Summary: The University of Greenwich has signed a new three-year partnership with global edtech leader Studiosity to provide all UK-based students access to Studiosity+, an AI-for-Learning service to deliver immediate formative feedback on academic writing - taking a data-led approach and aiming to improve student progression, course completion, and to prove equity in feedback delivery. The University values the partnership’s impact on student experience, emphasising the need to invest in the student experience and using Studiosity for sustainable delivery of support for academic success and inclusive education.
Having worked together since 2018, the University of Greenwich has signed a new three-year partnership with Studiosity to offer every UK-based student access to sector-leading AI-for-learning technology which gives them formative feedback on their written work within a matter of minutes.
Studiosity+ provides fast, ethical and equitable delivery of academic writing feedback to all students, supporting progression and course completion, and helping institutions to scale AI-powered academic writing feedback. This is focused on AI-for-learning, not error correction; and its ‘Humans in the Loop’ process supports quality assurance, academic governance, oversight and due diligence in service delivery and development.
Prior to this new agreement, the University had been using Studiosity’s original human service, which traditionally provided Greenwich students with on-demand access to Writing Feedback, a formative English-writing feedback service on grammar, spelling, structure and readability, delivered by Subject Specialists, with an approximate six-hour return time; and Connect Live, which gives students one-to-one personal academic support in real time.
Now, students can receive unlimited access to feedback in minutes via Studiosity’s unique built-for-purpose, AI-for-learning technology Studiosity+, which also evidences the use of critical thinking, and offers enhanced actionable insights for whole-of-institution change. The University is anticipating a continuation of the positive impact on its student community.
“We have undertaken research-based evaluation that shows certain types of students do better using Studiosity than without and, following discussion with our Vice-Chancellor, who is clear on its value, we wanted to move to the AI-for-learning support service,” said Paul Butler, Executive Director and CIO at the University of Greenwich.
“We did an initial pilot, and found responses for students were consistent and consummate with what they have received before using the more traditional model of Studiosity, and in some cases actually more accurate. The key value contribution is that we are not limited in any way on usage, and have therefore opened up access to Studiosity+ to all students. From an academic perspective Studiosity+ is super easy to deploy in our Moodle VLE.”
As a university that celebrates difference and diversity, including many students who are from non-traditional backgrounds, first-in-family to go to university nor balancing work-study commitments, the ‘always available’ Studiosity+ is an important tool.
“Put simply, our job is to give our students the best experience we can, with great education so they are ready to get a great job,” Paul explained. “Studiosity+ allows them to focus on content and subject matter, and getting English, grammar and structure support helps them on their journey. This is particularly beneficial for a university like Greenwich, where we have seen a clear impact on student performance among students from certain demographics. The open-ended capacity of Studiosity+ also means we can commission projects in support of the University’s Access and Participation Plan (APP), including one on awarding gaps.”
Overseeing all aspects of the University’s IT and Library Services, including academic skills support and digital strategy, Paul said that embracing AI through Studiosity+ was an important step.
“As an institution we look at AI from an opportunity and risk perspective,” he revealed. “We encourage students to use it in a safe and curated way, but the integrity element is crucial. Navigating AI is one of the skills and competencies students must have in the world of work. They need to be able to critically appraise what AI has given them. We believe that Studiosity+ will give outputs and outcomes that build on the consistency of what we have had before.”
Paul added: “I work with a lot of suppliers and vendors, and relationships are really important, particularly if changes surface. We are appreciative of the excellent partnership we have with Studiosity. Success at the end of our three years would be to demonstrate that the impact on student outcomes is a positive one, and how it is supportive of our APP. We always take an evidence-based evaluation approach, rather than opinion.”
Isabelle Bambury, Studiosity’s Managing Director for UK and Europe, said: “We are delighted to enter a new three-year partnership with the University of Greenwich. It is pleasing the University has recognised the impact of our work together and the opportunity now around utilising AI-for-learning technology to support all university students’ academic literacy skills. We look forward to an ongoing mutually-beneficial partnership.”
More:
University Vice Chancellor Prof Jane Harrington said in an interview with Studiosity Academic Advisory Board Member - and former VC himself at Birmingham City University - Prof Cliff Allan:
“I think the worst thing that could happen is you have a difficult financial environment and all the things we've done to improve access, to improve outcomes disappears. And that's what I'm absolutely determined won't happen."
“There's lots of things that we should stop doing, but actually what we can't stop doing is trying to actually ensure our students have the best possible experience.”
Watch the full video here >> [22:55] with Prof Jane Harrington and Prof Cliff Allan.
Read more about evidence of student outcomes in the University of Greenwich case study.
