It’s safe to say that AI is the talk of the town. Whether it’s voice assistants on your phone or smart features in your favourite apps, most of us have already used some form of Generative AI. But when it comes to using AI in an academic context, the conversation is still evolving. Some find it confusing; others see it as polarising - but one thing’s for sure: it’s developing fast.

At LSBU, there’s official guidance on how to use AI ethically and effectively in your studies. You can read it here: [Link].

One of the best metaphors I’ve heard for using tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and others is this:

Think of Gen AI as a personal tutor in your pocket.
 

Ask it questions. Get help understanding complex ideas. Use it to generate examples you can learn from. But remember - it’s not there to do the work for you.

Why Use Copilot Through LSBU?

Students are encouraged to access Copilot using their LSBU student IT account via Office 365. This gives you:

  • Access to extra features like chat history and more prompts per topic

  • Enhanced security and data protection

     

My Top 3 Ways to Use Copilot

  1. Summarising Journal Articles
    Academic articles can be long and wordy. Copilot can break them down into clear, plain-language summaries that highlight the key arguments.
  2. Creating Exemplars
    Whether it’s reflective writing, qualitative research, or crafting a strong conclusion - if you’ve never done it before, it can be tricky. Copilot can generate example documents to help you understand the structure and tone.
  3. Generating Practice Data
    Want to improve your Excel skills? Copilot can instantly create realistic practice datasets - saving you hours of manually typing names, values, and tables.

 

There’s So Much More

Copilot can support your learning in many ways. Want to explore further?

Final Thought

Copilot won’t do your work for you - but it can help you do your best work. It’s another powerful tool to add to your academic toolkit.