The research I have conducted

My research started with a literature review the planned length of time for this period was 2 weeks which was completed within the time frame given. The literature review focused on academic journals, reports and articles that discuss both effective curriculum mapping techniques implemented at other higher education institutions. 

The starting point for research was the now discontinued software Coursetune which had been proven to be a useful tool for curriculum mapping due to its term search function as well as its visual display of the curriculum. The term search function would prove to be a valuable tool that would need to implement into whatever future method of mapping was adopted. However one concern was that the term search function only searched for exact phrases inputted which may cause issues if terms being used are close to but don’t quite match the words in the module description.

I then branched into researching other different software’s and techniques that could be used for curriculum mapping such as Sofia, a software developed in 2014 by Imperial college London medical school as there were no options available that were powerful enough to meet their needs. All of these gave valuable insights as to what should be included when developing a mapping software from scratch. 

Following on from my research into mapping software I explored the use of artificial intelligence as a tool that could be used for curriculum mapping. The two AI’s that I spent the most time testing were various models of Chat-GPT and Microsoft Co-pilot. Both proved useful tools with their ability to comprehend language being astonishing. The extent to which these tools can be used for curriculum mapping does require further research as when processing large amounts of data and performing analysis in order to evaluate it the AI could often make errors.

How the research work I have been undertaking is impactful or important

The research I have undertaken can have a great impact on Higher Education Institutions that desire to thoroughly assess the existing level of implementation of SDG’s into their curriculum as well as effectively integrate AI as a tool to be used internally within the institution. During my research it became apparent that AI is most effective as a tool to assist the process and not completely automate it one such barrier AI would run into is the differences between the module description and what is actually taught in lecture need to be considered. Exploring methods of how to minimise these inaccuracies, through devices such as surveys to the teaching staff were interesting to explore. The importance for future leaders to be conscious of SDGs is vital and ensuring HEIs contribute to this understanding is critical moving forward.

AI is still a new & developing frontier that has many institutions frightened in term of to what extent it should be implemented into common practices. Prior to this project my experience with artificial intelligence specifically generative AI was virtually non-existent however since running tests with Chat-GPT and Microsoft co-pilot I have gained a greater understanding of its utility. The AIs tested were able to assess the inclusion of SDG’s within module descriptions. This was able to reduce the time necessary to assess modules inclusion of SDGs as the AI could understand the two criteria given to it and analyse the module description through the internet. 

I hope my research is useful to the University of Leeds at least as developing its own mapping software appears to be a high priority at the current moment and I believe my research showing the potential for AI to be integrated into the mapping process could save much time and increase efficiencies internally within the organisation.

Activities I have been involved in to disseminate my research

While completing my research I have produced a research poster which is a A4 sheet of my condensed aims, methodology, results and recommendations. I am currently in talks to present my research at the Leeds University Network for Sustainability in Higher Education (LUNSHE) at some point in the near future. Additionally sharing my results on the Laidlaw scholars network, LinkedIn and with friends & family has all contributed to a greater awareness of my research.

I will be attending the annual Laidlaw scholar conference this year (2024) and plan to present my research findings with the vast number of scholars who will be there.

Finally I have plan to attend the Leeds university network for sustainability in higher education to further disseminate my research as well as interact with experts within the field of sustainability to further increase both my network and personal understanding.

What impact conducting research has had on me

My understanding of the level of detail and consideration that goes into the planning and structure of higher education institutions courses and learning outcomes has greatly increased as well as the amount of time needed to make changes to any of the pre-established systems. I have gained a greater ability of planning my own objectives in advance for each day and targets I want to have met by the end of the week. I have developed a greater sense of the importance of educating people on SDGs and the effort needed to try meet these targets. I was already knowledgeable of the need to take climate action, I now understand education to be one of the most effective ways to reach future leaders and foster a culture of understanding towards these goals.

Additionally, AI had been a previously unexplored area for myself, with much of my knowledge on the subject coming from news sources and publications. This project has allowed me to explore the utility of generative AI in a way I had never previously considered as well as giving me a first had experience of the limits of artificial intelligence as it currently exists. Particularly this has highlighted its utility as a time saving tool as curriculum mapping can be a lengthy process requiring a team of multiple people and depending on the task can take weeks to complete.

The dangers of AI have I have also become more apparent through this project, multiple times I was tempted to see how much AI could cut down my own work load such as summarising journal articles. While AI will definitely have a place as a tool in the work force the extent to which it will be adopted is yet unclear. Its inaccuracies are also apparent even in with Open AI’s latest model and if used recklessly could lead to damaging results. It should be used as a tool to help understanding not limit the information required to be taken in by the user.

What leadership skills I have gained from the research period

During my research period one skill I have developed is my ability to plan. As adjusting my objectives depending on results was a new experience I had to adapt to. All of my research was conducted remotely, meetings with my supervisor were arranged weekly in order for me to report my progress for that week as well as establish the focus for the following week. I had decided that I would write a report on my research at the start of the project however much of the structure, content and even exact title would have to be decided after the research was done. My time in Leeds Community Consulting where we worked in sprints, changing our output depending on the demands of each sprint laid the groundwork for my use of sprints and helped take a much more flexible approach to my research and understand that backtracking to go back and refine work is essential when conducting such a large project.

Tying into planning, another skill would be measuring expectations, being able to understand what can be reasonably achieved in a day or week is vital to maintaining motivation and ensuring that your planning is worthwhile and can actually be used. Multiple times throughout my research I had to reassess what I could do within the time I was assigning to myself, over 6 weeks I became better at being able to self-assign a reasonable amount of work and therefore was better able to complete the research.

Finally, adaptability would be another skill I have refined over my research period, from altering my focus as a week would progress and deciding when to leave one topic and pursue another, my ability to adapt quickly and efficiently has greatly improved. I believe these skills will serve me in future projects allowing for greater efficiency and familiarity with undertaking a large task.

What my future career, educational plans or continued research plans are

My future plans are not fully established as of right now however my interest in sustainability has only grown since conducting this research, in one form or another I will follow developments within sustainability and continue to educate myself on the developing efforts of the UN. 

Up until this point I had not used AI first hand, much of my understanding of AI had come from second hand experiences. I had previously written AI off as a tool not yet suitable for any valuable use other than trying to create shortcuts within ones work and a tool that damages the learning process. This project allowed me to explore AI in the context of being used in a truly useful way that proved to be incredibly rewarding when the AI was able to work as intended and has made me understand its application as a time saving tool is truly valuable and could have many more useful applications in the future.

I do have a desire to publish this report as from my own research there is little literature on the use of AI in curriculum mapping and I believe it would be a valuable piece to submit. I plan to refine my report over the coming months, ideally with the assistance of Dr Mohsen Besharat if he is able to still supervise, in order to get it to a state for publication.