide an effective and engaging learning experience that optimises time while addressing individual learning differences. This is a complex task when your cohort is 15, but exponentially so with 100. In this episode of The Educated Guess, we’ll explore how AI can help us support greater educational equity for all learners in the classroom. In this post, the use of some specific AI tools is mentioned. I have no affiliation with any of these companies, nor have I received any financial or other incentives to make this content.

    Image source: generated by Gemini

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  • AI and Player Safety in American Football: From Helmet Hits to Hidden Harm.

    By Sophie May. Published 6th May 2025

    American football (AF) holds a special place in our family. My two teenage sons have fallen in love with AF and our year revolves around travelling to training camps and games. As anyone involved in this contact sport knows, injuries are an unfortunate reality. This past weekend, watching my youngest son play with the U16s at a tournament on the South Coast, the physical toll was evident with a worrying number of head injuries on both sides. Concussions, or mild head injuries, are a particular concern because they’re notoriously difficult to detect reliably on the sideline or even in hospital, often relying on a mix of observations that can present differently from player to player.

    South Coast American Football. Image source: Sophie May

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