This posting describes how we automated the Zotero citation process in Word documents produced from LLM-generated Markdown. In passing, footnotes were automated also.
And two more steps, via footnotes to Zotero
Towards the one-click thesis: a report on the Strait of Hormuz
This 62-page document with 160 references discusses the geopolitical tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, including Iran's closure impacting global energy flows. It analyzes military and diplomatic strategies for reopening the Strait, assesses coalition capabilities, and outlines challenges and potential solutions. The report is informed by multi-lingual sources, integrating diverse regional perspectives. Unusally it was generated by a team of AIs, with minimal direction from, a human. It is the first thesis-length demonstrator in a series of studies on the actual power of LLMs to write well-researched well-argued documents.
Teen Robots just gotta have fun
This is a recreational filler with a serious message for teachers struggling to know what to teach and now to teach in an AI world
Robot World’s Hidden Prize: How Robot Fleets Could Improve AI
The next big bottleneck in AI may not be model size or compute. It may be access to grounded, real-world experience. If millions of embodied robots begin operating in homes, vehicles and care settings, they could generate filtered experience traces that improve LLM-plus systems far beyond what internet text alone can provide. Child-size companion robots may be especially important because they open access to a domain that today’s AI models understand badly: children’s language-in-context and everyday micro-social interaction. But this only works if the architecture is privacy-first: central systems should receive distilled updates, not intimate raw detail from children’s lives, except under tightly governed emergency rules.
Reflections on the closure of the OER Foundation and the implications for OER policies worldwide
The recent announcement of the impending closure of the OER Foundation (based in Otago in New Zealand) has drawn attention again to the sustainability (or not) of major OER initiatives and the longevity of OER policies. Acting on this we decided to do one of our rapid AI-assisted reviews of the current state of the OER domain. The results were challenging. For speed, this review initially started with a series of seven questions put to ChatGPT (version 5.2) - which we have used a lot over the last three years for policy anal
“Honey, I tringed your assignments”
The discussion emphasizes the rising use of AI tools like ChatGPT among students to complete assignments, prompting universities to update academic integrity guidelines, albeit slowly. The concept of "tring" is introduced, highlighting how AI can reduce assignment effort significantly. Detection methods are limited, and reassessing assignment processes is crucial to prevent issues with academic standards.
A thought-provoking encounter on a train
Below is the AI wishy-washy rewrite of my deliberately raw post on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bacsich_a-weekend-ago-i-was-travelling-back-home-activity-7394477618529533952-WQC0?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABVpRwBndzgy_gXa77UFNt_ZXmJovKbFf8 Talk about muting the message to make it more palatable to scholars and researchers and managers! A thought-provoking encounter on a train journey sparked reflections on the authenticity of student assessments. As I made my way from Manchester to Sheffield, … Continue reading A thought-provoking encounter on a train
Ways of reducing the cost of online and blended courses in post-secondary education
Summary I am delighted to be attending and speaking at the ALT-C 2025 Conference taking place in Glasgow on 23-24 October 2025. I will be leading a workshop on my current favourite topic: how to reduce the cost of teaching in higher and further education, particularly in the context of digital, online and blended learning. … Continue reading Ways of reducing the cost of online and blended courses in post-secondary education
Lessons from COVID-19: Scotland’s Educational Response Reimagined, by ChatGPT 4.5 Deep Research using a prompt from Paul Bacsich
A Counterfactual Response to COVID-19 School Closures in Scotland (2020–2022): universal online provision at school level Introduction and Context When Scottish schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, education officials faced an unprecedented challenge: how to ensure continuity of learning for over 700,000 pupils across Scotland (en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org). In reality, Scotland relied on ad-hoc remote teaching … Continue reading Lessons from COVID-19: Scotland’s Educational Response Reimagined, by ChatGPT 4.5 Deep Research using a prompt from Paul Bacsich
What’s Happening Around the World with Online and Hybrid Learning
This presentation. joint with Michael Barbour, was given yesterday at the Digital Learning Palooza being held online this week (Tuesday through Saturday). To some extent it is a follow-on (and to other extents, not) to the paper some of us presented at the EDEN conference last summer.
Opening up learning 