Practical AI at Work: From Prompt Engineering to Equitable Access
6 August 2025 (12–1pm AEST / 2–3pm NZST)
Online
LIVE WEBINAR
Facilitator: Bryan O’Connor, Director of Governance, Quality and Compliance, Western Sydney University International College
Join us for an engaging Show & Tell session that moves beyond AI theory to explore the real challenges and opportunities of implementing AI.
We’ll start with practical stories from real life—the prompts that actually work, the ones that spectacularly fail, and what we have learned about helping colleagues navigate AI’s capabilities and limitations. But this session goes deeper than just “how to write better prompts.”
We’ll explore the critical equity questions that institutional leaders need to grapple with:
🔍 Who gets access? Why does an engineering background make AI adoption easier, while clerical staff face greater barriers to leveraging AI for tedious, time-consuming tasks?
⚖️ What does equitable AI implementation look like? How do we tailor support so people from different cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds can all benefit from AI’s potential to remove drudgery from their work?
🎯 Beyond academic integrity: Moving past the narrow focus on preventing student misuse to consider how we can ethically leverage AI to benefit all employees, staff, and teachers.
This interactive session will cover:
- Real workplace AI applications and practical prompt engineering tips that make a difference
- The equity gap: why some colleagues thrive with AI while others struggle
- Governance perspectives on creating inclusive AI policies
- Collaborative problem-solving around the barriers different groups face
Expect honest discussion about:
- What works (and what doesn’t) when introducing AI in institutional settings
- The privilege embedded in AI adoption and how to address it
- Moving from “AI policing” to “AI empowerment” in our institutional approaches
Whether you’re already experimenting with AI tools or still figuring out where to start, this session is designed for collaborative learning. Come ready to share your experiences, challenges, and questions as we work together to make AI truly work for everyone in our institutions.
Pricing:
- Members: FREE
- Non-members: $52.77 (AUD$45 + GST + booking fee)
THIS IS A LIVE WEBINAR AND WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
Institutional Reporting (formerly Government Reporting) Special Interest Group 2/2025
14 August 2025 (12–1pm AEST / 2–3pm NZST)
Online
LIVE WEBINAR
Facilitator: Don Johnston, AAIR Institutional Reporting SIG Chair
Join us for our upcoming Institutional Reporting (formerly Government Reporting) Special Interest Group session – a collaborative space to connect, ask questions, and share insights with peers from across the sector.
Whether you have burning questions, tricky scenarios, or clever workarounds to share, this is your chance to tap into collective experience and practical wisdom.
Got something on your mind?
- How’s your institution handling the new gender codes?
- Navigating the latest TCSI analytics reports?
- Curious how others are tackling similar challenges?
Bring your questions, ideas, and ‘tricks of the trade’, and let’s learn from each other.
Register now and be part of the conversation.
Pricing:
- Members: FREE
- Non-members: $52.77 (AUD$45 + GST + booking fee)
THIS IS A LIVE WEBINAR AND WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
Mind Over Survey: Leveraging Behavioural Insights to Increase Participation
19 August 2025 (12–1pm AEST / 2–3pm NZST)
Online
LIVE WEBINAR
Facilitator: Cassandra Saunders, AAIR Surveys and Evaluation SIG Chair
Guest presenter: Professor Swee-Hoon Chuah, Director, Tasmanian Behavioural Lab (Professor of Behavioural Economics, University of Tasmania)
Swee-Hoon will be speaking about the principles of Behavioural Economics and how they can influence behaviour by understanding the psychology behind people’s choices, with a specific lens on how they can be applied to boost survey respondent engagement.
Why do so many surveys go unanswered in higher education? Despite our best efforts, response rates often remain stubbornly low. This interactive session will explore how behavioural insights can help us understand the psychological barriers that lead people to ignore surveys. Together, we’ll explore simple, evidence-informed strategies to make participation easier, more appealing, and more timely. Join us to learn how to design smarter surveys that fit real human behaviour.
* This session will include interactive polls. Participants will need to have their mobile phone handy. *
Pricing:
- Members: FREE
- Non-members: $52.77 (AUD$45 + GST + booking fee)
THIS IS A LIVE WEBINAR AND WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
Connecting Our Community
3 September 2025 (12–1pm AEST / 2–3pm NZST)
Online
Ready to Spark Connection? Lead the Conversation and Build Community!
Facilitator: Could this be you?
LIVE WEBINAR
🌟 Want to Host Our Next Online Networking Session?
We’re looking for a friendly face to host an informal online networking session – a relaxed, one-hour online catch-up where members and the broader IR community can connect, share ideas, and support each other.
You don’t need to be an expert or have a script – just someone who enjoys bringing people together, asking a few good questions, and keeping the conversation flowing. Whether you’ve done something like this before or it’s your first time, we’ll support you with tips and a quick run-through beforehand.
What’s involved?
- Hosting a relaxed 1-hour Zoom session (date can be flexible)
- Welcoming everyone and setting a friendly tone
- Asking a few light prompts to get the conversation started
- Creating a warm, open space for members to chat and connect
If you’re curious, community-minded, and up for giving it a go, we’d love to hear from you!
👉 Express your interest by email to info@aair.org.au
Pricing:
- Members: FREE
- Non-members: $52.77 (AUD$45 + GST and booking fee)
THIS IS A LIVE WEBINAR AND WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
Amplifying Student Voices: Building an Open Feedback Culture in Education
17 September 2025 (1–4pm AEST / 3–6pm NZST)
Online
Join Explorance’s APAC Virtual Summit to explore the transformative role feedback analytics and AI can play in enhancing student engagement, staff wellbeing, and long-term institutional success. With sessions built specifically for leaders, faculty, and administrators working in education, discover how data-driven insights can elevate the teaching and learning experience to the next level.
Discover how to:
- 📈 Implement effective feedback strategies for improving student and staff experience
- 🧠 Uncover key themes in student feedback with next-gen qualitative analysis
- 🛡️ Safeguard staff wellbeing with AI-powered qualitative analysis that redacts sensitive or identifying language
- 🧰 Empower your departments, teams and researchers with powerful, customisable surveys
Register now to hear how Explorance users are driving impact at their institutions and best practices from the Explorance team.
Pricing:
- Members: FREE
- Non-members: FREE
AAIR Forum 2025
17–19 November 2025
Rydges Gold Coast Airport, Queensland
From Beach to Benchmark – Surfing the Institutional Research Wave
Our theme, From Beach to Benchmark – Surfing the Institutional Research Wave, draws inspiration from the coastal setting of the Gold Coast. It reflects the dynamic nature of institutional research in higher education – where professionals are continually navigating shifting tides of data, policy, and strategy to support informed decision-making across their institutions.
The Forum will provide an opportunity for institutional researchers, surveys staff, planners, analysts, and higher education professionals to come together to explore innovative practices, share challenges, and develop strategies that will help shape the future of the sector. With a diverse program of presentations, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities, this year’s event promises to be rewarding and professionally enriching.
Call for Abstracts Open
Closes 30 August 2025
Registration
Opening soon
Acceptance to Authors
3-15 September 2025
Draft Program Released
16 September 2025
Platinum Partner
Explorance
University Supporter
Southern Cross University