Generative AI for Personalised Feedback in Digital Learning

About the project

About the Project Are you ready to be at the forefront of AI innovation and transform how digital learning is designed, delivered, and experienced? Join us on a cutting-edge project investigating how generative AI can provide automated assessment and personalised feedback in digital learning environments, with a particular focus on health and social care education. This PhD studentship is 42-month fully funded through the EPSRC Research Excellence Awards (REA) within the John Anderson Research Studentship Scheme (JARSS). You will be based in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, working in close collaboration with NHS Scotland Academy. About the Project Digital learning has become a central mechanism for delivering education and training across sectors, particularly in large, distributed workforces such as health and social care. While it offers flexibility and accessibility, current digital learning systems remain fundamentally limited in their ability to assess complex, free-text responses and provide timely, high-quality feedback at scale. As a result, many platforms rely on multiple-choice assessments and passive content delivery, limiting learner engagement, reflection, and the development of deeper understanding. This is a significant challenge in healthcare contexts, where effective learning directly impacts professional practice and outcomes. Recent advances in generative AI and large language models (LLMs) present a promising opportunity to address these limitations. These technologies can interpret and generate natural language, enabling the possibility of automated assessment and tailored feedback that mirrors key aspects of human tutoring. This project will systematically investigate how generative AI can be used to enhance digital learning by developing, evaluating, and validating AI-driven feedback systems. Working with NHS Scotland Academy, the project will be grounded in real-world educational settings, generating evidence on the effectiveness, reliability, and acceptability of AI-enhanced learning in professional contexts. Why This PhD Is Your Opportunity to Innovate Generative AI is rapidly reshaping how we interact with information and learn. In education, it has the potential to move beyond static content toward interactive, adaptive, and personalised learning experiences. However, key challenges remain around accuracy, consistency, trust, and pedagogical alignment, particularly in high-stakes domains such as healthcare. Imagine a system that can read a learner’s written response, understand their reasoning, and provide feedback that supports reflection and improvement. This is where your research will make a difference, helping to develop AI systems that enhance learning outcomes while remaining robust, transparent, and trustworthy. What You Will Do You will design and develop innovative approaches for automated assessment and personalised feedback using generative AI, contributing to the next generation of digital learning systems. Key Objectives: • Develop methods for assessing free-text learner responses using generative AI • Design feedback generation techniques that are constructive, context-aware, and aligned with learning objectives • Create tools that allow educators to define and control assessment criteria and feedback behaviour • Benchmark and evaluate different generative AI models in terms of accuracy, reliability, and consistency • Conduct experimental studies to assess the impact of AI-driven feedback on learning outcomes and engagement • Investigate the use of AI-enhanced learning in real-world settings through collaboration with NHS Scotland Academy • Ensure alignment with responsible AI principles, including transparency, fairness, and trust What We are Looking For We are seeking ambitious and curious researchers who want to push the boundaries of AI and create meaningful impact. Essential Skills: • A 2:1 Honours degree or Master’s degree in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, or a related field • A strong background in machine learning, natural language processing, or data analysis • Proficiency in programming and model development (e.g. Python) • Excellent written and oral communication skills • An understanding of experimental design and evaluation Desirable Skills: • Experience with generative AI or large language models • Interest in educational technology, HCI, or human-centred AI • Familiarity with evaluation in real-world or applied settings • Experience working with interdisciplinary teams or external partners • Interest in responsible and ethical AI How to Apply: Applications will be processed on a 'first come, first served' basis, and the hiring process will conclude as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. Interested candidates should email Dr Yashar Moshfeghi ( yashar.moshfeghi@strath.ac.uk ) and include detailing contact information, and motivation, or background and attach an up-to-date CV . We are committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience, and we believe that diversity makes us stronger by bringing in new ideas and perspectives. The University of Strathclyde was established in 1796 as “the place of useful learning”. This remains at the forefront of our vision today for Strathclyde to be a leading international technological university that makes a positive difference in the lives of its students, society and the world. Strathclyde was the first institute to win the coveted Times Higher Education “University of the Year” award twice, in 2012 and 2019, and has since been voted the Scottish University of the Year in 2020

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