How to be an Educator: navigating identity and power in an era of AI

On 23 October at 10:00 am (Germany time), we are pleased to welcome Prof. Allison Littlejohn from University College London. The event will open with a welcome address by Prof. Pascal O. Berberat, TUM Vice President for Studies and Teaching. After the talk, we invite you to stay for coffee and pretzels and an informal exchange with Prof. Littlejohn and fellow attendees.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming academic practice. The Digital Education Council (2025) reported that 61% of university academics worldwide have used AI in teaching. For academics AI raises fundamental questions about professional identity and power. AI adoption risks transferring pedagogical choices from educators to technologists, shifting teaching practice away from human-centred practice towards the management of data and technology. In this presentation I examine how expert teachers draw on cognitive, affective and social practices to support their teaching. Practices such as real-time sensemaking through student cues, purposive instructional design anticipating misconceptions, and creating emotional scaffolds that enabling learning. While AI can assist with some tasks, it cannot replicate the professional judgment needed for effective teaching. Taking a wider perspective, I explore the effects of AI and data usage on professional agency, highlighting power shifts and vulnerabilities of people in different professions. I explore ways to navigate these vulnerabilities through forms of professional development that allow the negotiation of future work in ways that ensure AI adoption empowers human workers, rather than the AI being empowered by human work. 

Digital Education Council. (2025). Global AI Faculty Survey 2025. Retrieved from https://www.digitaleducationcouncil.com/ 

Guest Biography

Professor Allison Littlejohn is Pro-Vice Provost for UCL’s Grand Challenge Data Empowered Societies and is Professor of Learning and Technology in the UCL Knowledge Lab at University College London. Her research expands our understanding of the socio-technical effects of digital transformation at work and how it impacts work and learning.  

Professor Littlejohn was previously Director of the UCL Knowledge Lab, University College London (2020-2025); Dean (Learning & Teaching) at the University of Glasgow (2019-20); Academic Director for Digital Innovation at the Open University, UK (2015-2019); Professor and Director of the Caledonian Academy at Glasgow Caledonian University (2006-2015). Allison holds the Ruth Wong Visiting Professorship at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. 

More Information

Speaker webpage: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/76327-allison-littlejohn