Dundalk IT lecturer wins AI in education award

JJ Quinlan, Lecturer and Researcher in Creative Media at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), has been awarded the AI in Education Award in the category of AI for Creative Futures at the GenAIEdu 5 Conference, hosted by Ulster University. The award recognises Quinlan’s innovative project titled “Prompting Possibility: Teaching Creative Media Students to Harness AI for Innovation and Insight.”

The GenAIEdu 5 Conference, organised by Michael Callaghan and hosted at Ulster University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, brought together leading voices in AI and education to explore the future of learning and innovation.

Quinlan’s project explores how AI can be integrated into creative media education, not just as a tool, but as a collaborative partner in storytelling, ideation, and innovation. It reflects a growing movement to embed AI literacy into the creative curriculum, preparing students for the evolving demands of the media industry.

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As a Level 8 lecturer, Quinlan leads the Individual Capstone Project module, a cornerstone of the Creative Media programme. Over the past two academic years, he has strategically introduced AI techniques such as zero-shot prompting, chain-of-thought reasoning, and SCAMPER-based ideation to enhance student creativity and critical thinking. These methods are used alongside traditional brainstorming and research approaches, fostering a hybrid model that encourages deeper engagement with both the creative process and emerging technologies.

Ethical considerations are central to the module, with students exploring issues of authorship, originality, bias, and responsible AI use. This holistic approach ensures that graduates are not only technically proficient but also ethically aware and professionally prepared.

“This award is a testament to the incredible potential of combining creativity with technology in education,” said Quinlan. “I’m grateful to the GenAIEdu team, Bring IT On, ConnectedNI, and especially to Barry McAdam, UCD Innovation Academy Manager, for presenting the award. It’s an honour to be recognised among such inspiring educators and innovators.”