Learnings from LTAG - Ms Cornelia Koch
The Learning and Teaching Advancement Grant (LTAG) scheme supports innovation and leadership in learning and teaching. This month, Adelaide Education Academy member Ms Cornelia Koch, Adelaide Law School, shares the findings of a project focused on upskilling in Generative AI.
My project was called ‘Harnessing the Power of Generative AI for Learning and Teaching.’ As a legal academic and education specialist, I used the grant funding to upskill myself in the area of Generative AI (GenAI) in order to explore how GenAI can assist students in their learning, and academics in course design, teaching delivery and assessment design. I attended twelve professional development workshops and seminars on GenAI. While learning more about using GenAI in learning and teaching, I started to experiment with using GenAI tools for assessment design and creation, especially for quizzes and scenario-based exam questions. I also developed guidance for my students on whether or how to use GenAI for specific pieces of assessment. Finally, I became a ‘go-to person’ in the Adelaide Law School on legal education and legal practice in the age of AI.
What was the impact of your project?
Impact on my teaching
Equipped with what I have learned from this project, I have used GenAI to assist me with designing and drafting assessment, including assessment and course rubrics for Adelaide University, creating course and teaching materials (e.g. lecture slides, images) and ‘brainstorming’ ideas. I have used MS Copilot to assist me with drafting multiple choice and multiple answer quiz questions including providing feedback to students. I am now experimenting with creating a tool that acts as a one-on-one tutor for my students in my new 2026 courses, to assist them with their learning.
Impact on student learning
My students receive tailored guidance on GenAI use for each piece of assessment in all my courses. The guidance includes:
- Recommended uses of GenAI tools for this piece of assessment
- Assistance with using GenAI tools (University and other sources)
- Confidentiality and copyright (specific to a legal setting)
- Ethical use of GenAI - Environmental Impact
Students are required to make a declaration regarding their use of GenAI for each piece of assessment, thus demonstrating their productive, responsible and ethical use of AI tools and applications. This reflects requirements in a legal working environment where some courts compel lawyers appearing before them to disclose use of AI tools in a similar way.
Impact on the practice of my colleagues
Together with Lisa Cooper from UniSA Law we established the joint UniSA - Adelaide Law Schools Community of Practice on Generative AI in Legal Education and Legal Practice in mid-2024. Lisa and I are co-facilitators. The CoP is a forum for law academics to exchange practice and learn from outside experts and each other.
I am also part of a law project team that is developing educator and student resources on ‘How to use GenAI appropriately in legal education and practice’ (with Lisa Cooper, Dr Mark Giancaspro, Dr Jessica Viven-Wilksch and Dr Anne Carter). Forthcoming resources include artifacts from an international online ‘Showcase: Law assessment in times of GenAI’ that we organised, MyUni modules on Canvas Commons and a developing collection of sources on GenAI in legal education and practice. This project is supported by several grants from the ABLE Faculty, the Adelaide Law School and the Adelaide Education Academy.
One thing that surprised me in undertaking this activity was…
GenAI tools can support students and academics by completing ‘menial’ tasks. However, information provided by GenAI tools is unreliable and must always be verified through authorised sources. Tools should be treated like ‘a dumb intern’, meaning their outputs may be good starting points but must be checked carefully. Within these parameters the tools can be very helpful. Employers expect our students to know how to use GenAI tools ethically, effectively and responsibly. Therefore, we must allow them to use the tools at university, enabling them to develop AI literacy for a professional context.
What is your key learning from this activity?
There is much uncertainty amongst students and academics on the appropriateness of using GenAI tools. Detailed guidance is required on the opportunities provided by the tools as well as their shortcomings. One day, using these tools will have become second nature for students and academics but we need to facilitate the transition carefully.
How could colleagues use your learnings in their practice?
I recommend to colleagues to familiarise themselves with the basics of how GenAI tools work, so that they can benefit from the tools’ assistance in their day-to-day work. The University offers many excellent workshops where people can upskill themselves.
Colleagues should consider their courses and assessments to see if they are still appropriate in times of GenAI.Cornelia Koch
A team from LEI has developed an outstanding Assessment in the age of AI resource to support this evaluation. My recommendation is to consider each piece of assessment separately and provide clear guidance to students on how to use GenAI in that piece of assessment.
How do you plan on building upon the results of your project?
Several ongoing projects have developed from this initial activity. The Law CoP on GenAI in Legal Education and Legal Practice is continuing and will form part of the new Adelaide University Law School post-merger. Lisa Cooper and I, as co-facilitators, have been asked to work with the Law School on developing an AI strategy for the School. Resources for law educators and students on ‘How to use GenAI appropriately in legal education and practice’ are being developed. Our AI project team is currently drafting two articles, one on ‘Generative Artificial Intelligence in Legal Education and Practice: Challenges and Opportunities’ and one on ‘Developing Law Educator and Student Resources for Education in Times of GenAI’.
How can people learn more about your project?
My approach to using GenAI for quiz questions is described in ‘This is how I use AI: Cornelia Koch’ and I gave a short presentation on ‘Using GenAI Tools as Assistants to Draft Online Quiz Questions: Benefits and Challenges’ as part of the Monash Law School Australasian Legal Education and GenAI Showcase. I am very happy to connect with colleagues who are planning on engaging with GenAI in learning and teaching. Now that we are developing resources for my own discipline of law, interdisciplinary projects would be the next step.