Student Helpdesk

Using AI to create plans and timetables for assignments, revision, and placements can be a smart approach to organise your work effectively.

Think about what you want included in your plan or timetable, and ask AI to help you create the study plan. Some useful things include:

• Define your goals – Tell the AI what your ideal end result is.
• Time allocation – Give information about your daily schedule, including any classes, work, or other commitments. Based on this information, it can suggest suitable time slots for assignments, revision, and interview preparation.
• Break down tasks – Ask how to simplify complex or involving tasks into multiple smaller ones.
• Prioritisation – AI can suggest which tasks might need more time and attention based on deadlines, complexity, and importance.
• Study techniques – AI can suggest effective study techniques based on your learning style and the type of tasks you’re working on. This could include techniques for memorisation, problem-solving, or information retention.
• Use of resources – Ask the AI for recommendations on relevant study resources, textbooks, online courses, or research materials that can aid in your assignments, revision, and placements.

Remember, AI tools are there to assist you, but it’s important to use your own judgment and tailor the suggestions to your specific needs and circumstances. Regularly revisiting and adjusting your plan will help you stay on track and achieve your goals.

Using AI to generate new ideas or suggestions for a given topic can be a great way to spark creativity and inspiration for your own projects. Think about what you want included and generate it in AI.

• Clearly define your goals – Determine what you’re looking to achieve with the generated ideas. Are you seeking brainstorming material for a creative project, trying to come up with unique business concepts, or looking for prompts to spark your writing?
• Provide context – Prompt the AI tool with a brief overview of the context or background related to the topic. This will help it to generate more relevant ideas.
• Variety and diversity – Ask the AI tool to provide a diverse range of ideas. This can help you explore different angles and possibilities for your project.
•  Expand on chosen ideas – Don’t hesitate to loop back and ask the AI tool to expand on an idea or for more ideas or variations if needed. You can ask for more details, descriptions, or potential outcomes.

Make the ideas your own by adapting them to suit your project, preferences, and style. Add your personal touch so they feel original and relevant to you.

Using AI for idea generation regularly can help boost your creative thinking over time. While AI can give you plenty of suggestions, the real value comes from how you shape and develop them into something unique and meaningful. Always trust your creative instincts, and adjust AI-generated ideas so they align with your goals and reflect your voice.

AI tools can be extremely valuable for both primary and secondary research. They can help you identify and refine research topics, find and gather relevant articles, and organise information so you can review it later.

Primary Research:

• Generating Surveys and Questionnaires – Create questions and suggest possible response options.
• Interview Preparation – Draft and refine interview questions to suit your context.
• Data Analysis – After collecting data, AI can suggest basic statistical methods, help interpret results, and offer insights. Do not use AI for this if your data contains personal information that would breach GDPR.

Secondary Research:

• Literature Review Support – Locate relevant papers, articles, and sources, then summarise them, identify themes, and highlight key findings.
• Topic Exploration – Brainstorm and refine research topics, explore related areas, and identify trends or gaps in your field.
• Source Synthesis – Combine information from multiple sources into clear, coherent summaries showing different perspectives.
• Data Interpretation – Help explain charts, graphs, and complex statistics from secondary sources.

Always check and verify AI-generated information, and use it alongside guidance from teachers or mentors to ensure your research is accurate, balanced, and rigorous.

These results can only be used during research. If you want to use any of the AI-generated materials in your work, make sure it’s allowed and the AI-generated content is clearly referenced.

Using AI to check how your work might be marked against assessment criteria can be a useful part of your preparation. You can upload your assessment and ask the AI to review it based on the same criteria your teacher will use. This can help you see if you’re on track. Read the feedback carefully and make any changes you think are needed yourself. Do not ask AI to rewrite or complete your work.

You must not use AI to create any part of an assessment and submit it as your own work. Doing so counts as plagiarism or academic misconduct, as outlined in the College’s policies, and could affect your grade or qualification.

AI can help you fill gaps in your knowledge and test your understanding. You can ask it to create quizzes or practice tests, answer the questions, then have the AI mark your work and give feedback. You can even ask for a fresh set of questions to re-test yourself and repeat the process as often as you need.

Asking AI questions about a topic you’re studying can help fill gaps in your knowledge and improve your understanding. If the AI gives an answer you don’t fully understand, you can ask it to explain further or rewrite the response in simpler terms.

Some AI tools can translate text between languages, which can be very helpful. If English isn’t your first language, or if you’re reading content in a language you don’t speak, AI can translate it, making the information easier to understand. Many programs, like Microsoft Word, even have built-in translation features.

Some AI tools can convert speech into text, letting you dictate instead of typing. This is especially helpful if you find typing difficult, and can also be used to transcribe conversations, meetings, or lessons which is a great alternative to taking notes manually. Many programs offer this feature, and Microsoft has it built into Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, and Teams.

Some AI tools can turn written text into spoken words – a feature called Text to Speech (TTS). This can be a great way to proofread your work, as hearing it read aloud can help you spot mistakes or awkward phrasing you might miss when reading silently.

Microsoft also offers Read Aloud and Immersive Reader:

• Read Aloud can read all or part of your document so you can hear it back and make changes as needed.

• Immersive Reader can read text aloud and includes extra tools to help improve reading fluency and comprehension.