In this student-led podcast, ambassadors from the University of Northampton’s Study Smart 3 project share what they learned about how students are using AI to support their learning. Their discussion explores the creative and inclusive potential of AI, alongside the importance of critical thinking and responsible use.
Exploring AI-supported multimodal learning
Study Smart 3: Using AI for Multimodal Composition to Foster Inclusive Practice and Belonging brings staff and students together to investigate how AI can support more varied ways of communicating and learning.
The project focuses particularly on multimodal composition: presenting and engaging with information through combinations of text, images, audio, video, diagrams and interactive content. It explores whether these approaches can build students’ confidence while making learning more accessible.
Student ambassadors played a central role in the project. They designed and facilitated workshops, gathered students’ perspectives and observed how participants used AI tools in real time.
As one ambassador explained:
“We represented the student voice and conducted different workshops that helped us understand how students use AI and how AI can be used multimodally.”
Students are using AI in many different ways
The workshops revealed significant differences in students’ experiences of AI. Some participants were already using it extensively, while others had little awareness of the range of tools available.
Students reported using AI to brainstorm ideas, unpack assessment briefs, explain difficult concepts, improve grammar and writing, generate revision quizzes and prepare for exams. Others were exploring image generation, video, voiceovers and other creative applications.
One ambassador described AI as a ‘capability multiplier’:
“No matter how much you understand something, when you give it to AI your understanding can get better because it breaks things down.”
More ways to access learning
A central theme in the discussion was AI’s potential to make learning more flexible and inclusive. Students can use it to convert written material into audio, images, diagrams or simplified explanations, allowing them to revisit learning in a form and at a pace that works for them.
“Some people might not learn well just by using text. They might learn better if they had visualisations or flowcharts, and they can use AI for that.”
The ambassadors also highlighted the value of captions and translation. These features may support students using English as an additional language and students who process information in different ways.
AI can also provide support when lecturers are not immediately available. A student who has not understood a concept in class can ask for another explanation or request examples. Nevertheless, the group recognised that AI tools can produce inaccurate information.
Assistance should not replace thinking
The ambassadors drew a clear distinction between using AI to support learning and allowing it to complete the learning on a student’s behalf.
“Using AI responsibly means using it as a learning assistant rather than allowing it to replace your own thinking.”
They suggested that students should be transparent about how AI has contributed to an assessment. Declaring whether it was used to interpret a brief, structure ideas, improve writing or create media helps distinguish the student’s contribution from that of the tool:
“Your final work should reflect your own understanding.”
This principle also shaped their advice to new students. AI can be embraced as a personal assistant, but it should not become the only source used for an assignment. Students still need to make decisions and develop their own academic voice.
Fact-checking matters
The podcast includes practical advice for checking AI-generated information. Ambassadors recommended asking tools to provide their sources and then locating and reading those sources independently.
One ambassador recalled requesting references for an AI-generated answer, only to discover that the claimed information could not be found in the cited research. This demonstrated why apparently confident answers should never be accepted automatically.
Comparing responses from different tools may help identify inconsistencies, but this should not replace checking reliable original sources. The discussion reinforced an important message: AI literacy involves questioning outputs, not simply producing them.
Better prompting is an academic skill
Students also reflected on what makes an effective prompt. Their advice included providing clear context, specifying the required format, using relevant keywords and breaking complex tasks into stages.
“The more context you provide, the better response you will get.”
Rather than asking AI to produce a complete output in a single step, the ambassadors recommended an iterative conversation: complete one stage, review it critically and then use the result to inform the next prompt. They also noted that students should be aware of whether a tool is drawing on the history of previous conversations, particularly when moving between unrelated tasks.
Preparing for a changing university experience
Looking ahead, the ambassadors expect AI to become a normal part of university learning. They anticipate greater emphasis on authentic assessment and students’ ability to explain how they developed their work.
This may lead to more demonstrations and question-and-answer activities alongside submitted assignments. Rather than trying to exclude AI, lecturers will need to model responsible use and design assessments that make students’ learning visible.
As one ambassador concluded:
“AI will become a normal part of learning, so universities will need to focus on critical thinking, authentic assessment and teaching students how to use AI responsibly and ethically.”
The discussion presents neither an uncritical celebration of AI nor a rejection of it. Instead, it offers a student-centred case for thoughtful experimentation: using AI to support creativity and make learning more accessible while protecting the intellectual effort at the heart of higher education.
Watch the full Study Smart 3 student ambassador podcast on YouTube
