Friday 30th May

Dear All,

Thank you for your work this week.

Term has officially finished and the degree show has opened across the road. ECA Graduate Show 2025 opens on Friday

Another day working in a film set, you may have spotted Argyle House streaming in Dept Q on Netflix Dept. Q: Cast, Release Date, Photos, Plot of New Series

This week we wave goodbye to Reuben Forman, our Teaching Spaces Data Intern as he takes the next step in his career to join Addepar as a Client Solutions Analyst. Hopefully he will remember us all when he is hanging out with high-net-worth clients. Reuben has played a vital role in transforming how we manage and present room survey data, streamlining last year’s results while developing an integrated issues tracker alongside implementing a web based photo repository. Reuben has reflecting on his time working with us: Reuben Forman: The Data Behind Teaching Spaces – Information Services Group: Student Employee Blog

Also waving goodbye and blogging is Chunxi Luo, who has been working as a Digital Skills AI intern since the summer of 2024. He has been crafting prompts to make our lives easier. Starting with the auto-scheduler, the summarizer, the course material brainstorm, and the learning path curator. (that’s a prompt that allows one to craft their own learning path based on their starting point, their goals, and their preferences of courses). Currently working on a study “buddy” that utilizes the Feynmann technique (i.e. teach what you learn) to help learners consolidate their knowledge. If you want to know more, Chunxi wrote: AI in the workforce – My experience as a Digital Skills AI intern – Digital Skills, Design and Training

As Ruben and Chunxi leave us, we welcome this year’s Napier interns: Eilidh Seabrook and Kirsten McLaughlan joining the EdWeb team.

Also from the Web team, the new Effective Digital Content online course has now been launched. Effective Digital Content is an editorial training course covering good practice in writing and structuring digital content for the University. It’s mandatory for those who need access to publish content on EdWeb 2. The topics in the course will be relevant to any staff who create digital content for the University, including University websites, or internal sites (for example SharePoint). Check it out at https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/website-communications/the-new-effective-digital-content-online-course-is-now-live/.

You will have seen the diary hold for the LTW All-staff meeting in July, please do accept it if you can come. We will focus on celebrating successes and also explore the new ways of working which may be coming in our near future and think about how our staff hub can help to keep our community connected. LTW Colleague Hub

Nominations for the Principal’s Medals are open if you would consider nominating. All information about the Principal’s Medals, along with the online nomination form https://principals-office.ed.ac.uk/principals-awards-and-medals/principals-medals

After AI announcements last week it turns out both the trains and the buses have stolen women’s voices! Actress says ScotRail’s new AI announcer uses her voice data without permission ‘I became the AI voice of Lothian Buses, but didn’t know about it’, says angry Scottish voiceover artist

Don’t let anyone steal your voice.

Have a good weekend,