Person: Nirwan Sharma

<p>Nirwan Sharma</p>

Beyond the buzzword: AI, inclusion and the future of adult learning  

Future of adult and lifelong learning in the age of AI

Tuesday September 23rd, as part of MK Tech Week 2025 and alongside Esther Spring, KMi’s Prof. John Domingue chaired a conference in our Hub Theatre, sponsored by Infosys, which welcomed 150 educators, policy-makers, artists and technologists to explore how artificial intelligence can widen—rather than disrupt—opportunities for adult learners. Opened by Emily Darlington MP and OU…

KMi’s AI Module Writing Assistant shortlisted for best paper award

KMi’s Senior Research Fellow Alexander Mikroyannidis has presented a paper at the 24th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT). This flagship educational technology conference is organised annually by the IEEE Computer Society and the IEEE Technical Community on Learning Technology. ICALT brings together people who are working on the design, development, use, and evaluation of…

Fostering Synergies: C&C and KMi research & innovation event

Photo of attendees - Fostering Synergies: C&C and KMi research & innovation event

C&C (The School of Computing and Communication) and KMi arranged a research festival designed to celebrate the research and innovations in these two units with the STEM Faculty, here at The Open University. The event showcased a taster of their latest research highlights and innovations. This face-to-face event provided a platform for networking and knowledge…

KMi and EEES at Howe Park Wood

The OU’s Citizen Science and AI Research group had a stand at the Parks Trust Love Nature event on the 4th of July. The group sported a fantastic number of activities throughout the day: Rachel Redford,  Citizen Science Project Officer, engaged with children and adults alike about the fascinating world of moth eco-systems; Nirwan Sharma, Research Associate,…

Citizen science data reveals the need for keeping pollinator-friendly plant lists up-to-date

Our latest paper from BeeWatch Planting for Pollinators citizen science data has just been published in Nature Scientific Reports. Widespread concern over declines in pollinating insects has led to numerous recommendations of which “pollinator-friendly” plants to grow and help turn urban environments into valuable habitat for such important wildlife. We used data gathered through our…

New AI-enhanced learning about pollinators during Bees Needs Week

As the COVID-19 pandemic puts the focus on literacy and numeracy in home-schooling, KMi researchers have developed technologies to also help families learn about the natural environment.  The Human-Computer Collaborative Learning in Citizen Science (X-Polli:Nation) project, which received £507,000 from the Engineering and Physical Research Council has responded to the pandemic by creating a new collection of interactive…

KMi, the first 25 years

At the 25th Anniversary KMi Festival we invited staff from across the OU campus to come and find out how our latest knowledge and media technologies are impacting education, science, and cities.  The Festival attendees included Lady Kitty Chisholm, one of the three founders of KMi, the STEM Executive Dean, Nick Braithwaite, and the new…