A.I. in Education discussion set to continue at Change-Makers Club

Galavan and Clarke to lead out discussion at 20 May online meeting

The Change-Makers Club is set to continue the A.I. in Education discussion at their next online meeting on 20 May, 1pm, with Dr Susan Galavan, a lecturer in ATU’s Department of Architecture and a member of the A.I. Taskforce for the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, talking about ‘Aligning Education with Innovation: A.I.’s Emerging Role in Architecture’.

Having previously written in The Irish Times on A.I. and Higher Level Education, Dr Galavan will discuss her ongoing work exploring the rapid advancement of A.I. in architectural practice and its potential impact on education.

Dr Susan Galavan

She will reflect on how this shift is informing the redesign of assessment, such as the use of multimodal submissions, oral exams, and reflective learning journals. She considers the opportunities and challenges these changes introduce and argues that student-led dialogue is essential if we want to develop A.I.-literacy in the classroom. Together, these perspectives highlight a key challenge in adapting to A.I.: learning when to lean on the machine, and when to rely on our own minds.

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in higher education, Dr Galavan outlines how universities are adapting teaching and assessment. From promoting A.I. literacy to redesigning assessments that prioritise critical thinking and ethical A.I. use, the talk will explore how educators can guide students to engage with A.I. responsibly.

Dr Galavan will be joined at The Change-Makers Club 20 May meeting by ATU’s Universal Design Project Officer, Róisín Clarke, who will discuss Universal Design for Learning Centre of Excellence.

The Universal Design for Learning Centre of Excellence was established in 2022. The Centre is affiliated with the ATU Teaching & Learning Centre and has dedicated staff members working on supporting academic staff across the university to embed the principles of UDL into their curriculum.

The centre’s goal is to consolidate, expand, and enhance initiatives within ATU to promote inclusive teaching and learning methods. This is achieved through conducting workshops, providing training, facilitating digital badges, and offering a Level 9 programme in UDL.

Roisin Clarke joined The Universal Design for Learning Centre of Excellence in October 2025 as a Universal Design Project Officer and is currently carrying out a PATH 4 funded research project supported by Universal Design for Learning Centre of Excellence colleagues Maureen Haran (Centre Manager/Project Lead) and Yvonne Sarsfield (Universal Design for Learning, UDL), Specialist and Instructional Designer.

Roisin Clarke

The aim of the research is to establish a baseline of Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning implementation and awareness across all nine Atlantic Technological University campuses, engaging both staff and students and aligning findings with the 28 actions of the ALTITUDE Charter across the four pillars. Roisin will present an overview of recent and upcoming events from the Centre. 

The Change-Makers Club continues to provide a space for open, informal dialogue across ATU, bringing colleagues together to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore the changes shaping higher education.

To join the Change-Makers club, please contact stephen.glennon@atu.ie or donal.loftus@atu.ie.

The Change-Makers Club is sponsored by Higher Education 4.0, which is funded by the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3.