Syllabus

The common learning path and the timetable

Modified

30 October 2026

The learning path

The course has three phases: preparation, one course day, and a follow-up task. The phases are the same in every edition. The edition pages give the dates.

flowchart LR
    A["<b>Before</b><br/>Read Bender et al.<br/>Prepare one<br/>Research Use"] --> B["<b>Course day: morning</b><br/>Four analytical lenses<br/>Lens groups"]
    B --> C["<b>Course day: afternoon</b><br/>Two Panarchy blocks<br/>Individual Action Plan"]
    C --> D["<b>After</b><br/>Responsible GenAI<br/>Use Statement"]

Before the course day

  • Read the required text: Bender et al., On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots (2021).
  • Prepare your Research Use: one actual or planned use of generative AI in your research. Say why you might use it and what you do not know about it. On the course day, you write it on the Research Use Card.

Further reading is optional. The literature page lists readings and cases for each lens. The assignments page gives a plan for the eight hours of preparation.

On the course day

Each participant uses two double-sided A4 sheets: Sheet 1 with the Research Use Card and the Panarchy Chart, and Sheet 2 with Opportunities & Barriers and the Action Plan. Paper, digital documents, and flipcharts are enough.

The morning builds a shared vocabulary and applies it to the Research Uses of the participants.

  1. Research Use Card. Each participant describes their Research Use. The term stays the same all day.
  2. Four lenses, 15 minutes each. Each lens gives theory and one example:
  3. Lens groups. See below.

Lens groups

Each participant chooses the lens that fits their Research Use best. The participants form groups of four, ideally one group for each lens. For 60 minutes, each group:

  • introduces the Research Use Card of each member,
  • applies the four guiding questions of its lens to each Research Use,
  • records insights, uncertainties, and disagreements on a flipchart or in a shared document.

Each lens page lists its four guiding questions. Then each group nominates a spokesperson, who reports for five minutes. The report focuses on conceptual insights, not on individual Research Uses. Three questions guide the report:

  1. Which concept or distinction was difficult to apply consistently, and what needs clarification?
  2. Where did our Lens lead to conflicting interpretations, and what explains the disagreement?
  3. Which unresolved question most affects how we should apply this Lens in practice?

The plenary then takes ten minutes to clarify open questions.

Afternoon: Panarchy and the individual Action Plan

The afternoon applies the vocabulary to the levels at which change is possible.

  1. Panarchy Block 1. Each participant writes a challenge in one sentence, starting from the Research Use Card, and lists its influences. Pairs translate the influences into levels on the Panarchy Chart. New groups of four present their challenges, select one, find Opportunities & Barriers, and consolidate a group Action Plan.
  2. Panarchy Block 2. New pairs examine the challenges that Block 1 did not select. Every challenge receives an in-depth discussion.
  3. Individual Action Plan. Each participant completes an Action Plan for their own Research Use: the intended change, the next step, the barriers, the timeline, and a success indicator. A peer reviews it.

Your outputs on the day are your Research Use Card, the notes of your Lens group, your Panarchy Chart, Opportunities & Barriers, a group Action Plan, and your individual Action Plan.

After the course day

Write a Responsible GenAI Use Statement for your own research. The assignments page describes the task, the peer discussion, the formal check, and the template.

Timetable

Timetable of the course day
Time Activity Format
09:00–09:10 Welcome Plenary
09:10–09:20 Research Use Card Alone
09:20–09:35 Lens 1: Scale & Environment Plenary
09:35–09:50 Lens 2: Representation Plenary
09:50–10:05 Lens 3: Lifecycle & Labor Plenary
10:05–10:20 Lens 4: Political Economy & Governance Plenary
10:20–10:35 Break —
10:35–10:40 Form Lens groups Plenary
10:40–11:40 Research Use and Lens discussion Groups
11:40–12:00 Spokesperson reports Plenary
12:00–12:10 Clarify open questions Plenary
12:10–12:20 Buffer / capture findings Groups
12:20–13:20 Lunch —
13:20–13:25 Panarchy introduction Plenary
13:25–13:40 Frame Challenge & Identify Influences Alone
13:40–14:00 Translate & Compare Levels Pairs
14:00–14:05 Form groups of four Plenary
14:05–14:20 Present challenges and charts Groups
14:20–14:25 Select challenge Groups
14:25–14:35 Find Opportunities & Barriers Alone
14:35–15:00 Discuss and consolidate Action Plan Groups
15:00–15:10 Buffer / capture findings Groups
15:10–15:25 Break —
15:25–15:30 Form new pairs Plenary
15:30–15:40 Opportunities & Barriers for remaining challenges Alone
15:40–16:15 Discuss and prioritize remaining challenges Pairs
16:15–16:35 Individual Action Plan Alone
16:35–16:45 Peer review Pairs
16:45–17:00 Course evaluation and closing Plenary

Materials

  • The handouts page lists both sheets and their editable versions.
  • Each lens page links its slide deck. The decks are Reveal.js presentations. Press S for the presenter notes and ? for the keyboard shortcuts.
  • The course day deck holds all slides of the course day, in order.
  • The literature page lists every reading with a lawful link.
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